I have worked in a rural high school for 3 years now in a seemingly wealthy county in SE Virginia; however, the full time residents lack college degrees and parenting skills. I don’t mean that all people are like this, but many of the students who I have taught lack the basic skills and materials to attend school. Many don’t come prepared with the basics such as pen and pencil, paper, assigned textbooks or previous day’s classwork. (We have been instructed NOT to assign homework because we don’t know the situation at home whether the student has adequate study space.)
Nevertheless, teachers are “expected” to have a ready supply of pencils, pens, notebook paper, bound notebooks, folders and other required supplies, all without compensation from the school. Thus I spend well over $100 prior to the first day of school buying supplies for students who lack the motivation or initiative to buy their own supplies. It is the classic case of APATHY and it’s quite contagious. Students don’t care, parents don’t care enough and teachers can’t fight the epidemic.
Tell me your thoughts on the future of rural education….is it just this part of Virginia, or is it spreading throughout the nation?
Yes, isolationism is learned behaviour. It’s a hackneyed form of nationalism. Think about the feelings that heightened the rise of the Third Reich in the post WWI era. Oh, and the 1950′s, cold-war…I don’t mean that the rural areas are as violently opposed to integration as the aforementioned nationalism, but it is based in fear. Fear of the unknown. Think about how many of your students have been down to Cedars, or Hughlett’s Point Beach. How many of them rode the ferry? It’s a commentary of contentment, too. Happiness is not involved, it’s contentment with the way things are, now, and how they have been forever. Unfortunately, cell-phones and satellite tv have invaded that sweet space.
So isolationism is the cause of a learned behavior? I can’t fathom that idea since I have lived in mostly metropolitan or suburbs my adult life. For outsiders, it seems peaceful and restorative contrast to the chaos in the “city” – they, including myself don’t think about the day to day affairs of the native people.
Thanks for the geographical commentary and history!
Apathy?
I think the apathy is a symptom of the old paternalism (hear the battle flag being run up the pole?) Until 1962 this place was totally isolated – a geographically isolated gene pool. So, while the rest of the Virginia landmass was celebrating the changes happening all over America (and there were many in the late 50′s and 60′s) our rural population was staring gaped mouthed at the bridge which united them with the mainland. Duh!
Okay, that’s my cultural geography commentary for the day. I will save my social commentary for another blogging.
I think that the problems that exist in rural America, especially education, is an overlooked issue in America. People tend to focus on the problems in large urban settings (until an election period comes along and we see politicians bowling and taking shots with blue collar workers). Like their urban peers, it seems like rural students are reacting to the sour economic, social, and political environment around them. It’s sad to realize that there are no opportunities for economic development in their own communities. They probably see abstract school lessons as useless for the options they face. I think that the most important thing is to make sure that all lessons have a clear ‘impact statement’ – telling students how they matter, not only in state goals crafted by the tony members of an education board, but for their personal development and future careers. I’ve heard stories that are similar to yours from people in many different rural communities.