Building Hope: Among Low SES Students

Building Hope: Among Low SES Students 

 The good news is that core skills and hope for a child from a low socio-economic status family or home can be built overtime. When using research based strategies, over time one can change a students brain and thought process.  Starting an educational intervention at a very young age would be most beneficial to a student in hope of them growing up with a positive thought process.

 Intelligence is not necessarily 100% genetically determined, which proves that we can help students in low SES situations in hopes that they change from previous generations.  A very crucial part of working with students who are from low SES families, etc is that "brains can change."
 (Teaching with Poverty in Mind, pg 47, Jenson)  Knowing that the brain can change and we can instill core values and hope within a child is a key factor that teachers and educators in general need to keep in mind.  Changes in the brain can be positive or negative as well as being gradual or instant at times.  For example, exercise, learning, and quality nutrition can be very positive changes.  As for negative changes in the brain may include; chronic drug abuse, long term neglect, and boredom. 

One can have "experience based" brain changes.  An experience based brain change can include; playing video games, which enhances a player's attention skills or even intensive language training.  As a teacher and even in the classroom I am currently student teaching, one can do their best to implement changes among the students. Students of low SES can build core skills by learning to play an instrument, read music, or even play strategic memory games.  When doing activities as such student can gain sensory and motor ability.  When teaching a student to play an instrument they can benefit by higher order association areas of the brain that can result in improved attention, processing, and even sequencing. 

My colleagues and I can implement certain strategies in order to improve the educational level of students within our school.  As mentioned previously, brains are "designed" to change, which is incredibly beneficial on a multitude of levels.   Everyday a student comes to school there is an opportunity for change and growth; this is where the teacher’s role comes into play! A child's IQ can be affected by many factors, which include; home environment, living conditions, interventions, and even early childhood experiences.  If a child is exposed to these factors and does present a low IQ, a teacher can implement something called fluid intelligence. 

 Fluid Intelligence is a students rapid ability to adjust their strategies and thought processes from one context to another.  By fostering fluid intelligence it will be prepare children to adapt to their current environment.   Students in low socioeconomic situations and families often are forced to adapt to a daily change in environments, and most likely the environments are not positive. Fluid intelligence can include many different strategies and useful skills such as; problem solving, pattern recognition, and abstract thinking. It is important for teachers to instill in children a sense of self reliance.  Myself and my cooperating teacher can try to teach the children in ways to let them know the material has a relation to their lives.  I think sometimes students feel that the material they are learning is simply "just for school".  But in reality the material carries on to your home life and beyond.  Teachers can emphasize the value of a relationships of concepts that come from outside of formal instruction.  Students need to learn and adapt to practice concepts on their own and not just when being directed by an individual.  

Overall, as teachers we need to show love and support to the students.  Encouraging an dpositive comments can truly change a students outlook; and fo rmany children in poor situtations they are in need of these kind words.  Far too often children don't hear, "you can do it" or "I believe in you", from their parents.  Teachers need to all around be a role model, friend, and coach to their students. 

Resources:

Jenson, Eric. Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids

Brains and What Schools Can Do About It. 2009. 

Poverty is Not a Learning Disability. 2012.  Corwin Press. http://knowledge.sagepub.com/view/poverty-is-not-a-learning-disability/n4.xml

The Presence of Poverty

Poverty certainly affects the students at Kirkman Park Elementary in a multitude of ways and on a daily basis.  The presence of poverty is quite noticeable of anyone who may enter the school.  It is not only noticeable through the building, supplies, and equipment they have but in the students themselves.

It is unfortunate but yet, very true that many of the students live in great poverty and poor conditions at home.  The majority of the students at my school participate in the free lunch program that the school provides as well as the backpack program which provides students food to take home on the weekends.  The students too often look unbathed, with dirty uniforms and a poor scent.  After working at the school now for a good portion of the year, I would say that the students at my school suffer from generational or relative poverty.  I say this because it is evident that many families lack the basic needs one should have.  For example, one of my students told me that hey do not have heat or running water, therefore, he does not bath on a regular basis.  Another student in my class always complains of being hungry due to the lack of food that is provided at the home. In both of these situations the students are being deprived of basic needs which causes their academic performance and behavior to being affected. As stated in, Teaching with Poverty in Mind, by Eric Jenson, "Kids raised in poverty - those kids who have the greatest social, academic, emotional, and health needs - are often those who have the least access to essential human services and classroom accommodations."(pg 69 ) I have found this to be incredibly true amongst the students I am working with.

The students are affected by poverty not only from the clothing they wear or the food they eat.  The students at the elementary school are certainly affected by their poor home environments.  It is very clear that the students are exposed to negative environments and sometimes have bad examples at home that are displaying incorrect behavior.  It is difficult to try and change the child's perspective on education and behavior if they return home where education is not held very high.

Teachers have the opportunity each and every day to change the life of a child.  The quote, "be the change you wish to see in the world" by Gandhi speaks wonders in the lives of teachers.  For example, working in this Title 1 school it is obvious that the school and it's students need help, they need a change.  Teachers, staff, and students alike should try to make the best of everyday to make each day count.  Poverty in the community of High Point, NC alone is very troubled but it is also apparent that it is also affecting people across the states, according to William J. Bennett, ( CNN reporter ) "...nearly half of all Americans are living near or in poverty."  He also notes in the article, "Reduce Poverty by Promoting Schools, Families" that, "The first step of alleviating poverty is to promote better schools, families, and churches."  I agree with his statement and think if people were to do so perhaps we would see a change.  Students mainly spend all of their time  in school or at home which is why we must start to promote these areas first.  We need to promote more positive environments, healthy living, as well as families serving as positive examples. 

In the text Teaching with Poverty in Mind ( pg 94 ) notes that, "The enrichment mindset means fostering intellectual curiosity, emotional engagement, and social bonding." I feel that this quote in most appropriate in the situation that I am seeing at Kirkman Park.  The parents are not enriching their children at home nor are most of them encouraging education.  The students do need to foster positive relationship and yes, there are multiple after school programs or lunch buddy programs, but in many cases it needs to start with the parents.  I know the parents of the students are not as involved in their lives as they should be.  The parents don't pick their kids up from school and ask how their day is nor do they congratulate them on grades.  I am not doubting all parents at the school but I feel the majority of the students are lacking parent involvement. In order to enhance the lives of these students in poverty the school could try their best to truly reach out to the parent seeking their involvement with their students lives as well as the school as a whole.

We all know that change does not happen overnight.  The school is slowly reaching towards improvement by integrating programs such as the lunch buddy program and big brothers, big sisters.  They are both beneficial to the children, although they are only small steps.  Yet, sometimes the smallest actions are what counts.  Overall, Kirkman Park needs to enhance parent involvement both at the school and at home in order to foster a positive and happy relationship with their child in order to support them in furthering their education.

According to: National Center for Education Statistics. The Washington Post. 2010.

Resources:

Bennett, William J. http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/17/opinion/bennett-poverty-problem CNN. 2/5/2013.
Jenson, Eric. Teaching with Poverty in Mind. 
National Center for Education Statistics. The Washington Post. 2010.             http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/public-school-students-and-poverty/2012/09/09/358fa79a-facf-11e1-ab03-6dd8b366b547_graphic.html 2/5/2013.

Links 

(more information on Poverty in the U.S.)  

Students in High Poverty - Washington Post
American Progress: Reducing Student Poverty
America: Poverty Education

How Poverty Affects Behavior & Academic Performance

Poverty certainly affects behavior and academic performance on many levels.  It is most important for teachers to understand how to teach children in poverty and how to better serve them.  A large aspect of teaching children in poverty comes from knowing and understanding their home environment and circumstances.

As unfortunate as it is, according to Eric Jenson in Teaching with Poverty in Mind, “low-income neighborhoods are more likely to have lower-quality social, municipal, and local services.” ( Jenson, Eric  Teaching with Poverty in Mind pg 8 ) When a child is exposed to the lower quality resources as such is takes a tool on their whole life including their learning.  Students who are exposed to such impoverished and often negative environments do tend to bring that environment with them into the classroom.  Young students do not know any better than what they are taught at home. Often times, students who live in low –income families are not read to at night, do not have someone to help them with their homework, and are lacking any positive influence.

As far as teachers go, they play a large role in students lives, especially students who come from poor families.   Christine Lynch, Principal of John Spaw Middle School in Spokane, WA said, “You have to teach them, you have to have high expectations…”  It is quite important that teachers remember that giving student sympathy and not expecting, as much from tem is not helping them as far as their academic performance.  Teachers need to learn to make accommodations in other ways instead of letting a student “slack” off in class.  For example, teachers can allow students to be on the computer for a few more minutes at school if they do not have access at home.  The more a teacher can do to accommodate and work with their students at his or her level, the more they will learn and be able to focus on academics instead of situations from home. 

The environments that the students are exposed to at home are far too often not good environments. As much as one would love for parents to work with their children at home, that is not always the reality.  Teachers should continue to encourage parent involvement as that is a huge part of a child's academic performance.  It is also important to understand that the student's parent might not be the best influence for their child when it comes to behavior.  So when a child is acting out in class or making fun of other children, the reason could be that this is the exact behavior they have been exposed to on a daily basis.

Facts on Poverty and Education in the United States:
-According to DoSomething.org  http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-america  (click here for more information! )

1. "What is the Poverty Line, anyway? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it's a family of four (two adults, two children) that earns less than $21,834.
2. Still, $35,000 is basic-needs budget for a U.S. family of four (two adults, two children), as calculated in An Atlas of Poverty in America.
3. In 2008, nearly 43.6 million people Americans lived in poverty (about 13.2% of the population); 12.9 million were under the age of 18.
4. In the US, poverty is still tied to race: 24.7% of the African American population live below the poverty line while 8.6% of Caucasians do.
5. School budgets are tied to property taxes. This is why schools in poor neighborhoods get about half as much money per student than schools in affluent neighborhoods.
6. Three-quarters of the nation's schools (almost 60,000) report needing repairs, renovations or modernization in order to reach good condition.
7. Not surprisingly, most schools in bad condition are in cities where at least 70% of students are below the poverty line.
8. Urban students are less likely to graduate than their suburban counterparts. High school graduation rates are 15% lower in the nation’s urban schools when compared with those located in the suburbs.
9. Graduation rates are also lower among certain groups, particularly ethnic minorities and males. In 2008, the graduation rate among African-Americans was 61.5% compared to 81% for whites.
10. In 2008, 17 of the nation's 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50%, with the lowest rates reported in Detroit (24.9%), Indianapolis (30.5%) and Cleveland (34.1%).
11. Children of poor families are up to six times more likely to drop out than wealthy. "

Resources:

Jenson, Eric. Teaching with Poverty in Mind. ASCD. Alexandria, Virginia. 2009. 

Lynch, Christine. Principal of John Spaw Middle School in Spokane, WA.

Informational Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_vfvbEoYGc&feature=player_embedded

Christine Lynch tells the importance of teachers being aware and understanding the environments of their students.  She also gives tips on how to better serve them academically.

Here you have a video that displays facts and realities of children in the United States who are living in poverty.