Proud Rural Teacher

In this episode, we're heading to the Riverdale School District . The Riverdale School District is about 50 minutes north of Platteville. It encompasses several small towns, but most notably Blue River, Avoca, and Muscoda. The high school, where we're going today, is in Muscoda. The district itself is definitely rural with just over 700 students K12. You're joining me on this three-par...

Today I'm talking with Dr. Jill Underly, the State Superintendent of Wisconsin Public Instruction. On July 5th, Governor Evers signed off on a two-year spending plan for the state of Wisconsin, and I've been following all sorts of reactions. On more than one occasion, I found myself thinking, "Gosh, I wonder what Dr. Underly thinks." So, here we are. This episode is a conversatio...

This episode is all about trout in the classroom. I knew that an occasional agriculture teacher here and there might have fish in the classroom, but I had no idea that teachers all across Wisconsin are raising trout for their local communities, including in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. It happens to be a perfect classroom for such adventures. Today you're meeting three people. Kurt Meyer...

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...

On April 12th, the UW-Platteville School of Education hosted the Rurally Responsive Conference , which was sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center for Public Leadership . The conference included a presentation by Dr. Sky Marietta, an assistant professor at the University of the Cumberlands and author of the book “Rural Education in America: What works for our students, teachers, and Communities....

The spring in public school is pretty chaotic – field trips, state testing, prom, weather changes, graduation – you name it. It’s happening. As a way to throw a lifeline, I am using this episode to remind teachers about the diverse resources available from PBS Wisconsin Education. Tons of engaging material. Today you’re meeting Marci Glaus, the Education Communications Manager at PBS Wisconsin. Sh...

It’s no secret that Wisconsin is facing a teacher shortage. This episode features an alliance of rural schools in Wisconsin that have banded together to recruit and attract teachers. The school districts of Cambridge, Lodi, Sauk Prairie, and Wisconsin Heights were awarded a $264k Workforce Innovation Grant from the State of Wisconsin to implement a multi-layered approach to helping alleviate their...

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 pic...

Today you’re meeting Jessica Rettler, the 2022 Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom Outstanding Educator. Rettler is a fourth-grade educator at Tri-County Elementary School in Plainfield, Wisconsin. In this episode, Jessica will share several lesson ideas and resources on how teachers can connect with community assets and state and national organizations to create agriculturally engaging lessons...

In today’s episode you’re meeting Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, the executive director of the Rural Schools Collaborative. It’s important that our rural schools know who their advocates are and what resources they provide. Rural Schools Collaborative, also known as RSC, is certainly one of them. Across the county, there are 11 RSC regional hubs that align with their goals. The School of Education just hap...

Bellevue Iowa is a beautiful town in Northeast Iowa, tucked right along the upper Mississippi river. Bellevue high school serves just 365 in grades 6-12. Today you’re meeting Matt Jaeger, a teacher at Bellevue High School, to learn about Bellevue Big. Initially, I thought Bellevue Big was perhaps an alternative or charter school, but as I was researching for the interview, I realized that Bellevue...

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...

Our rural school districts in the Driftless Region are creating dynamic opportunities that are responsive to community needs and set children on paths for valuable future careers. Dodgeville High School recently hired Max Frommelt as their STEAM educator. Dodgeville is south of Madison along 151. His charge was to create a stem-rich curriculum focused on digital production. In this episode, you’ll...

As part of our work as the Driftless Region Hub, the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin Platteville is issuing a call for a "Portrait of a Rural Teacher." We are looking to feature alumni, who currently serve in rural education, on our website with the idea of giving future teachers an inspiring vision for their future. This includes those who started out in the classroom, but have...

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 month...

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 o...

Today's podcast episode takes you on a journey to Potosi, Wisconsin where you’ll meet a group of both students and adults all dedicated to three missions, all of which benefit the school system and the community. Potosi Is a rural community with a long history back to the early 1800s. For this entire episode, we are on location in the downtown area In mid-February. The temps are nice but there's s...

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...

In today’s podcast episode, you’re hearing from Wisconsin State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly . Last April she was elected as Wisconsin’s 28th state superintendent. After taking office just a short 6 months ago, Dr. Underly has been busy guiding Wisconsin public schools through a very challenging fall. In this episode, Dr. Underly will share a message of grace and support. To learn more about in...

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...

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 recrea...

If you’ve ever wanted to ponder ways to connect students with the great outdoors and environmental education, stay tuned. This will be quite a treat. Today you’re meeting Megan Barnett Schimek a HS science teacher from Pine Island, Minnesota and Jessie Barnett , a student-based faculty member in public health at the University of Minnesota Rochester. Their collaborative spirit and commitment to en...

Today we're going back to the flooding of Coon Valley in 2018. The area endured over 12 inches of rain in just a few days. To complicated matters, multiple dams broke in already saturated areas. The evening of August 27th was unforgettable as residents were awoken in the middle of the night to evacuate. Emergency management performed over 350 rescues and 46 roads were closed in just Vernon county....

If you live in the Driftless, you’ve certainly heard of Frank Lloyd Wright and maybe even, prairie style architecture. You can see evidence of his work throughout southern Wisconsin in cities like Madison and Milwaukee, but one of the most historically significant locations is in Spring Green, Wisconsin. There you’ll find Taliesin , Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, studio, and garden sanctuary. In today...

Today I’m speaking with Terri Anderson, 1st grade teacher at Tower Rock elementary school in the Sauk Prairie School District in Wisconsin. With just 220 students, Tower Rock has served a rural farming community, and Agriculture continues to be part of the fabric of this school. Today, Terri is going to share with you lots of examples of how the educators at Tower Rock Elementary school provide ha...