Ideas for
how a teacher could address Poverty and its effects in his or her classroom.
Traditionally, poverty was thought to be the result of
unemployment, and for many this appears true. According to the textbook, “sixteen
million American children (22 percent) are growing up in households in which no
parent has a full-time, year-round job.” Many other people hold regular jobs,
yet they remain poor. Poverty has been around for millennia, accordingly, many
have been tempted some to turn away and devote their energies to more solvable
problems. Our country cannot afford to follow this path. Helping parents get
out of poverty and eradicating its ravaging effect on their children should be
at the top of our agenda as teachers and educators of this United States (U.S.).
Although there are many important and solvable social challenges to solve, we
cannot in good faith ignore this one. Many people have thought that we could
eliminate poverty through education and schooling. The results have been well
intentioned but often naive. Interestingly, full-time employment at the current
minimum wage of a little over $7. per hour is not enough to support a family
above the poverty line. With that said, the following are ideas for how a teacher could address poverty effects in his
or her classroom:
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Make students aware of what poverty really is, In the U.S., the official poverty thresholds are set by the Office of Management and Budget. Persons with income less than that deemed sufficient to purchase basic needs—food, shelter, clothing, and other essentials—are designated as poor.
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Create a workable plan to help their parents get out of poverty. 1Common issues in low-income families include depression, chemical dependence, and hectic work schedules—all factors that interfere with the healthy attachments that foster children's self-esteem, sense of mastery of their environment, and optimistic attitudes. Instead, poor children often feel isolated and unloved, feelings that kick off a downward spiral of unhappy life events, including poor academic performance, behavioral problems, dropping out of school, and drug abuse. These events tend to rule out college as an option and perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
- Emotional and social challenges. 2It's safe to say that poverty and its attendant risk factors are damaging to the physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive well-being of children and their families,
- Acute and chronic stressors. 3Often, poor children live in chaotic, unstable households. They are more likely to come from single-guardian homes, and their parents or caregivers tend to be less emotionally responsive,
- Cognitive lags. 4Single parenthood strains resources and correlates directly with poor school attendance, lower grades, and lower chances of attending college,
- Health and safety issues. A head injury, for example, is a potentially dangerous event for a poor student. With limited access to adequate medical care, the student may experience cognitive or emotional damage, mental illness, or depression. Further, 5due to issues of transportation, health care, and family care, high tardy rates and absenteeism are common problems among poor students. Unfortunately, absenteeism is the factor most closely correlated with dropout rates. School can help turn children's lives around, but only if the children show up.
Works Cited Page
1.
Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household
Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study,” by V. J. Felitti, R. F. Anda, D.
Nordenberg, D. F. Williamson, A. M. Spitz, V. Edwards, et al., 1998, American
Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), pp. 245–258.
2.
Klebanov & Brooks-Gunn, 2006; Sapolsky, 2005.
3. Blair
et al., 2008; Evans, Gonnella, Marcynyszyn, Gentile, & Salpekar, 2005.
4. Xi
& Lal, 2006.
5.
Van Ijzendoorn, Vereijken, Bakermans-Kranenburg,
& Riksen-Walraven, 2004.
