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Poverty : A Single Word Essay

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Poverty: a single word that has the power to define a person’s whole life, though few actually know the meaning of it. Those who live in poverty are often stereotyped as “weak, lazy, uneducated, unmotivated, substance abusers” and many other disparaging remarks. Many students and adults alike are not accurately educated on the topic of poverty, presumably getting their information from the media and others who are not well educated on the topic, either. This places preconceived notions and stigmas into their mind without ever actually understanding what it means to be impoverished. Poverty has many faces; hunger, illness, lack of shelter, lack of education, and many more. Poverty is also described as “powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom” (The World Bank Organization, 2004). For those living in poverty, education is the most valuable thing to have in this day and age and without it, most people get left behind. However, future educators can help to prevent this by becoming better educated on the topic of poverty, the impact it has on their students, learning how to teach to those living in poverty through differentiation, and how to advocate and inspire their students as well.
Poverty has been an enduring and pervasive issue in the United States. In 2015, 14.5% of U .S. citizens (45.3 million) lived in poverty. During that year, a family of four that earned less than $47,770 met the criteria of living in poverty. This is an increase of 8 million people since

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