As the Murfreesboro Voice has mentioned in other stories, the rapid development of Middle Tennessee is completely transforming the region.
In Rutherford County, this growth is affecting areas like Rockvale, which are struggling to keep up with the influx of students. Data USA states, “Between 2018 and 2019 the population of Rockvale, TN grew from 1,340 to 1,467, a 9.48% increase and its median household income grew from $96,923 to $100,298, a 3.48% increase.” This growth has caused Rockvale’s schools to become overcrowded.
Working through Rockvale's growing pains, Mrs. Caitlyn Brown (Caity) is a Grade 7 social studies teacher at Rockvale Middle School. Thanks to her efforts in the classroom to expand the minds of students learning about social studies, she was awarded Rockvale Middle School's "Teacher of the Year" Award for the 2021-2022 school year.
“When I first started teaching, I actually taught geography,” she tells Murfreesboro Voice. “That was a lot easier to incorporate current events and things like that. But over the years, they changed our [learning] standards.”
Now she teaches a period of history that ranges from the fall of the Roman Empire up to the “Age of Discovery.”
Enlightening Young Minds
In class, Caity makes it a point to connect whatever events are currently being covered to things happening today. This helps the historical events of the lesson plan become more accessible to students. 
“They do enjoy the majority of the topics,” Caity says. “They really love The Crusades! And they’re obviously obsessed with The Black Death… Especially when COVID hit. It was very real to them!”
Through Caity’s classroom, students develop an outlook on the world itself. She says that before this point in their education, many students don’t have a nuanced view of the globe.
She explains, “There are some pretty big learning curves… Getting them to understand the difference between a ‘continent’ and a ‘country.’”
This is a stumbling block for many students who struggle to understand the geographical and political differences in the world’s countries. Before social students, most students perceive Europe as one giant landmass of intertwined histories. Through Caity’s lessons, students are taught to see European countries in their own historical light. Faulty notions learned by students through popular culture are traded for a more realistic view of the world.
Teaching During a Time of Development
Caity started her educational career in Rockvale in 2011 as a student teacher. She has stayed in Rockvale for most of her career as a teacher. Speaking to the student population, she says “It’s pretty diverse… You’ve got the kids from the more rural areas, and then you’ve got some from the city.”
In spite of the influx of students, Caity commends the Rutherford County School System for adapting so well. She shares, “We are experiencing so much growth right now. I think we’re at 1400 students, whereas when I was student teaching, there may have been 1000…."
Because of the growth, the Rockvale Middle School learning environment is constantly changing. Presently, Caity describes the school as “packed to the brim.” Though not an ideal situation, the burgeoning student population is currently being addressed by the school system. At the time of writing, Rockvale Middle School was in the process of creating 22 new classrooms and a new lunchroom to accommodate the new student body.
While those classrooms are being built, Caity teaches from one of the portable classrooms on the Rockvale Middle School campus. Caity tells Murfreesboro Voice that she’s adapted well to teaching in a portable classroom, and learning about the new technologies that classrooms have introduced to students over the years.
Caity is grateful to the many caring people in Rockvale’s community who share her passion for education. But she’s concerned about how the growth in Rockvale will further impact the classroom. She wonders if the growth spurred by the decisions of local political leaders has the Rockvale students in mind. Teaching in the area, she doesn’t feel that the current infrastructure best serves the community’s educational needs. Instead, she believes that business interests are leading the dialog in community development.
“We’re building all of these apartments,” she says. “Putting in these new neighborhoods. And… these families come with children, too. I think that [the] growth is good. But we definitely need more schools between Rockvale and Blackman.”
Keeping Teachers in the Classroom
Caity points out that many seasoned educators are leaving the teaching profession. This is happening not just in Rockvale or Rutherford County, but all over the country.
“We’re not talking about 70-year-old teachers,” she says. “We’re talking about 30 to 40-year-old teachers whose passion is education… Our [community] focus is the Titans Stadium. [Metro Nashville Public Schools] have 1000 job openings right now.”
Caity tells Murfreesboro Voice readers that historically low pay, a lack of respect for the profession, and little effort and resources plague work in education.
To solve these issues, Caity would like to see the community put education as a priority. In her mind, this is accomplished by greater allocation of resources to school systems, representation of teachers’ needs in public dialogs, and families instilling personal respect for teachers at home. She encourages parents to get fully involved with their child’s education, and invites parents to reach out to her with any concerns.
“I think teachers need to be supported…” Caity says. “This all has to start at home when you’re talking to your kids about school.”
For further information about Caitlyn Brown or Rockvale Middle School, visit the Rockvale Middle School website.
