About this episode

Rebecca Burnfin discusses teaching social studies in a multilingual rural community and the challenges and strategies involved.

In this episode of *The Rural Voice*, Chris, Melissa, and Bill talk with Rebecca “Becca” Burnfin, a 9th–12th grade social studies teacher and PLC lead at Garden City High School in rural western Kansas. Becca shares what it means to teach in a community where students speak more than 40 languages and bring rich lived experiences shaped by immigration, rural life, global conflict, and family history. The conversation explores how high-quality instructional materials have helped her reduce planning time, keep social studies relevant beyond stale textbooks, support new and veteran teachers through PLC collaboration, and create more engaging, experiential lessons for students. Becca also speaks candidly about rural teacher recruitment and retention, post-COVID pressures on educators, and the importance of honoring student dignity while helping young people connect history to the world unfolding around them.

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris, Melissa, Bill

Guest: Rebecca Burnfin

Topics covered

• social studies
• multilingual education
• rural teaching
• teacher recruitment
• experiential learning

Keywords

• social studies
• multilingual
• rural education
• teacher retention
• experiential lessons
• instructional materials
• PLC collaboration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Garden City High School

Places: Kansas

More episodes of National Rural Education Association Official Podcast

• S05E08 - FAFSA, Rural Access, and Meeting Students Where They Are: An Interview with Jim McHale and Kierstan Dufour. · July 10, 2026 · 34 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the National Rural Education Association Official Podcast podcast page.