May Stewart was only 18 years old when she took her first teaching job at a rural school in Converse County. The job began a 29-year career of teaching in six different schools, most of which had fewer than 10 students.

Teaching in a rural school was always fun, but it was hard work to keep such a school up and running, Stewart said.

"I chopped wood, I built fires," she said, adding that, at times, she made as little as $2,100 a year.

Stewart was a presenter at Thursday's 25th Annual Women's History Celebration held at Casper College. This year's presentations focused on one-room schools in Natrona County and the teachers who dedicated countless hours to rural students and schools.

Natrona County has four schools that are considered rural schools - Alcova Elementary, Powder River Elementary, Red Creek Elementary and Willow Creek Elementary. Times have changed some since Stewart first began her teaching tenure, but rural schools have maintained their place in education for Wyoming's students.

Joan Fenster, the teacher at Alcova Elementary, compared her school to a, "nice, little country home." Alcova enrolled eight students for this school year in grades kindergarten through sixth.

Fenster admitted that she worries her students might not be getting all the education they need because she can get spread a little thin.

"It's the hardest job I've ever had," she said. "Having six grades is a challenge in this day and age."

Alcova's school building has three classrooms, a library and a gym. Fenster said students from Red Creek Elementary are frequent visitors to the school, where they share the gym and classroom space.

Having such a small student body makes it easy to build relationships with every student and with families. Parents are actively involved in helping plan and raise money for field trips, Fenster said, including one three-day trip each year. Last year, the class went to Denver, the first time two young boys had ever been in a city.

Fenster said she always cries when it's time for her students to move on from their little rural school.

"It's like a little family," she said. "You become very attached to them."

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com.