Proud Rural Teacher

This is probably one of the most difficult episodes to weave together because back in my own K-12 teaching days, I think it’s fair to say that I could’ve done better to integrate indigenous perspectives and history into my English classroom. It’s something I look back on with regret. I know that in my own undergraduate studies, I learned very little about Act 31. The School of Education here at UW-Platteville has made it our mission to make sure our students truly understand the importance of responsive teaching practices and how to authentically and respectfully integrate education on the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state. For me, that means immersing myself in opportunities like supporting our pre-service educators during their practicums in the Bayfield school district, attending book studies and workshops, and having honest, humbling conversations. Last summer I attended the virtual Wisconsin American Indian Summer Institute and this fall I joined in on a virtual book study on Anton Treuer's book “Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but were Afraid to Ask.” All great opportunities. I was doing some research, recently, looking for Wisconsin K-12 examples of educators integrating Wisconsin indigenous history, culture, and contemporary issues into coursework. Most of my discoveries were from school districts adjacent to tribal land or where the student body was mostly Native American. I really had a hard time finding solid examples the further I looked south, for example. Now that could be simply because someone’s efforts were published online, but what if that true that the further we are from tribal lands or native nations, the less authentic our schools integrate education on the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state. In order to prompt some discussion on this, I decided to reach out to Dr. Anton Treuer, professor of Ojibwe Bemidji State University in Minnesota, and Dr. Georgo Delbow, a social studies teacher in the Clinton School District, in Southern Wisconsin. If you’re in a school not near tribal land or native nations, I’m hoping you’ll feel inspired to tackle this work even if it's challenging and uncomfortable. And if you’re already working to appropriately integrate Wisconsin indigenous history, culture, and contemporary issues into your coursework, I’m hoping this episode inspires you to share your story as a way to inspire other teachers.

So today’s episode is a little different for me in that, even though I’ve already done the interview, I still feel I have a lot to learn about funding for public schools in Wisconsin. Back in the day, when I was teaching HS English, I didn’t think much at all about school funding. I had, for the most part, as far as I knew, what I needed to do my job. I certainly did not think about the bigger picture or how financial decisions made at the state level, might impact public education. I don’t think my experience is unusual. As the years have passed, I’ve grown to understand that funding public education is certainly a challenge that’s deeply impacting our rural schools. So in this episode, I’m honestly just asking questions about funding for public schools in Wisconsin. To kick off National Public Schools week, I’m introducing you to the executive director of the Wisconsin Public Education Network, Heather DuBois Bourenane. The interview itself is actually in two parts. Part 1 was just days before the Governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, released his proposed budget, and Part 2 was just days after. Heather will explain how funding in Wisconsin impacts public schools and how the Wisconsin Public Education Network is a strong advocate for public schools. If you’re new to learning about how public schools in Wisconsin are funded, this conversation will, hopefully, stir your mind to learn more. Be sure to check out the show notes for relevant links.

Do you want to learn more about how public schools are funded in Wisconsin?

Today I had the honor of meeting Ryan Steuer, executive director of Magnify Learning, a Project Based Learning organization who trains teachers, coaches, and principals across the country. He’s also the author of a new book to be released soon, PBL Simplified.  You can find him all over the internet – both youtube and podcasting all speaking to the benefits of PBL and how you can integrate it into your classroom. Now you’re probably wondering why I’d include this on a podcast about being a rural teacher. There’s a lot of overlap between place-based education and project based learning. For example, design thinking, inquiry-based learning, and learner centered activities are 3 principles of place based education. Without a doubt, those exist in project based learning too, and depending on the project, the other 3 principles can cross over too. PBL and PBE, two of my favorite acronyms in rural education. So today’s interview is with Ryan, from Magnify Learning. 

When you think of Wisconsin Dells, I'm guessing the first thing that might come to mind would be the water parks and resorts. Located in southern Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dells draws in well over 4 million visitors a year. Despite that huge tourist draw, the permanent resident population is actually much smaller. Matter of fact, Wisconsin Dells High schools enrollment is just 558 students. A few months ago I was able to take a group of pre-service teachers on a tour of the high school as I heard it was recently built and rather unique. Honestly, I was so caught off guard. Not only is it aesthetically beautiful, with natural light, flexible space, and ample room, the spaces are so carefully placed. One area that really caught me off guard was the family and consumer education spaces. I think back maybe 12 or 15 years ago, I noticed a trend of schools eliminating their family and consumer education departments, but Wisconsin Dells has moved the other way. They've bolstered that department, but think about it. Many of their students head into the hospitality industry during high school or after graduation. The space they've created is responsive to their community. Today you're meeting Erin Michalsky, family and consumer education teacher at Wisconsin Dells High School.

It's been a while since I've headed up to Minnesota for an episode and this one certainly did not disappoint. Today, I'm featuring two teachers in the Goodhue School District, just north of Rochester by 40 minutes. Goodhue is certainly rural with a total K12 population of just over 720 students. I found this story by happenstance, really.  I wanted to do a story on a school in the driftless of Minnesota that paid special attention to engagement with the outdoors or conservation. Sometimes these stories are hard to find because I'm several counties away, so I jumped on Twitter and begin searching “fishing Minnesota kids” – just those three words. And there I found a tweet From Goodhue teacher Robbie Abner tweeting about the Goodhue Fishing Club, and oh my, did that lead me to a great story. Come with me to learn how teachers Robbie Ebner and Matt Halverson are connecting kids with land in three different ways, and after you’re done listening, be sure to read the show notes for relevant links.

In today’s podcast episode you’ll learn about an interdisciplinary project between two classes in high school, social studies and band. I realized, though, that as the interview was unfolding, our guests were also noting the importance of teachers having dedicated collaboration time with colleagues to engage in meaningful conversation about student learning. You will be meeting two educators from Platteville high school in Southwest Wisconsin. High School Band teacher, Kevin Cooley, and Social studies teacher (at the time), Jake Crase, created an interdisciplinary experience that allowed students to study both the historical context and the related music of an event. Even if you’re not a history or music teacher, I’m sure you’ll find this episode interesting as they provide solid inspiration that interdisciplinary connections and planned collaboration time truly matter.

Resources Related to the Project:

This episode actually goes back to the spring of 2020, when our kids were sent home for virtual learning. It’s not an era I’d like to revisit, but I do want to share this one moment. As we head into a new year, I want you to remember that even a small act of kindness can improve the life of a child and that there’s something very special about rural communities in that we collectively wrap-around our kids.

Today you’re meeting teacher, Megan Clerkin, and some of her sweet 1st graders from Doudna Elementary in the Richland School District in Southwest Wisconsin and an amazing grandmother, Deb Stuckey. When the 1st graders were sent home, back in 2020, Grandpa and Grandma Stuckey noticed the kids were having a hard time holding their iPads up for zooms and activities, so they decided to build custom, wooden iPad stands not just for their kids, but for the whole class.

Decorah, Iowa is a beautiful town, rich with connections to water and the land. Decorah is in NE Iowa just west of the Mississippi, right on the edge of the Driftless region. The Upper Iowa River snakes thru town, and over time the residents have embraced this geographical feature. Over the summer, I traveled to Decorah for a workshop and noted the historical charm, appreciation for outdoor recreation, how they’ve adjusted to living along the river. In this episode, you’re meeting Zach Fromm, Instructional Coach, from the Decorah School District. The work in the Decorah school district is quite commendable as they leverage community resources and experts to create comprehensive interdisciplinary experiences that impact their students for years to come. I’m hoping you’ll listen to this episode and wonder how you can replicate this type of learning back where you’re from. 

Relevant Links:

Zach's contact information:

Staying current with last week’s theme of digital storytelling, I wanted to share with you another example of the importance of recording our history. As part of a class assignment, one of my students, Jalen Schmitz, chose to learn how to use Soundtrap to record an interview with his grandfather about his time as a farmer in Lancaster in Southwest Wisconsin. It’s such a nice example of how we can leverage technology to facilitate conversation and capture a piece of our rural heritage. I’m hoping you’ll feel inspired by Jalen’s work and interview someone who has a story to tell.

In this episode you'll meet Gary Funk, Director of the Rural School Collaborative. The RSC's mission is "to build sustainable rural communities through a keen focus on place, teachers, and philanthropy." Today, we are focusing on two funding and support opportunities for educators -- the National Signature Project Award and the Grants in Place Fellows program. 

In this podcast episode you'll meet Jerry Apps, Wisconsin author, speaker, and storyteller on Wisconsin history, agriculture, and our rural heritage. Over the years, I've read his books, blog posts, and I've been able to hear him speak. I'm always left feeling a sense of gratitude for rural Southwest Wisconsin. His words are important to share because it reminds us that where we live...matters, and we should be fostering that narrative. As you listen to this episode, I am hoping that you'll be able to gather some ideas of how you can facilitate learning about our past, our culture, and our rural heritage so the next generation can also feel that sense of gratitude and pride. 

Links to referenced resources:

Tools for recording oral histories: