Embracing Poverty, Making a Change

Ignorance is bliss, right? That's at least how the old saying goes. Paying no attention to the hardship around you makes life that much sweeter, even paradisal. Yet it's hard to think of even a single situation where ignorance would really provide the onlooker with real satisfaction. In fact, maybe the analogy "ignorance is anything but bliss" would be more realistic, especially in the context of poverty in education. 

Gone are the days when educators could continually shrug off a student's failing grades, blame their lack of interest on being lazy or chalk up disruptive behavior to the teenage attitude. Rather, it is now, more so than ever, our responsibility as teachers to investigate the underlying causes of such behavior to better understand the situation of our students and their families. 

Students living in poverty differ from those living above the poverty line in many more serious ways than just the income of their parents, size of their house, or the number of vacations they take each year.  In Teaching with Poverty in Mind, Jensen speaks of the ways in which poverty affects the physical and emotional capacities of those affected. For example, children born into poverty often don't receive the love, support and stimulation needed for optimal brain development. These types of development deficiencies are known to lead to emotional and social challenges throughout life such as lack of emotional stability, curiosity and social competence. Such limitations can not only severely impact a child's personal life but can also have detrimental effects on their abilities to perform as a student in an educational setting. 

As 21st century educators, it is essential that we help combat the effects of poverty in our student's lives by following these three fundamental steps: teaching core skills, assessing greatest areas of need, and providing hope and support for the future. By understanding the typical behaviors and reactions of students living in poverty, we give ourselves the best chance of being able to reach them on a deeper level, thus allowing for more substantial emotional and intellectual growth. There is no basis more important for having success in teaching skills, assessing need and providing hope for students in poverty than the teacher's ability to build positive relationships with students. Without relationships built on mutual respect, trust and understanding, the chances of a teacher successfully reaching out to an impoverished student are slim to none. 

Working with a student to help fill the gaps in their core emotional and social skills is often most successfully accomplished by leading by example. While it may seem easier to simply verbally correct a behavior, whether or not it be in a punitive manner, it is far more efficient to demonstrate how the student should act. As teachers we are role models, and must live up to that name by embodying and modeling the emotional and social attributes that our students lack. It is unreasonable of an educator to expect that a student knows right from wrong if they've never been taught what's appropriate. Building relationships with students that are based on a genuine desire to better their live can have an impact that lingers long after they've left your classroom. 

In my classroom, rather than punish a student for speaking out improperly or using inappropriate language, it would be more effective for me to explain to the student why their behavior isn't acceptable and provide guidance for how they should improve on their behavior in the future. Fulling embodying my position as a role model to my students and demonstrating behaviors such as respect, politeness, sensitivity and compassion with each and every one of my students will help those individuals who struggle in such areas learn what's appropriate. Taking the time to get to know my students by asking about their hobbies, favorite classes and goals for the future will help build a foundation for a trusting, positive relationship which will likely increase my chances of being able to make an impact in that student's life. 

Assessing the greatest needs of our impoverished students is not always easy; students will have a tendency to try to blend in with their peers and minimize any problems that make them different from others. Yet as educators, being able to pinpoint their struggle and determine their strengths and weaknesses is an essential step toward effectively intervening. Getting to the bottom of a behavioral issue, whether it be continual mood swings or negative social interactions, or picking up on symptoms of depression such as helplessness or anxiety, can help us to better understand the root of the student's tribulations. In Teaching with Poverty in Mind, Jensen explains that a typical emotional condition associated with poverty is chronic stress. Students suffering from this often come off as apathetic or rude when in fact they are usually dealing with underlying feelings of hopelessness or despair.

Recognizing these warning signs and knowing what repressed emotions they represent can help educators better tailor their instruction, behavior and classroom environment to their student's individual needs. 

Identifying behaviors associate with chronic stress in my classroom could potentially be a difficult task, especially when mood swings and irritability are typical among teenagers. In order to better my chances are successfully recognizing these warning signs, it would be helpful to reach out to other faculty in my school, such as fellow teachers, guidance counselors and administrators to discuss whether they have also noticed emotional red flags or have outside knowledge on that student's situation. Often being a teacher means being a problem solver, which implies taking on the responsibility of doing whatever it takes to better understand a student's home situation and how it is affecting their behavior. Collaborating with colleagues and forming an intervention plan together, as a unified team, can help increase the likelihood of successfully identifying students in need and getting them the support they need.

Thinking back to the idea that teachers are role models means that we have the power to make an impact on our students' lives. For students who have grown up in or are currently living in poverty are in special need of a positive, encouraging, and consistent presence in their life. Providing an impoverished student with support and hope for their future is one of greatest gifts we can give and can sometimes costs us nothing more than a warm smile, encouraging praise and a genuine desire to make a difference. Making an effort to show your impoverished students that you truly care about their well-being, and not simply the grade they make on their test, will help build upon the positive, respect-based relationships that are so essential. Consciously approaching sensitive topics or behaviors, such as the use of profanity or an inappropriate response, as "teaching moments" rather than opportunities for punishment will help give the student hope for success in your class. One way in which I could personally help provide hope and support for impoverished students in my class is to help them define realistic goals for their academic acheivement. Expecting a student who is living in poverty to perform at the same level as a student from a middle class family is completely unreasonable. Sitting down privately with a student and forming an academic achievement plan together for my class will help the student to feel more confident in their chances for success and less likely to give up from the get-go.

Above all else, approaching a situation of poverty with sensitivity and understanding is of the utmost importance. As teachers, we must do everything in our power to help our students succeed. For some, that means extra help after school or the opportunity for extra credit. For others, it means minimizing nightly homework assignments in order to help students who are responsible for taking care of their younger siblings while their parents work the graveyard shift. According to Deseret News, children who spend more than half their childhoods living in poverty are 90% more likely to not receive their high school diploma. Taking a stand against another impoverished student slipping through the cracks is not only in our best interest as a society, but it is our responsibility as 21st century educators. 


References:
Baker, C. R. (2012, October 22). Fighting poverty with education; Hope for breaking the cycle of multi-generational poverty. Deseret News. Retrieved from http://www.deseretnews.com

Children in Poverty [Photograph]. Retrieved February 18, 2014 from: http://noliesradio.org

Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with poverty in mind. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Total Gray Matter [Graphic]. Retrieved February 18, 2014 from: http://www.sciencedaily.com