Rockbridge County is in the Shenandoah Valley in West Central Virginia and according to the Rockbridge county website, serves about 2,500 students. The area is predominantly rural and contains mostly farmers, artists, small business owners, military, and retirees. However, the area is plagued with an ailment that harms many areas nationally and internationally. According to the 2013 census, Rockbridge county maintained the highest poverty statistics in all of Virginia. Federal assistance is usually required in the community and free lunch is required for the children.

We asked our teacher, Mrs. Leadbetter about the demographics and she gave information much like that above. She let us know that poverty was one of the biggest challenges the school faced and that their learning had to adapt to those conditions. This factor about Rockbridge County; However, did not show at first glance. When we arrived in their high school environment, we saw a relatively normal scene. Once we entered the classroom, we experienced firsthand Mrs. Leadbetter’s teaching style. Within her teaching day she began the lesson with one topic and switched to another to cover more ground in the unit. Her children seemed to respond relatively positive to this method of teaching. Her environment was an example of the interesting culture that was Rockbridge High School. Prior to the visits, I would never had been able to see Lexington in that light. I see now that Mrs. Leadbetter’s Class, Rockbridge County High School, and Lexington has a whole had a unique story to tell.