Supporting Rural Teachers, Strengthening Communities

Montana’s rural schools are more than places of learning—they are the heartbeat of their communities. Teachers in these settings make an important difference every day. Through skilled classroom teaching and close ties to the community, rural teachers support students far beyond academic instruction, often acting as mentors and role models. Grounded in local knowledge and commitment to community, rural teachers help students thrive while sustaining the strength of their rural communities.

Montana State University’s Center for Research on Rural Education is home to the Advancing Support, Preparation, and Innovation in Rural Education (ASPIRE) project, which prepares and supports rural teachers and helps them thrive at every stage of their careers.

Support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) has enabled ASPIRE’s mission to reduce the critical shortage of teachers in rural Montana, strengthen the teaching profession across the state, and ensure that Montana’s rural students are taught by well-prepared and supported teachers.

Small Schools, Big Impact

Rural schools provide teachers with the flexibility and autonomy to realize their full potential as educators and as members of a community. Opportunities for personalization and choice extend beyond the walls of the classroom as teachers engage with out-of-school programs and become involved in local activities. In turn, rural teachers encourage similar opportunities for their students through individual attention balanced against independence and autonomy. Rural schools offer uniquely customized experiences in a context where relationships are extended and highly valued. This is how teaching should be. This is why small schools have big impacts on the lives and futures of their students.

“The thing I like most about rural teaching is the one-on-one attention I can give to students,” says Beth Kilcrease, a teacher at Luther School. “This is how teaching should be…”

“All of a sudden you are going to every kid’s basketball game, you are asking them how their grandpa is doing, you’re getting to know them at a personal level, you’re going out to their ranch to see what kind of operation they are running and before you know it you are part of the fiber of the community,” says Nick Staffileno, faculty at Dawson Community College.

Belonging and becoming a teacher in rural Montana

When undergraduate students work in rural classrooms and participate in the life of a small town, they begin to imagine themselves as future rural teachers and community members. The ASPIRE project’s Rural Teacher Pathways program connects prospective teachers with immersive and authentic rural experiences through a carefully designed sequence of rural school sessions and community events that vary in length from a single day to a full semester.

The four phases of the Rural Teacher Pathways program enable future teachers to not only develop the dispositions, skills, and understandings needed to thrive in rural schools, but also cultivate a sense of belonging in a rural community. For college senior Maya Aquilar, “working and living in a rural setting, [it] has really become clear to me that being in a rural place is somewhere I absolutely want to be.” By providing real-life encounters with rural living and learning, Rural Teacher Pathways elevates undergraduate students’ understanding, interest, and excitement for a career as a rural teacher.

“Try a rural teaching position or rural field experience,” adds Nick. “You’ll see that even if it’s a little bit uncomfortable it has the potential to become your family and a really enjoyable environment in a short period of time.”

“I didn’t realize how special it was until I got out there and experienced it for myself,” says Maya Aquilar, a Montana State University future teacher.

Mentorship makes all the difference

The process of becoming a teacher does not end with graduation. New teachers need ongoing subject- and grade-specific support–but in rural settings, they often have no expert peers in their school or district. ASPIRE’s MentorMT program offers a lifeline through its system of “remote mentoring,” ensuring that beginning teachers receive consistent and intentional one-on-one support from a seasoned practitioner. Individual mentoring is supplemented by a vibrant learning community, a menu of opportunities for continued growth, and options for professional collaboration.

MentorMT supports teachers no matter what pathway they follow into the classroom: community members hired on a provisional or emergency basis; teachers who are reassigned outside their licensure area; or visiting educators enrolled in international visa programs. Subject- and grade-aligned mentors help address preparation gaps by offering expertise with unfamiliar subject matter, effective teaching strategies, and cultural transitions. The MentorMT program represents an innovative solution for supporting the diverse backgrounds and unique needs of Montana’s teaching workforce.

“[It’s] having a guardian angel on your shoulder,” says Cody Carlson, a mentee teacher at Gardiner Public Schools. “Helping you be the best teacher you can be.”

“Mentoring challenges me to be better—to be able to explain why I do things certain ways…” says Barbara Bush, a mentor teacher at Gardiner Public Schools. “I would love to be able to help new teachers become better teachers.”

Community-connected educators

More than 93% of Montana’s school districts are considered small, rural, and remote by national standards. Whether buried in the mountains of the southwest or rising above the plains of the northeast, the community school represents opportunity for students and involvement for families. Montana’s rural schools are a treasure—a place where students have the opportunity for a personalized, caring education and encouragement to realize their full potential. The school is central to the community, and the community is central to the school, both surrounding and supporting one another in a vital and vibrant reciprocal relationship.

ASPIRE

The ASPIRE program is on a mission to provide Montana’s rural teachers with the very best preparation and support. ASPIRE understands that when community-connected educators are surrounded by a strong network of relationships, they are more likely to thrive, offering stability to rural students, schools, and families. In exchange, rural communities offer educators the freedom to customize their personal and professional lifestyles and exercise their talents across a wide variety of roles. When teachers find a lasting home in a rural community, everyone reaps the benefits of their enthusiasm and commitment.

“In our community, I feel like relationships are key because we are so small and interconnected…” says Ben Pease, a mentee teacher at Lodge Grass Public Schools. “I can learn about myself, I can learn about our people, in a way that I never have…”