Chapter 12: Persistence Through Authenticity: The Case of Two Teachers from Southwest Appalachia

This chapter shares the stories of two male teachers in rural Southwest Appalachia who, in and out of the classroom, exude love for their community and culture. In this chapter, we come to understand these teachers through their stories and examples of practice and learn how these men enact a joyful and realistic pedagogy that sustains them and their students. We learn from Owen how returning, as an elementary teacher, to the community in which he was raised gives him a powerful lens on understanding the politics of schooling. And we learn from Josh how his love and practice of Appalachian folk culture merges with his teaching of middle school math.