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This spring, my principal asked who would be interested in teaching a two-week summer session for our own students. I found myself saying, “I’ll do it.” I had previously sworn off summer school as something I would never teach no matter how much I needed the money. But then “summer school” was something I’d only seen in the movies: large groups of unmotivated kids who had even less desire in the summer than they had during the school year. I imagined sweltering classrooms, hours of endless instruction and failure for all—myself included.

Ally Yourself with LGBT students

Teaching Tolerance director Maureen Costello considers the lack of understanding of rural schools.

Part of the "Why I Teach" series.

The problems of rural schools are often invisible to the public and policymakers. The solutions may be found in the communities themselves.

There is no “typical” rural teacher. Here’s a glimpse into the lives of three teachers in diverse, far-flung settings.

Eighteen years ago, I thought I was starting a brief stint at a rural school. It turned into a career full of experimentation and success.

Life can be tough for LGBT students in rural schools. But like kids in more urban areas, that can change with the right kind of support from teachers and parents.

Computers and the Internet help rural schools bridge vast distances—both geographically and culturally. But the growing use of technology can create new problems as it solves old ones.