MULTI-GRADE RURAL TEACHER: INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE IN THE COLOMBIAN COUNTRYSIDE

Abstract

This article is part of a scientific essay, critically analyzing the current situation of multi-grade rural education, based on the structural challenges marked by geography, armed conflict, and social inequalities. Furthermore, it is understood that rural teachers teach different grades simultaneously, using innovative pedagogical strategies, community relations management, and leadership in contexts of violence and systematic poverty. Rural teachers thus become key agents for establishing communication links between the territory, school, and state, with the aim of supporting local communities in addressing their needs. Although the implementation of educational policies has not been sufficient to support rural teachers, multi-grade schools emerge as a setting for dialogue, collaborative learning, and the development of curriculums relevant to the country's context and needs. Thus, this essay proposes the idea that teachers are political actors who promote human wealth, peace, and social justice through political and emotional practices. These practices are often hidden due to a lack of support from local authorities, which are obligated to ensure that rural teachers receive the necessary support to perform their functions effectively and transformatively.