New Teacher Group and Awards 

Last spring, the Rural Teacher Corps kicked off a new effort to support new teachers and help them make the transition during the COVID pandemic. The New Teacher RTC began in March with a focus group of new teachers and then the group met every week and talked about challenges and victories. To read more, click here.

Teacher Mini-Grant Winner Stories 

Holly Pitts: "With the mini-grant I received, we purchased a class pet. The students researched, presented, and debated the possibilities of a good class pet. Now that we have our leopard gecko, Littlefoot, we are writing stories from his perspective to publish into a book. We also track his habits and share the responsibility of owning a pet. We also share him with the rest of the community in a "Can you find Littlefoot?" on the school's social media. In just the small amount of time he has been a part of our room, we have learned so much!"

Tech Contact Survey 

The Rural School Initiative would appreciate you sending contact updates for your District/Building Tech Contacts. Please include the district/building, name, and contact information! We are especially looking for the person working with curriculum planning, implementation, staff support, and classroom use. Send to tsullivan@eiu.edu. 

RTC Outstanding Member

The EIU Rural Teacher Corps consists of many members, some of which go above and beyond with planning, volunteering, and event attending!

This month's outstanding member is Alicia Buerster. Alicia is a senior Early Childhood Education major from Newton, IL.

Alicia's favorite part about the Rural Teacher Corps is hearing from various schools, learning about the programs they offer, and how they help students receive the best education possible!

Martinsville Site Visit

We have asked Rural Teacher Corps members to write about events they have planned or attended. In this Student Perspective, Holly Higgins writes about her planning and experience with the Martinsville Virtual Site Visit. Click here to read her story!

Upcoming Events

• January 26th: ScreenCasting Workshop @ 4pm

• January 28th: Bill Duey Presentation @ 4pm

• Feb 1st: Advisory Council Meeting @ 3:30 pm

• Feb 9th: Rural Teach Corps Meeting @ 6pm

• Feb 10th: New Teacher Corps Meeting @ 6pm