Growing Up In A Small Poor Community

Students that live in a poor community often lack a good education because the community does not have the resources to allow the students to continue a good education. Students that are marginalized often lack the opportunity to a higher education because they are constantly being underestimated and not given the resources they need in order to be successful. In the article “Still Separate, Still Unequal; America’s Educational Apartheid” by Jonathan Kozol demonstrated the way schools in InterCitys are being forced to used methods that are nowhere helpful for students to be able to learn. Students are given many instructions to follow, but often lack the actual education they deserve. In addition, in the podcast “The Problem

Throughout history, public schools have suffered and still continue to fail while the rest of the world is moving ahead. There are various barriers that have prevented low-income student from succeeding with the rest of the world. Parent involvement plays a role because if they lack higher levels of education, most likely this will cause the student to have a disadvantage. Also, because of families with

Harley who is fifteen lives with his grandmother since his mother is currently in prison, he also smokes cigarettes and has a bad anger management problems also making it difficult for him to stay in school. All three of these adolescents struggles with isolation, broken families, and a lack of opportunity, creating the ideal picture of growing up poor in America.

As Connell, White and Johnston (1990,p.9) state, 'There is not a “culture of poverty”, nor any key “deficit” that makes poor people different from everybody else and therefore and educational problem'. Teachers and Education Assistants need to adapt into the culture of poverty and be sensitive and understandable to the extensive bar of needs that children of poverty bring to the classroom and they need to consider the cultural values of these children as they arrange their learning. The basis of Groundwater-Smith, Ewing and Le Cornu's opinions in the article is they position readers to view that the teachers dispositions low income students and that rarely the educators offer the same level or enough aid and attention than the other students and they are less likely to succeed in school when compared with the more advantaged children. According to Groundwater-Smith, Ewing and Le Cornu's and Geoffrey D. Borman and Laura T. Rachuba they both state that students from lower income families may not have as high expectations from their parents, teachers or their peers within the school. The students may also not be confident in their own abilities and

Unfortunately, the school's lack of appropriate education results directly from poor government funding. So even with hard work, the lower-class student is still held down by his socio-economic status. Poverty-stricken parents are unable to offer their children the same attention and motivation as parents of a higher-class can, therefore never providing these children with the mindset that they are able to accomplish the American dream. According to Mantsios, 40 million Americans live in poverty, and the mental and physical affects the low standard of living has on them is undeniable (Mantsios 328). Citizens who live in poverty work long hours for little pay, yet return to a household that in no way symbolizes the hard work put forth. Within this environment, very few people have the positive outlook to mentor children successfully.

They tend to learn about their ‘rules’ from their community. They absorb the behaviors around them first hand, that hard work, might not pay off. They learn that if they don’t want to go to school, they don’t have to. If they don’t want to do their homework, that’s okay too. They learn that no matter how hard they work, it may get them nowhere, so you may as well have fun doing what you want, and not what teachers or authority wants. I feel that our school does a fairly good job at teaching our students that no matter where their lives are in this period of their life, it can change for the better in the blink of an eye. We have the same high expectations for students living in poverty or ELL, than we do with our middle class students. The biggest difference is that the teachers are working hard every day to level that playing field for them. We remind them that working hard, will take some effort, but you will be recognized and we will help them to be successful! Academic achievement is encouraged for all of our students.

I spent most of my time at underprivileged schools. Being from a school district where every student received the same education without considering the student’s race, gender, and/or ethnicity. The one experience that has stood out to me was when I was helping a fifth grade student with his math homework. This student was really struggling with multiplication. I recalled working on more advanced math when I was in the fifth grade. This opened my eyes to see that these children were more than likely not receiving the same education I received when I was their age. After spending all afternoon with this student, he thanked me for taking the time to help him, saying that no one, not even his parents have ever invested that much time into his education. This was one more thing I did not experience; I had two parents who were constantly helping me with homework even to this

Fifty years after the declaration of war on poverty, an increasing number of children still grow up in poverty in this country. Poverty is now more determinative than race as a predictor of student educational success (Reardon, 2013). The achievement gap between the poor and the more economically advantaged child has actually widened over the last three decades (Reardon, 2013). If we are to provide all children with equal and excellent educational opportunities, it is imperative that we utilize the most effective strategies and enhancements to overcome the educational disadvantages that poor children experience.

With poverty comes a certain attitude, in higher up communities the children and parents are more respectful towards their teacher, education itself is respected; however, in poverty stricken areas the children are at home alone, or running the streets, the parents are usually too busy working to worry about how their child is doing in school. Districts also have the same attitude, schools in upper class neighborhoods have the essentials; such as, running hot water in the gymnasium, and showers that actually work, new books and just the overall approach to the education, of its students is superior. Compared to that of lower class, neighborhoods the essentials are overlooked for instance, classrooms are in need of repair, as well as the bathrooms and gymnasiums. Their books are torn, and outdated, and their approach to education has been to just make it through the

Thus far the discussions of how race, culture, and socioeconomic status plays a role in education has been a very enlightened one. Up until now I really have never thought about how many things play a part in the education a child receives and how a teacher’s career is also impacted. Like many others I assume, education is something that we all receive and never think about it in great detail. For me going to school each day was just a routine and the end goal was to graduate high school and go onto college, always thinking that it was that easy for all others. Not until now have I discovered that it is not that easy and that there are many obstacles in the way of a good education.

Poverty is on the rise all around the world especially across the United States. This is a problem that is affecting many aspects of life for both the victim and the people around them. Students living in poverty have to tolerate many unfortunate circumstances on a daily basis which can have a significant effect on their growth, development, and educational experience. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds can still have the same success as the average student, but it takes a little extra effort and a leap of faith. Although it may be challenging for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds to achieve success in school and the real world, it is not impossible.

There are those who do not like the idea that they are being better served than others are. It makes them feel guilty and upset; they will feel empathy and sympathy to those who never had the opportunities that they had. The minute one acknowledges that one has privilege, that individual must either act on that knowledge, or burry one’s head in the sand. Both in quality of education and in resources, those that are the most under-served are ethnic and racial minorities living in cities. On the other hand, those that are being best served are Caucasians in suburbs, who are disproportionately given the resources and money that urban schools need. Through political and racial attitudes that have persisted from our countries inception, these

I grew up in poverty in Douglas County and have a personal goal to help people in my community overcome struggles. I come from a text book dysfunctional childhood. At times I did what I had to for pure survival growing up. I have done a lot of self-reflection and realized while I have went through struggles it has made me the strong, nonjudgmental person I am today. I feel my personal background and education will benefit me as a human service professional.

The stereotypes of people living in poverty in America are so deeply imbedded in our society. We as educators may need to examine our beliefs and open our mind to new interpretations of the behavior of those struggling without basic needs. Doing so, however, is the first step to improving our success and effectiveness with educating students in poverty and helping end the cycle of suffering. Educator’s attitudes and beliefs shape you tone of voice, your body posture, your facial expressions and your actions towards students. Working daily with students who are classified as living in poverty. I believe it is our duty as educators to work with student’s effect by generational poverty. One thing I do not see a lot of is help

Students in impoverished communities feel as if they cannot reach their dreams because of the conditions in which they are raised.Some students feel as though they are unable to over poverty. I know from experience that all it takes to motivate children is exposure to their possibilities. This will motivate them to go out and make their dreams realities. I learned this from the person that inspires me, my mentor, Anita Johnson. She is the coordinator of Health Professions Affinity Community (HPAC), a program that allows students to focus on medical disparities within their community. The students develop a project and implement a plan to alleviate these disparities. It is her job to help us succeed in our groups, but what inspires me most