Music teachers in small rural schools face challenges unique from those of their colleagues in urban and suburban school districts. Although low enrollment, limited funds and lack of resources are a common problem in most Kansas schools, the reality of being isolated from a familiar support network frequently overwhelms new teachers in rural schools. All too often, the result is a revolving door of frustrated music teachers relocating after only one or two years without ever realizing the wonderful opportunities and advantages of teaching in a small rural school.

It is important for teachers who are new to the small school experience to set realistic goals for themselves and their students. The biggest obstacle facing music teachers is the fact that the students in small schools are involved in everything! Their dream of putting fifty students on the marching field for the inaugural half-time show will likely be crushed by the reality that most of the band students are also on the football team, the cheerleading squad, or even working in the concession stand. Frequently, the new music teacher mistakenly tries to coerce or demand that the students make a choice between participating in the music class or the conflicting activity. This not only places the teacher at odds with the students, but with the coaches and sponsors whose programs also rely on student participation. Most coaches and sponsors are willing to find solutions if you are willing to work collaboratively. The football coach might allow the band students to march at halftime if you assure him that the performance won't exceed six minutes. The cheerleading sponsor might agree to have the band students perform if you encouraged the band members to participate in cheers during the game. You might suggest that the band students sign up to work concessions during the third quarter or help clean up after the game. One of the greatest things about small schools is that all of the students are able to be involved in, and be leaders in, so many different activities. It's not unusual to discover that the first chair trumpet in the high school band is also captain of the girls' basketball team, varsity cheerleader, and a top member on the scholars bowl team.

Teachers in small schools often have to overcome the challenge of limited or unbalanced instrumentation in their ensembles. This could be due to low student enrollment, scheduling conflicts, or even the lack of available instruments. And if one or two families move out of town, it dramatically affects the instrumentation of the ensemble or in the case of specialty instruments like oboe or bassoon, eliminates the section completely! This is why the selection of literature for the small school ensemble is critical and extremely difficult. All music teachers consider the level of difficulty and the quality of the literature when selecting music for their ensembles. When selecting music for a small school ensemble, the teacher must also consider whether or not the fundamental structure of melody and harmony of the piece can withstand reassigning, rewriting, or likely the elimination of parts. If most standard band literature calls for snare drum, bass drum, timpani, mallets, and auxiliary, and the band has only two percussionists, then some parts are not going to be covered.

Other questions the small-school teacher has to consider might include; are the oboe and horn parts doubled in the flute and sax? Can the euphonium cover the tuba part? Is the piece challenging enough for the senior band members while not being too difficult for the middle level students? These and other questions must be considered when selecting literature for a small school ensemble; and with the cost of one piece likely representing a large part of your annual music budget you can't afford to make mistakes.

The small school music teacher must be the "master of all trades." They're required to be the expert in all subject areas from woodwinds, brass, percussion, to marching band, color guard, jazz, choir, guitar, piano and even subjects outside the music room. It's not unusual for a small school principal or superintendent to ask a new teacher to "volunteer" to be the 7th grade basketball coach, sponsor of the forensics team, member of a special committee, or all of the above. This is why it's essential for small-school teachers to network with the other area music teachers. These teachers can be a vital resource, offering expertise in subject areas where the new teacher might not have as much experience. They can provide information about regional/league music festivals or offer background on the school district in which you are teaching. Networking with these teachers is not only a great resource for sharing ideas and information, but also for sharing resources like music or equipment.

For music teachers who were not raised in rural communities, the feeling of isolation is often the biggest hurdle to overcome. The shock of moving into a community with different values and life experiences can be overwhelming. Some teachers mistakenly feel a need to enlighten the residents on the benefits of living in large urban or suburban community as compared to a small rural community. These teachers usually end up unhappy, "doing their time" while searching for a teaching position in a larger district. Successful teachers in rural schools seek out opportunities to become involved in the school and community. They enjoy working with others and becoming a stakeholder in the success of the community. They are able to meet new people and develop interests outside of the classroom. It's not uncommon to find rural school teachers serving as leaders in their local church, civic groups, or city government... even as the city mayor!

Unfortunately, many teachers dismiss the idea of teaching in a rural school without even considering some of the positive aspects. For one thing, a growing number of rural schools are switching to a four-day schedule in an effort to reduce the cost of building operation, transportation, and food service. Most four-day schedules are Monday through Thursday with an average of about eight hours of student contact time each day. By extending the teaching day and eliminating one full day of passing periods and lunch, the total instruction time on a four-day schedule actually increases. Instead of five days with fifty-minute classes the music teacher might now have four days with sixty-five minute classes. And since teachers have Fridays off, they are able to travel to visit family or attend workshops without missing class.

Another positive aspect of teaching in a rural school is that teachers are highly respected and viewed as valued members of the community. This is not to suggest that teachers in large districts are not respected or valued. But in a rural area, the viability of the town depends on the quality of their schools and the school districts are continually working to retain their teachers. The small school administrators and school boards consider their music teacher to be the expert in their field and include them on most important decisions. The teacher is regularly asked to make decisions on things like purchasing equipment, curriculum, or class offerings and given the freedom to be more diverse in those class offerings.

Rural communities are largely free of the crime and violence commonly found in larger urban areas. Most parents are comfortable allowing their children to walk freely around town and residents often leave their houses unlock during the day. It's not unusual for a small town to go years without experiencing any major crime.

But by far, the most positive aspect of teaching in a rural school is the relationships that teachers build with the students, staff, and community. Whereas a large high school music teacher may have 100 or more students in their band or choir, the small school music teacher typically has less than 100 students total in all the music classes combined. These smaller class sizes enable the small-school teachers to get to know each and every one of their students and it's likely that a senior music student will have been in their class for eight years. The total number of teachers in a small school district averages between twenty and thirty certified staff members. Frequently, the staff members end up becoming best friends and in some cases husband and wife. In a rural area, it's more like the teachers are adopted by the community rather than simply hired as a school employee. Small-school teachers feel like they are part of an extended family and are often invited to attend the special events in the lives of their students.

While teaching music in a rural school does present some unique challenges, the successful music teacher is prepared to overcome these challenges and ultimately realize the joys and rewards of teaching in a small rural school.