Framework+for+Understanding+Poverty

Just click on discussion to post your comments.

August 3, 2010: **These were our discussion points. Some of them are taken out of context and not intended to be judgmental. In most cases, they are based upon the statements made by the author.**

Last summer, we read __The Working Poor__. Some members of the group read, __Scratch Beginnings__.

There are differences between situational poverty and generational poverty. Makes you rethink, "If I did it, everyone can do it." There are too many variables.

__Nickled and Dimed__ is another book on a related topic.

Page 90: If an individual cannot plan, he/she cannot predict. If an individual cannot predict, he/she cannot identify cause and effect...

According to the author, if you come across a resilient person who comes from poverty, they have probablyhad one or more caring adults in their lives who made a difference.

Page 22. Resources

Can I be caring, but bring my middle class background with me; and what is the effect of that? How do we know if we are really helping someone?

The biggest piece is helping someone to think differently about themselves.

Should we explicitly teach the hidden rules of the middle class?

You are in a different game. This is the game at home. This is the game at school. What are the rules?

Students need to have **hope.** We should also take into consideration cultural differences.

Who am I to impose my values on another family...suppositions about what they should want or what they need?

Is there a difference between rural poverty and urban poverty?

Poverty is relative.

Frustration with the system. Do the interventions help or compound the situation?

Relationships are one of the bigger differences between the lower class and the middle class. Relationships in the lower class are often strong; One of characteristics/values of the middle class is independence.

Teachers and systems get snapshots of students. If you can look at the bird's eye view, we can often see that we have made a difference. If we have just the snapshot while we are working with the student, we may not realize that the student has changed his/her sense of self or reached his/her goal (walking across the stage).

We need to work hard as educators to not put out judgments of students.

Language is a tool. How much of the assessments that determine intelligence quotients are impacted by access to language/vocabulary?

What are the financial implications of the shift from two parent families to single parent families?

A single parent from another country thought that it was not problematic in this country because of government support; whereas in her mother country, that did not exist.

Does the idea of having a choice to be divorced lessen the issue of poverty for those who come from other countries where divorce may be far less of an option?

Differentiating between teaching and learning: page 88-89.

There was an article in the NY Times. The writers took an old study and reexamined the factors that contribute to school success. They concluded that a significant factor is having a great Kindergarten teacher.

Effective questioning can help students move from a concrete conceptual level to more abstract thinking.

Do kids know what their values are? Do they think in terms of values?

Page 79. Behavior related to poverty and interventions.

Page 83. Three Voices: the child voice, the parent voice, the adult voice.

What are we preparing our students for? To go to college? To be citizens? To be successful? What is the measure of success?

Do the codes lead to success, regardless of what the ultimate goal is?

It can be very difficult for people to take risks to reach out for a goal, to leave what they know. Is there a sense of superior or inferior when a family member steps out and breaks away from the cycle?

What did everyone think about the video idea? It seems like it is an option that could be explored. Could 9th grade academy orientation be videotaped and shared?

What are the literacy needs of the parents? If we rely on flyers and letters, can they read them? Not everyone has the internet at home.

Video clips can become part of a child's electronic portfolio?

One thing that our District does well is provide emotional supports for students. Looping is one form of support. Teaming can be support.

If we think that our students feel supported, can we find evidence of that? What are the issues? Are we asking the right questions?

This book provides a lot of ideas that could be used easily.

Page 111.

There is a lot that can be used right away directly with students.

We can give kids tools. We can be more explicit. A lot of practical applications.

Teach grammar explicitly: it is a code.

We take so much for granted. The idea of fate and destiny can be taught. We can combat hopelessness by teaching kids that they do have choices. Page 113.

"No one in my family has ever gone to college. I am not going to college." That is the wrong reason. He also expressed that he didn't even know how to go about exploring the idea.

Teachers give so much everyday. Don't doubt that what you convey to a student makes a difference, even if it isn't in the moment.

Kids from lower socio-economic homes often get more negative messages than positive.

It would benefit kids at the middle level to have more extra-curricular activities.

Page 55. Family trees.

The lines between the middle and lower classes are less distinct with regards to family systems.

The Sharing Closet at KES is working well. Take something, leave something. Everyone has something to give.