You finally received a teaching position, but you soon find out it’s in the middle of nowhere! Teaching in a small town or village does not sound as adventurous, unlike teaching in a big city. What if we could convince you to get small-town teaching a chance by telling you the perks you cannot get in the city? Read more to find out the top five perks to teaching in a small-town school.
Read more: What Job Can I Get with a TEFL Certificate?
Fresh air and less noise
The smell of freshly cut grass fills the air on your drive to work. It is such a beautiful day that you roll your window down and soak in the sunshine. Doesn’t that sound amazing? Teachers in small, rural towns get to experience this every day! There are green trees everywhere and a bright blue sky above you. There is barely any air pollution besides the tractors that work in the fields. Unlike the city, there is no smog. They say fresh air is good for you and they could not be more right.
When you are teaching in the countryside, there is far less noise. You will not hear the obnoxious honking of car horns or the hustle and bustle of the streets. All you will hear are chirping birds and farm animals. Peace and quiet during a lesson is all a teacher could ask for. Teachers are hardly ever interrupted by outside noises and can keep their windows open without worrying about the noise level.
Learn more: The Health Benefits of Fresh Air
Less traffic
In some small towns, you can count how many cars are on the road with one hand. Teaching in a small rural town allows for less traffic on your way to work, guaranteeing you make it on time every time. Sure, there is always going to be one traffic light that has a long line, but that is nothing to worry about. Any true small-town resident knows that back roads are your best friends when it comes to beating traffic. Road work, an accident, or line of tractors, you name it, anything could happen on the road to make you take an alternative route.
Seeing students and families outside of class
Small towns are the perfect opportunity to run into your students and their families. Some teachers and students, for that matter, may feel awkward at first seeing each other outside of school. For teachers, this is the perfect opportunity to see how your students behave outside of class and get to know them on a personal level. Younger students especially are more willing to interact with their teachers outside of class. Parents will want to have a parent-teacher conference in the middle of the grocery store and talk about all the good their child has done. Teachers can take those opportunities to connect with their student’s parents to learn new things about their students.
Older students can be a hit or miss when interacting with their teachers in public. Many teens have social anxiety or could assume seeing your teacher in public is the most embarrassing thing in the world. They may not feel the need to talk to you in public if they feel comfortable talking to you in a classroom setting. A parent will always want to talk to a teacher no matter how old they get – even in college. There is something wonderful and special running into one of your students and watching them grow up.
Unusual town and school traditions
Some small-town schools have the craziest traditions. One of our interns went to a school where students could bring their farm animals and tractors to school. Students could get out of class to pet animals and hang out in tractors, called it AG Day – how crazy is that! There are schools all over the world with traditions that you cannot experience in a city school. Small town school traditions do not have to be as wild as AG Day, it could be as simple as a Homecoming, Prom, or a senior’s only event. Almost everyone in the student body gets together to show their school spirit. For teachers, this is a fantastic way to bond with your students and learn about their traditions.
Small towns love to get involved to help out their local schools. A prime example of the town helping out with school traditions is Homecoming. For anyone who does not know, Homecoming is a large event including a football game where alumni are invited to attend and dance for students. The local high school has a parade that performs around town to show school spirit. This is a great opportunity for teachers to also show their school spirit.
Learn about the town and community
The last perk is learning more about the town and community. The town is represented by its people and the values they share. Small towns give off a sweet home vibe that is hard to find in a city. Teachers can feel a part of the community as they are teaching the future members of society. Almost every small town has a museum dedicated to the history of the town.
Learn more: The Middle of Somewhere
Learn more: 5 Reasons Why You Should Teach at a Rural School
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