Teachers and Teaching: Beyond the Classroom

Abstract

Traditionally, little is expected of students in the area of eastern Kentucky where Carol Stumbo teaches. It is as true today as it was when Stumbo, the daughter of a coal miner, was growing up. Like many other cultural minorities, Appalachians are normally educated to "fit in" to the majority culture and to devalue their own history and culture. "Success," then, often comes at the expense of their Appalachian identity. In this article, the author discusses an oral history project designed to make the acquisition of writing skills more palatable to her students, and the unexpected and far-reaching consequences the project has had on her view of her own education and teaching, her students, and her community. This article captures the seriousness and honesty with which Stumbo confronts these changes and reflects her deep commitment to, and belief in, her students.