Teacher and university educator perspectives on teaching languages in rural settings: a sonata form case study.

Evans, Jenny ; Morgan, Anne-Marie

CONTEXT

The authors of this paper live and work in a rural environment. The first author is a classroom languages teacher in a rural secondary school with some twenty years of experience working in this setting. Working in the country by choice, having given up a permanent position in the city to 'come home' to a place that provides a sense of connection, confirms her identity and history, and allows her to engage in a close community where she can foster young peoples' engagement with their place, lives and futures as they explore their own identities through language and culture learning. The second author lives in the same community, teaching pre-service language teachers at a rural university, and conducting research with teachers of languages in schools. A relative newcomer to the bush, she too is concerned with how teachers of languages in rural settings engage with place, identity and self-perception, and how this impacts on their work as teachers in rural schools. Working together, the authors were concerned in this paper with providing insights into the positives of rural languages education- identifying what makes this work rewarding, rather than focusing on deficits and challenges of rural contexts of work. A sonata form methodology was chosen as a way to allow the two voices to contribute, to tell this story from two perspectives, link the insights to wider theoretical discussions, and provide a snapshot of rural practice that will be of interest to others working in similar settings, or to those considering a shift to the country.

THEORETICAL ORIENTATION

Representing Teachers' Practical Knowledge: Towards Collaborative Practice

Over the past few decades there has been a call for more research that genuinely represents teachers' practical knowledge that can be used to inform classroom practice and the body of theoretical pedagogical knowledge. From around 1987, Schulman was arguing the case for conducting research on teachers' wisdom of practice, with others following who championed ideas such as drawing on teachers' practical knowledge (Connelly & Clandinin, 2000), and teachers' craft knowledge (Leichhardt, 1990). Cochran-Smith and Lytle, in 1993, challenged the assumption that pedagogical knowledge was and should be generated from the outside-in by university researchers, which was imparted to teachers; and instead argued for the validity and necessity of practitioner research to inform from the inside-out (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993). In the mid-1990s, Darling-Hammond argued for teacher knowledge to be documented by or conducted in collaboration with teachers if serious and sustainable reform of teaching was to be made (Darling-Hammond, 1996).

Various models of both conducting and reporting teachers' inquiries have followed, necessarily reflecting the variety and complexity of teachers' work, their foci of inquiry, and the broad means for presenting findings relevant to teachers' own circumstances and intended audiences. Cochran-Smith and Lytle (2009) distilled much of this thinking in their important text Inquiry as stance: Practitioner research for the next generation, in which they argued that teachers face increasingly trying times within what Comber (2013) describes as an era of rampant standardisation, in which increased accountability to standardised norms and narrowly-focused testing regimens, the promulgation of negative public perceptions of teaching, and widespread demands for teaching standards to improve, surround and impact on the work of teachers. These authors argue that educators themselves must play key roles in designing, implementing and evaluating educational reforms, and that practitioner research should be considered vital for such reforms, as well as for the development of teacher knowledge and practice, and to increase teacher agency. The good news stories of successful and engaging practice, of which there are many, and the considered evaluation from teachers working in situ will then have more influence on broader movements for improved and more rewarding practice, better teacher preparation through pre-service programs, and for social change and social justice through more evidenced teaching approaches (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009).

One of the obstacles to reporting teachers' practical knowledge inquiry is the discourse tension between how working teachers describe and evaluate what they do, and how the educational research community reports such work, with challenges about whose vocabulary, priorities, writing formats, conceptions and intentions are prioritised, and for which audiences the work will be prepared and disseminated (Dibble & Rosiek, 2002). What is important, if shared understandings between these groups are to be gained, and real advances made in improving practice, teacher agency and teacher education, is that each does not move to its own extremes, to the exclusion of the other, and outside the purview of each other's inquiry and discourse orbits. Instead, collaborative inquiry needs collaborative reporting modes that will be of significance to the wider community of teachers, teacher educators and university researchers of teachers and teacher educators (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Morgan, Comber, Freebody, & Nixon, 2014; Wenger, Dinsmore, & Villagomez, 2012). Within such modes, however, both discourses--the voice and concerns of the teacher, and of the university researcher analysis--need representation.

In rural education contexts, the significance of teacher voice, and of research collaborations to disseminate this voice, takes on a more urgent dimension, especially in regard to representing the positives and uniqueness of such work, distinct from the connected but nonetheless different burgeoning urbanising landscapes of the contemporary world (White & Corbett, 2014, p. 2). While the challenges of attracting teachers to rural settings dominate the literature, it is imperative that a shift in focus from deficits and marginalisation of rural teaching occurs, so that a greater understanding about working in rural contexts can be disseminated to wider teaching and teaching research communities, and so that the particularities of rural teaching can be better understood. White and Corbett (2014, p. 2) espouse that understanding rurality in education requires serious unpacking through theoretically and methodologically sophisticated and careful research, to provide tales of the field in nuanced and varied ways. This paper is a foray into that territory of careful research, with the methodology chosen to allow this tale from the field to have impact that an alternative methodology would not support. The need for a methodology that allowed for theorised discussion was paramount, but it also required an approach that would allow for the strength and originality of the teacher voice to be of prime importance. Sonata form case study provides such an approach.

Sonata Form Case Study

A significant body of work now exists in which the intersecting discourses of teachers and university researchers sit side by side, with both working together, in developing inquiry into understanding the work of teachers, and in reporting this work together (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Morgan et al., 2014; Wenger et al., 2012). One mode for reporting such work, and especially teacher narrative, is the so-called 'sonata-form' (see for example Black, 2011; Chang & Rosiek, 2003; Sconiers & Rosiek, 2000; Dibble & Rosiek, 2002). Sonata form writing is based on the musical form of this name. Typically, the first movement of multi-movement musical pieces is in sonata form, which consists of three phases: an exposition or introduction of a theme; a development, where two themes in different keys are contrasted; and a recapitulation, where the themes are, at least in part, harmoniously resolved (Sonata-form, 2014). As a mode for reporting collaboration between teacher and university researchers, the sonata form provides a scaffold for investigation of an issue of teacher practice (described in the exposition); co-representation of the teacher's narrative and the university researcher's interpretation of the narrative, including analytical perspectives (explored side by side in the development); and a resolution of the issue to the point of providing an indication of a way forward--or advice for others--in addressing the practice issue (in the recapitulation).

We use the sonata form framing in this collaborative paper reporting on a single case study, for its particularly apt match to the needs of the research. Teacher-researcher and university-researcher both working in the field of languages education in a rural setting in New South Wales, Australia, are able to voice their understanding of the issue in focus, the teaching of languages in rural schools in Australia. Through the sonata form the voice, understanding the perspective of the teacher (the 'case') who deliberately chooses this context of work over other settings are given prominence. The teacher voice is then amplified through the university-researcher's commentary, theorising the discussion without impeding on the 'tale from the field' that is the core text and which needs its own style and cadence to effectively speak to and influence readers, more powerfully than a recount by a third party.

Using this approach, we outline some of the complexities of this issue in the exposition, by way of introducing readers to the field and placing on the table some of the features that differ from teaching languages in urban or other contexts, and the different demands this teaching and subject context places on the teacher, as well as the pleasures experienced by the teacher in working in a rural setting. In the development, we situate the two voices contributing to the discussion side by side, literally, in a two column presentation of the first theme--the teacher's narrative about her work in a rural school, based around seven key concepts that inform and contribute to her teaching experience and philosophy; and the second--the university researcher's interpretation and analysis of the themes in the teacher's work, with reference to current research literature. In the recapitulation, we offer some suggestions about how teachers and university researchers, researching languages education in rural settings, might share knowledge and understanding arising from the shared perspectives in this case study. We also reflect on how we might work together to provide professional learning opportunities for our community of practice in schools in rural areas in New South Wales and across Australia, so that more teachers' narratives are heard, teachers connect with the theoretical research perspectives that might allow them to interpret and reflexively respond to their practice, and to indicate how we might work as a community of practitioners, for mutual benefits.

Data for the study were collected through a series of loosely structured interviews and writing and response tasks centred on the positives of teaching languages in a rural context. At each meeting, discussion of the thoughts and writing by the teacher would be considered for emerging themes and connections to the literature. The university researcher would suggest readings and provide notes on relevant literature, leading eventually to the writing of the two-voiced narrative (sonata), in which both writers developed their contributions, responding to each other's perspective and reaching a harmonisation in the recapitulation. The research and writing took place over a three-month period. The project was conceived throughout as a collaboration, aimed at providing theorised insights into teaching of languages in a rural community. The intention was to explore sonata form case study as a methodology to facilitate such insights in a way that would be meaningful to readers 'looking in' on this case, and as a way of honouring both teacher voice and extending research paradigms for collaborative research. It was hoped that such an approach would allow readers to find resonance with practice and thinking in their own contexts, and/or inspiration to adopt a similar approach of collaborative research as an insightful approach to acknowledging the positives and uniqueness of rural teachers and rural teaching contexts.

EXPOSITION

Teaching of Languages in the Bush

Discussion about teaching in rural and remote areas of Australia often engages with the disadvantages of these positions, difficulties encountered in negotiating suitable contractual arrangements and the complexities of attracting and retaining teachers (see for example Plunkett & Dyson, 2011; Sharplin, 2002; Somerville, Plunkett, & Dyson, 2010; Yarrow, Ballantyne, Hansford, Herschell, & Millwater, 1999). Increasingly, the emphasis on the negative aspects of rural teaching is being tempered with discussion of the benefits and affordances, with more nuanced analyses of rural teaching positions, intended to shift emphasis from a deficit view of rural teaching contexts to closer examination of how teachers might gain professionally and personally from such placements. Hudson and McCluskey (2013), for example, in discussing professional experience opportunities for pre-service teachers, note a range of issues about placements in rural settings. These include the view that staffing of schools in rural and remote areas continues to present difficulties, as it is still the case that most teachers elect to teach in urban centres; there remains a lack of resources; there is cultural, social and professional isolation; and teachers are reluctant to be away from family and friendship networks. They do, however, point to the benefits of such placements, as a shift in perceptions:

However, teachers who take up positions in these locations often enjoy the close relationships they develop with students, the collegiality of the teaching staff, the friendliness of the community, and the many social activities available (Hudson & McClusky, 2013, p. 286).

This view is expanded in Beutel, Adie and Hudson's (2011) study promoting rural teaching positions. They note that:

   While teachers in rural schools may feel isolated geographically,
   socially and professionally, there are many positive experiences
   associated with living and working beyond urban areas (pp. 3-4).

These authors point to rural communities being viewed as quiet, with pleasing environments, usually having a strong sense of community, and possessing a very social atmosphere. The possibility of a more relaxed lifestyle is identified, along with a focus on community events, sports and other outdoor activities (Beutel, Adie, &Hudson, 2011). They add that although others (e.g. Boylan & McSwan, 1998) have argued there is a hangover of the negative stereotype from past years, in which rural schools were depicted as offering inferior education and being staffed by transient and inexperienced teachers, this view is no longer justified, as recent studies indicate growing levels of satisfaction among new teachers in rural areas (Beutel, Adie, &Hudson, 2011). They conclude that the positive aspects need further attention in preparing teachers for school placements:

Rather than focusing on a deficit view of rural life, these more positive aspects need to be promoted with potential beginning teachers (Beutel, Adie, & Hudson, 2011, pp. 3-4).

Sharplin's (2002) survey of pre-service teachers in Western Australia about responses to the prospect of rural and remote teaching placements identified similar concerns with rural teaching positions, but also identified the following (Table 1) perceived attractions, categorised into professional and personal or lifestyle/social attractions:

The positive aspects are taken up in the work of many other researchers also, and it is some of these perspectives that inform the study in this paper. Green and Reid (2014), in a larger volume dedicated to considering educational research in rural settings (White & Corbett, 2014), discuss the importance of consideration of 'space' and connections to 'place' in teaching in rural settings, noting that 'different geographies have different social effects' (Green & Reid, 2014, p. 26), and that teachers in rural settings respond to the place, communities, physical environment and location with an altered awareness from many working in urban settings. The interest in 'place-conscious' and 'place-based pedagogies' since the early 1990s (e.g. Gruenewald, 2003; Gruenewald & Smith, 2008; Comber, Morgan, Freebody, & Nixon, 2014; Comber, Nixon, & Reid, 2007; Wells & Trimboli, 2014), has also attracted interest in researching the relationship of rural teachers to the places in which they teach, and how teachers in rural settings often relate positively to the 'place' of their work. While not seeking to idealise rural settings as ideal locations for all intending teachers, it is important to provide evidence of how positive identifications are being realised and deeply felt in relation to place and consequently to wellbeing (Comber, Morgan, & Freebody, 2014; Wells & Trimboli, 2014). How this connection manifests in rural settings is even more needed, as there is, as yet, scant literature elucidating such perspectives (White & Corbett, 2014).

So how does thinking about the positive aspects of teaching in rural settings influence the teaching of languages in the rural settings? Languages teaching out of Australia's urban settings presents its own challenges and opportunities, different from those encountered by generalist classroom teachers, and teachers of large enrolment subjects. Many rural schools employ only one languages teacher, who may also share a fractional position across a number of schools in a region (Liddicoat, Scarino, Curnow, Kohler, Scrimgeour, & Morgan, 2007: Morgan & Scrimgeour, 2014). Often the language is one with few users in the community, and, although Australian rural communities are increasingly multicultural and plurilingual, there is often an entrenched 'monolingual mindset' (Clyne, 2008), with pervasive community views that English is the only language needed, and that shifting the focus from English to other languages will decrease learning time in and proficiency with English.

Staffing language-teaching positions in rural settings can be problematic, with languages identified as an area requiring more specialist teachers by the New South Wales, Western Australian and Queensland education departments (Department of Education [DET], 2013; Department of Education and Communities [DEC], 2014; Department of Education, Training and Employment [DETE], 2014). Filling languages teaching places, in sustainable programs that allow for continuity of learning for students, therefore remains a focus of concern. For some teachers of languages, however, and in some rural settings, there is competition for sought-after continuing positions, and tremendous camaraderie amongst languages teachers in the districts, which attracts teachers to these positions. It is such a setting that is the focus of the study in this paper, where teachers of languages are actively seeking positions, rather than wishing to leave; and where gaining a continuing position is seen as a highly desirable reward.

In the next section of the paper, the development, we see how some of the points about the positives of teaching in rural settings are considered by the teacher whose work is the focus of this paper. Jenny is an experienced teacher of German working in a public high school in a northern New South Wales rural setting. While this case is not intended to represent or speak for the experiences of teachers across different contexts and the many and varied settings of rural and remote schools in Australia, it does provide insights into the thinking and experiences of one teacher, told through her own voice. Jenny's narrative is related to relevant research literature, where connections with the generalised statements about the positives of rural teaching positions can be made. In exploring her story in this way, we provide a 'situated' view of teacher identity, and the valuing of teacher narrative as pedagogical research, with wider implications for practice, teacher wellbeing, and the preparation of teachers of languages for rural practice.

DEVELOPMENT

Continuing the sonata form, the two themes or voices of the contributors to this paper are explored below. In the left column is the narrative of the teacher, Jenny, a teacher of German in a NSW rural public school. Invited to discuss the positives of being a teacher of languages in a rural setting, a number of themes emerged, which became the focus of discussion and writing. Jenny concentrates on why she wanted to teach in the country, the benefits in relation to discipline issues, knowing the students and their families, community enthusiasm for languages learning, the influence of peers and community, in-country experience in the two-way exchange, and the ongoing connection with families after the students have left her class and the school. Many of these ideas she identifies have been mentioned above as the positive attributes of rural teaching positions in the experience of a broader range of teachers, providing confirmation of these generalised benefits, useful to other teachers and aspiring teachers making choices about their own careers.

In the right hand column are comments on the teacher's narrative by the university researcher and teacher of languages education teachers in a rural university, Anne-Marie. She comments on the teacher's narrative, drawing connections to the literature and theory that inform the teacher's comments. Each writes in a voice of her choice appropriate to her role in the sonata theme: the teacher uses first person narrative form; the university researcher uses third person analytical discourse.

RECAPITULATION

Jenny

Both the process and the results of collaborating on this paper have been overwhelmingly positive for me. I enjoyed reflecting on my teaching practice and the choices I have made; it is rewarding to share experiences with others as often we work in relative isolation. No-one knows what we do except those on the receiving end. It was good also to consider the positives as, inevitably in the school setting, we focus on the challenges and difficulties and forget at times how lucky we are. It was valuable to have my everyday experiences placed in the context of academic research and affirming that research findings are borne out in my practice. I would like to recapitulate (true to sonata form) the notion that 'practitioner research is vital for reform', as so often the voice of experienced teachers is lost or undervalued. Dialogue and cooperation between academics and teachers gives depth and relevance to current research. It is in this space that a conversation about excellence in education is most fruitful.

Hopefully I have conveyed something of the joy of teaching in a rural setting and prospective teachers will consider the benefits and importance of rural education. It is an ambition of mine that we may move away from the idea of rural disadvantage and come instead to embrace 'rural advantage'. It has been a privilege to take part in this sonata and to feel both heard and valued.

Anne-Marie

The privilege of working with a teacher who can so clearly articulate the benefits and advantages of her work, across a range of significant and important dimensions, in a personal and evocative voice, has been a source of great pleasure for me. What Jenny says so eloquently is more powerful for prospective teachers considering a career in a rural setting than any analysis of statistics of participation and the like presented by university researchers alone.

The dissemination of practitioner knowledge remains an under-utilised resource in the preparation of teachers and as research in the educational literature. It is hoped that more such work will continue to occur and be reported. In addition, ongoing inquiry and dissemination of the knowledge and insights of in-service teachers will provide benefits not only for prospective teachers, but for teachers in schools, as they continue to engage reflexively with their pedagogies and practices, and to consider the critical complementary issues of job satisfaction, wellbeing and sustainability of the profession. Providing opportunities for such research to occur and to be shared is the collective responsibility of schools and school leaders, teachers, university researchers and university educators of pre-service teachers; as well as governments, through education authorities and education instrumentalities and agencies. Through collaborative efforts, much can and should be achieved.

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Jenny Evans (1) and Anne-Marie Morgan (2)

(1) Armidale High School

(2) University of New England

Table 1: Perceived attractions of teaching in a rural and remote area
categorised according to professional and personal/social dimensions
(Sharplin, 2002)

Professional Attractions                  Personal/Social Attractions

* Professional opportunities             * Part of a community

* Opportunities for increased            * Great place for own family,
responsibilities                         especially children

* Small school size                      * Active social life

* Increased knowledge of staff and       * Diversity of community
students as a result of small size and
close community contact                  * Novelty of the experience

* Expectations of a different
curriculum and variety of teaching
experience

Theme 1: The decision to teach in a rural setting: To know and be known

The revelation that I wanted     Jenny's revelation about wanting to
to teach in the country came     teach in a rural setting confirms the
as I sat at one of the many      research related to teachers' needs
sets of traffic lights on my     to connect with place, as an
way from Bexley to Randwick,     important aspect of identity and
where I was working in the       indeed a reason for becoming or
field of distance education at   continuing to be a teacher (Comber,
the Open High School. I saw      Nixon, & Reid, 2007; Green & Reid,
the small square patch of sky    2014; Gruenewald, 2008). For Jenny,
overhead and pined for the       the connection to place is critical,
wide horizons of my home town.   and provides a significant conduit
The Open High School was,        for connecting with the lives of the
ironically, totally enclosed     learners with whom she is working.
by steel fences and gates with   The choice to move to a rural school
coded locks. And there were no   was also seen as a need to 'go home'
students on site. One of my      in her case, to the wide horizons of
colleagues boasted happily       her childhood town. While she
that he could walk right past    recognises that this desire is not
his students in the street and   that of all teachers- some of whom
they would have no idea that     she indicates don't want to even meet
he was their teacher.            their students, let alone run into
                                 them out of school hours- it was
                                 important for her, and a further
                                 affirmation of the importance of
                                 'place' as signifying a positive
                                 sense of identity (Comber, Nixon, &
                                 Reid, 2007).

This was not so very far         Jenny's identification of the
removed from other teachers I    isolation and dislocation of the Open
had worked with in Seven Hills   High School, a school with no
and Blacktown who chose to       students within its walls, is
travel hours to work rather      important as an indicator of her need
than live near their students,   to form relationships with students
who they definitely did not      that includes actual face-to-face
want to see outside school       contact, missing from the everyday
hours. By contrast I had moved   context of teaching in this school.
to Seven Hills so that I could   While it is not required of Open High
be part of the community where   School teachers that they visit their
I taught. At the Open High       students in their remote locations,
School, I travelled to meet      Jenny saw this as vital to her role
all my students face-to-face,    as their teacher. The significance of
initiated phone lessons and      teacher-student relationships to
established online classes, so   learning and for teachers' feelings
that students could contact      of wellbeing is well documented in
both me and each other at any    the educational research literature
time. I really wanted to         (see, for example, Prossser, Lucas, &
connect with my students. I      Reid, 2010; Rimm-Kaufman, 2014).
have discovered over the years
that it is much more rewarding   ... students who have close, positive
to teach where you know and      and supportive relationships with
are known.                       their teachers will attain higher
                                 levels of achievement than those
                                 students with more conflictual
                                 relationships. If a student feels a
                                 personal connection to a teacher,
                                 experiences frequent communication
                                 with a teacher, and receives more
                                 guidance and praise than criticism
                                 from the teacher, then the student is
                                 likely to become more trustful of
                                 that teacher, show more engagement in
                                 the academic content presented,
                                 display better classroom behavior,
                                 and achieve at higher levels
                                 academically. Positive
                                 teacher-student relationships draw
                                 students into the process of learning
                                 and promote their desire to learn
                                 (Rimm-Kaufman, 2014)

                                 Jenny's comment on the need to know
                                 and be known is echoed in the
                                 following statement from an American
                                 teacher considered a leading voice in
                                 'turnaround' pedagogies for student
                                 learning improvement.

                                 There is the belief among some that
                                 camaraderie between teachers and
                                 students leads to unprofessional
                                 familiarity or places the teacher in
                                 a weakened position in the classroom.
                                 Nothing could be further from the
                                 truth. Strong relationships
                                 encourage learner exploration,
                                 dialogue, confidence, and mutual
                                 respect.

                                 I made it my business to know
                                 everything I could about my students.
                                 Where they lived and with whom, how
                                 often they changed schools, how many
                                 siblings they had, whether or not
                                 they lived in a house or an
                                 apartment, whether there was trauma
                                 or drama in the household....The
                                 more you know about a person, the
                                 easier it is to develop an alliance
                                 (if that is your intention).
                                 Positive, healthy relationships rely
                                 on clear communication. Without it,
                                 misunderstandings occur and
                                 intentions are misinterpreted. I
                                 wanted an open pathway to learning,
                                 so I was open to their questions, as
                                 well (Pierson, 2013).

                                 The literature on teaching languages
                                 describes the distinctiveness of
                                 languages as a learning area,
                                 recognising that it a subject that
                                 engages with learner identity in a
                                 different way from other subject
                                 areas, as it is so intimately
                                 connected with exploring who we are
                                 as situated users of languages,
                                 learning about the lives and thinking
                                 of 'others' using a new language and
                                 situated in a different cultural
                                 context (Morgan & Scrimgeour, 2014;
                                 Scarino & Liddicoat, 2009). 'Knowing
                                 and being known' is identified as
                                 critical to creating a positive
                                 language learning environment in
                                 which teachers have first hand
                                 experience of students' learning
                                 styles, interests, needs, strengths
                                 and difficulties, ... the social
                                 structure of the school, and what it
                                 requires, of teacher and student, for
                                 survival and for success; she knows
                                 the community of which the school is
                                 a part, and has a sense of what it
                                 will and will not accept (Elbaz,
                                 1993, in Kumaravadivelu, 2012, p.
                                 33).

Theme 2: The decision to return 'home' to teach: Identification with
place

I took a risk, gave up my        Jenny reinforces the importance of
permanent position in Sydney     'place', 'identity' and
and came home to the town        'relationships' in this passage. The
where my forebears lie in        sense of a rural town being 'home',
graves dating back to the        with myriad personal connections,
1800s. My grandparents were      spanning generations, and the
born here, my parents met and    capacity to know the lives and
married here. My father          histories of others, provides her
lectured at the university for   with a deep sense of identity in
30 years and my mother was the   relation to her place. It allows her
director of the Aboriginal       to enrich her teaching with
Preschool for 17 years. Many     far-reaching connections that provide
of my colleagues were taught     benefits both for herself and for her
by my father. Some of the        students. For her, this is only
Aboriginal staff and many of     possible in a small community, where
the parents and relatives of     there are connections within
the Aboriginal students that I   connections, and intersecting
teach were taught by my          histories that provide meaningful
mother. My own children          contexts for teaching and learning,
attended the school where I      for living, and for her own
work. I taught them and their    wellbeing.
friends, the children of my
colleagues and the children of   Kumaravadivelu (2012) identifies the
people I went to school with.    importance of teachers of languages
I currently teach the children   developing deep personal knowledge,
of my youngest daughter's        in order know themselves, so that
teacher ... this may all sound   they can know what they can offer to
incestuous but the web of        their students, and how to understand
connection makes for rich,       their students and their needs. For
deep and real relationship       Jenny, personal knowledge extends to
which is reflected in            seeing herself located in a
educational experiences both     meaningful context, where she feels
for my students and for me.      at home, and where she can draw on
                                 the knowledge of the place, its
                                 people and their shared histories.
                                 She can use this knowledge to develop
                                 ongoing real relationships with her
                                 students, in the way Pierson (2013)
                                 describes above, for the better
                                 learning outcomes that Rimm-Kaufman
                                 (2014) identifies as arising from
                                 this knowledge of students, in
                                 positive and supportive
                                 relationships.

Theme 3: Dealing with student behaviour: Staying in the job

The benefits of teaching in a    Here Jenny continues to make the case
rural setting are manifold.      for the benefits of teaching in a
Discipline is rarely an issue    rural setting, and the affordances it
as students know that I know     offers that would be less likely in a
their parents. At several        large urban context. She begins with
schools in Sydney, teachers      one of the greatest reported
carry mobiles and threaten to    challenges for new teachers, and one
ring parents to influence        of the reasons most cited for leaving
students' behaviour. I have no   the teaching profession: the problem
need of this. I conduct          of managing student behaviour. The
informal parent-teacher          literature on student misbehaviour
interviews weekly in aisle       reports high burnout rates, emotional
four at the local supermarket    exhaustion, feelings of low
and students are well aware of   selfefficacy, and high levels of
that. I interact with both       teachers leaving the profession in
parents and students in a        contexts where teachers need to
variety of places outside        concentrate on high levels of student
school: at dance class, at       misbehaviour (Skaalvik & Skaalvik,
every town event, at social      2011; Tsouloupas, Carson, Matthew,
gatherings and, with roles       Grawitch, & Barber, 2009).
reversed, at the students'       Furthermore, where teachers lack
places of work. I particularly   feelings of belonging, and report
enjoy being served politely by   emotional exhaustion, reasons for
students who find positive       leaving the profession are positively
interactions a challenge. And    correlated with (amongst other
I love seeing students who are   causes) negative relationships with
often out of uniform working     parents and colleagues and the
hard in pink t-shirts selling    existence of discipline problems
doughnuts.                       (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011). Jenny
                                 reports that for each of these
                                 aspects, she has positive outcomes,
                                 due to the size of the community and
                                 her connections with parents and
                                 colleagues. Hence these aspects
                                 actually contribute to her wellbeing
                                 rather than impacting negatively, and
                                 obviate the need for control of
                                 student misbehaviour, which is
                                 selfregulated by students who are
                                 aware of the connections to their
                                 families beyond the classroom, and
                                 who are involved in relationships of
                                 located trust with their teachers.

                                 In an echo of Pierson's (2013)
                                 experience, we see how Jenny connects
                                 with learners and their families in
                                 and out of school, in the
                                 supermarket, in the street, and at
                                 town events. Pierson utilises the
                                 same strategies, and draws on the
                                 same relationships Jenny refers to.

                                 I went on home visits and shopped in
                                 the neighborhood stores so I could be
                                 certain to run into my students and
                                 the folk they lived with. Some of my
                                 best parent conferences were held on
                                 the produce aisle at the grocery
                                 store. Many may consider my actions
                                 extreme. I called it "preparation for
                                 what might lie ahead." Teaching and
                                 learning is often hindered by the
                                 details not found in school
                                 records ... I was being proactive. It
                                 is advice I always give to others
                                 (Pierson, 2013).

                                 Further, Jenny notes how roles are
                                 reversed when she meets with her
                                 students at their places of work, in
                                 the part time jobs they hold. Each of
                                 these meetings reinforces the
                                 relationship, connects her learners
                                 to her and her to them, in role
                                 reversals that require each to assume
                                 different responsibilities, and which
                                 require mutual trust. These meetings
                                 are real experiences requiring
                                 genuine human interactions, which
                                 build community, identity and
                                 relationships.

Theme 4: Community embracing the German language learning program:
Building engagement

One of the most delightful       While recognising that German is a
aspects of teaching here         language from 'another place', the
however is the enthusiasm with   success of the program in the school
which the community as a whole   has led to ripples of influence that
has embraced German. German      extend into the wider community and
visitors are amazed at the       promote eager anticipation to be
extent to which their language   included in this community of
is spoken in this small          language users. One of the most
country town: they can't         difficult aspects of languages
imagine why Australian           teaching and learning in Australia,
students would be interested.    in urban centres as well, but
But it is a matter of pride      especially in rural settings where
for our students to use German   there is likely no local community of
and they look for                users of the language, is to indicate
opportunities.                   to adolescents how the language will
                                 be of any use to them in their lives.
                                 Through establishment of a successful
                                 program, developed over years, this
                                 hurdle has been overcome, and the
                                 possibility of using the language
                                 within the local community, to the
                                 growing numbers of users who have
                                 learned through the program itself,
                                 provides the impetus to engage and to
                                 succeed. The cycle of learning and
                                 engaging is thus self-perpetuating.

The reputation of German as a    We know that engagement, through
language that is good to learn   seeing real purposes in using
has spread throughout the        language, in real situations, in real
town. A primary school student   time, is critical for sustained
approached me at a gathering     interest and motivation (Dornyei &
recently to confirm that I       Ushioda, 2009; Morgan, Kohler, &
taught German at Armidale High   Harbon, 2010; Scarino & Liddicoat,
School. She was most             2009; Ushioda, 2013). Through her
enthusiastic and told me that    program, Jenny has established this
she was coming to my school      level of engagement, with exceptional
and was keen to learn 'my'       outcomes. That she has managed to
language. Similarly, the         promote the notion of languages
siblings of current students     learning as 'cool' and fun, is a feat
are often impatient to start     little short of miraculous in a
learning German as they have     nation where the dominance of English
heard that it is really          has long overshadowed the benefits of
cool'. I have an                 learning additional languages.
unconventional classroom, with
chairs stacked and no desks to   Jenny's acute awareness of the need
be seen. I teach the juniors     to connect to learners' interests
using active learning            supports the decades of research and
strategies, games, songs and     practice stemming from constructivist
film. The students look          and motivational theories, from
forward to class, as do I.       Vygotsky (1978), onwards. All the
This enthusiasm is noticed and   current literature on languages
builds curiosity and             learning emphasises the need to
anticipation in prospective      connect to learners' interests (e.g.
students.                        Kumaravadivelu, 2012; Morgan, Kohler
                                 & Harbon, 2010; Scarino & Liddicoat,
                                 2009), and the Australian Curriculum:
                                 Languages (ACARA, 2011; ACARA, 2014)
                                 is predicated on this understanding,
                                 foregrounding such connections as
                                 imperative to allow for the extension
                                 into developing intercultural
                                 understanding through engagement with
                                 another language and culture and
                                 recognising the perspectives of
                                 others. Jenny's classroom, and her
                                 program and pedagogical 'stance'
                                 (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999, 2011)
                                 in utilising what works to promote
                                 learning, aligns perfectly with this
                                 orientation.

Theme 5: Whole school valuing of German language learning: Making
learning purposeful

Nearly every student at the      Though Australia is often referred to
school can communicate in        as 'multicultural', and indeed around
German to some extent and they   46 per cent of Australians were
greet me in German when we       either born overseas or have a parent
meet in the school grounds or    born overseas (Australian Bureau of
down the street. They are        Statistics [ABS], 2013), the richness
happy to show off their          of cultural diversity in Australia is
abilities in front of parents.   largely undervalued and
One of my Saudi students         underutilised, and many migrants in
recently hailed me in German     Australia do not feel their heritage,
and introduced his mother. He    culture or language is publically
translated for her as she only   valued (Clyne, 2008). In conducting
spoke Arabic, and she invited    an exchange in a third language (not
me to their house. He asked      Arabic or English, but German), Jenny
for my phone number in German    and her student publically indicated
(we had just covered this) and   that languages other than English can
was very proud, thanking and     and are used in Australian country
farewelling me in German         towns, and are valued. For all
rather than English. It was a    involved in this short exchange,
very multi-cultural exchange     there was benefit. For Jenny, the
and wonderfully rewarding.       satisfaction of engaging with her
                                 student in German was evident, as was
                                 the invitation to the family's house,
                                 which, as we have learned from the
                                 passages above, is valued by Jenny as
                                 extending the relationship she has
                                 with learners and their families. For
                                 the student, there was pride not only
                                 in using German, but in working
                                 across three languages to include his
                                 mother in the conversation, and to
                                 demonstrate to his mother his
                                 capacity to use German effectively.
                                 For the mother, there was inclusion,
                                 an interactional quality she might
                                 rarely feel in a country town with
                                 few Arabic speakers. While throughout
                                 the world these kinds of interactions
                                 across languages are commonplace, in
                                 rural settings in Australia, this is
                                 less so. Small incidents such as
                                 these can, and clearly do, have
                                 profound impacts on learning and
                                 student engagement, as well as
                                 teacher satisfaction and wellbeing.

Students come into the           That German has come to be accepted
classroom primed by their        as the language of instruction in the
peers and families to want to    German class, and is anticipated with
learn. I speak German to my      pleasure, is another testament to the
students from the outset. When   benefits of continuity and long-term
I did this initially (some       program development (Scarino et al.,
seven years ago), I met with     2008). Through establishing a
huge resistance. They couldn't   practice that produces results,
understand me; I was talking     visible to the community, the task of
gibberish. In fact they called   convincing new learners of its value
my classes 'Gibberish' instead   has already been achieved before they
of 'German'. My current Year     even enter the classroom. Whole
7s by contrast have accepted     school commitment to a languages
German as the language of        program is shown by recent research
instruction without protest,     in Australia to be critical to the
as they know this is accepted    success of that language program
in the wider school community    (Fielding & Harbon, forthcoming). In
and beyond. We often have        Jenny's school, the whole school
German teaching assistants,      commitment is clear, with
and have a regular and           ramifications for all learners.
significant student exchange.    Students want to be in the German
Due to these visitors,           program, come ready to learn, and can
students hear German spoken      see how and with whom they can
fluently in the classroom,       communicate meaningfully for real
around the school, and in the    purposes. The addition of German
town. It is seen as a real       teaching assistants to the school,
means of communication by        and students on exchange makes more
people they respect.             real the use of German, as students
                                 see young people using the language,
                                 and can begin to imagine futures for
                                 themselves, both within and beyond
                                 Australia, where they might also use
                                 German.

Theme 6: In-country exchanges: A two-way street

Fundamental to the success of    In-country experience of using an
German here is the opportunity   additional language is recognised as
for in-country experience        one of the most successful learning
through school exchange. This    strategies, for developing rapid
was set up by a teacher at a     proficiency, engaging with the
private school in the town; a    culture and users of the language,
relatively small community       and deepening intercultural
lends itself to                  understanding leading to long-term
inter-institutional              engagement with the language and
cooperation. Students from our   culture (East, 2013; French & Harbon,
schools are partnered with       2010). Where schools can establish
students from Goppingen. The     such programs, and preferably in
Germans come in June and our     exchange mode, with students from
students go to Germany in late   Australia going to the target country
November. The presence in the    and students from the target country
school and indeed in the town    coming to Australia, the
of several native speakers for   opportunities for developing deeper
a couple of months each year     engagement with the language and
brings German to life. For our   culture are enhanced (East, 2013).
students, going to Germany is
a real rather that a remote      Jenny points to the exchange program
prospect. Learning German        as providing a 'real' rather than a
becomes important and            'remote' prospect, sharpening the
student-driven. Our returning    focus on why learning languages is
students share their             valuable. That the emphasis in the
experiences and understandings   teaching and learning process shifts
with junior students: it is      to being student-driven rather than
model of intercultural           teacher-driven as a result of the
peer-teaching and learning.      need to know some German, is also
                                 significant, as we know that
                                 learner-led learning produces
                                 meaningful and significant learning
                                 outcomes, as well as happy learning
                                 environments, and satisfied teachers
                                 (Harper & O'Brien, 2012).
                                 Peerteaching, and genuine learner
                                 focused learning occurs, as the
                                 students bring back reports of their
                                 experiences of the people, culture,
                                 place and language use, enhancing
                                 intercultural understandings, as the
                                 learners indicate how they themselves
                                 have shifted their understanding
                                 through these experiences, which is a
                                 key indicator of enhanced
                                 intercultural understanding (Morgan,
                                 Kohler, & Harbon, 2011; Scarino &
                                 Liddicoat, 2009).

The experience our community     The benefits to the broader community
is able to offer to the German   amplify the value of the program, as
students, of a warm, friendly,   the German students encounter and
open and welcoming town is       engage with the local community, and
highly valued. I have had        are welcomed in displays of mutual
several former exchange          friendliness- a characteristic small
students return to volunteer     communities in Australia are renowned
at our school. Our students      for, and a positive attribute of
too, return to Germany post      rural positions identified in the
school. Some take their          literature (Hudson & McCluskey,
families as the connections      2013). In addition, when local
they have made are not just      students return to Germany and take
student to student. There have   their families, the program is
been several students over the   strengthened in the school and in the
years who have chosen to live    community. Again, we see how the size
in Germany. Then their parents   of the rural setting enhances these
have to learn German! I hear     possibilities, with rewards for the
all this on the grape vine;      teacher, students, their families and
that is an old-fashioned but     the wider community.
extremely efficient form of
communication here.

Theme 7: Lifelong connections

I really appreciate keeping up   In her conclusion, Jenny returns to
with former students through     the major themes of connection with
parents and siblings. I          place, the importance of
sometimes meet them when they    relationships, and rewards for the
come home for the holidays. It   teacher of rural teaching positions,
is gratifying to see             realised over extended time periods.
first-hand the benefits that     She feels valued and appreciated,
learning a language has          which in turn contributes to her own
brought to their lives. Of       sense of wellbeing, and to job
course it is great if the        satisfaction, which we know is
students achieve high marks in   critical to remaining in the teaching
their final exams, and           profession (Skaalvik & Skaalvik,
wonderful if they continue       2011).
their study of languages. The
rewards that the students gain   If we consider the checklist of
though are often personal        personal and professional attractions
rather than purely academic.     for teaching in rural settings
The relationships they forge,    identified by Sharplin (2002), we can
the connections they make, and   tick virtually every one for Jenny.
the experiences they enjoy all   She has increased responsibility, as
merge to strengthen them as      not only the coordinator of German in
individuals and to enrich our    the school, but as a champion for its
community as a whole. While      learning in the school and in the
this undoubtedly happens in      community. She enjoys the small
cities as well as in a rural     school size, as she knows all the
context, I am able to see the    students and their families, and has
ripples that my small            deeper knowledge of students and
contribution makes. I feel       their families because of the size of
valued and appreciated by        the community and her interaction
people and in a place that I     with them in the community, outside
truly know.                      as well as in school. She
                                 demonstrates how she both seeks and
                                 thrives on being a member of the
                                 community, and of relating her own
                                 children's experiences within this
                                 community, as well as to the
                                 experiences of her students.

                                 In summary, Jenny's narrative shows a
                                 network of connections that are
                                 important to her professionally and
                                 personally. These include connections
                                 with place, with learners, with their
                                 families, with the local community,
                                 with the German-using community and
                                 Germany itself, and with young people
                                 moving between her home town and
                                 Germany. These connections are
                                 long-term, sustainable and rewarding.
                                 Benefits for her students' learning
                                 are clear, also, and she models the
                                 fit between teaching and learning
                                 aspirations as detailed in education
                                 policy and curricula, and lived and
                                 demonstrated experience.