Stereotypes Of Poor Students In The Classroom

According to Paul Gorski, the myth of poverty does not exist. In the article, the author critics the culture of poverty, the idea that poor people share the same belief, value the same thing, and act in the same way. Gorski argues that some teachers who continue to believe in the myth of the culture of poverty may not understand their own pre-decided bad opinion, biases, and cultural misunderstanding that can prevent them from reaching and teaching their poor students, and how those biases may affect their interactions and expectations of their students. He breaks down different and countless stereotypes that, over time have walked slowly and quietly into what most people like and accept as facts. These misconceptions include the ideas such

The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader of a real problem, media misrepresentation, and to try to have the reader change the way the think, feel, and perceive the poor. She gives examples of encounters she has had that are a result of the damaging depiction and conveys to the reader why those thoughts are wrong by using her own personal experiences. She mentions that before entering college she never thought about social class. However, the comments from both other students and her professors about poverty were alarming to her. Other people viewed the poor as, “shiftless, mindless, lazy, dishonest, and unworthy” indigents. Hook opposes that stereotypical image of the poor, referring back to being taught in a “culture of poverty,” the values to be intelligent, honest, and hard-working. She uses these personal experiences to her advantage by showing she has had an inside look at poverty.

One of the greatest differences among public schools is the funding they receive. Public schools across the country have incredibly varied amounts of capital dedicated to them which in turn leads to a disparity in the quality of education a student will receive at these schools. The race of a student, the location they live in, and the wealth of their family greatly correlate to the level of education they will receive. As Harvard professor Jennifer L. Hochschild notes, “Districts with a lot of poor students have lower average test scores and higher dropout rates...The highest spending districts report high test scores, and some of the lowest spending districts report the lowest test scores” (“Social Class in Public Schools.”). The students who attend schools that receive less funding typically obtain an education that is lesser in comparison to schools that receive more money. The inequality in funding within a state has a severe impact on the variation of education quality. In the case of Connecticut, “The district that spends the most provides almost twice as much per student as the district that spends the least” (“Social Class in Public Schools.”). As a result, the schools that receive less funding work with more outdated textbooks and equipment, while schools with more funding can afford to buy new equipment and provide a better environment for the

Some common stereotypes I have heard include women are bad drivers, are not good at math, and love shopping. Of these three stereotypes, I think the first two can do the most harm. After all, if someone is being told they will be a bad driver or that they will not do well in math, I think they are likely to not try as hard or subconsciously worry and not do as well. The third stereotype is mainly harmless, though it is annoying when someone simply assumes it is true. No two people are alike. However, there are those who I relate to easier because of similar hobbies, shared beliefs, and similar life experiences. Whenever I meet or interact with those who are notably different than me I am generally open minded. However, when deciding if I want to become friends with someone I usually take several factors into consideration; some of which

Kozol (1991) explained in his book how one would think that because they live in a free nation and they are entitled to a free education, that they would receive the same as everyone else. Unfortunately, our country was set up with a tax-based formula for school funding. It’s a complicated formula and most people never think to scrutinize it. Basically, taxes based on the values of homes are levied. It is an equal tax in all districts so it is equitable. Ironically, because the properties in poor areas are worth far less than in affluent areas, there is always a shortage. The Shortage in funding creates a significant difference in teacher quality, curriculum and resources Former Secretary John King (2016) explained how schools with highly concentrated Blacks and Latinos are less likely to offer advanced

I was a sophomore in high school when I met a black junior at my school named Jordan. She was first in her class and had been taking advanced placement classes since she was a freshman, which my school does not offer freshman. I was in awe when she offered to help me make my schedule for my junior year and advised me on what classes and teachers were the best. Whenever I need advice for school, I still call Jordan to talk about my situation with her. Through this relationship, I have learned that black people need to help other black people because only we know what is feels like to be black and successful. In my experience, success isn’t expected from black students. While applying for a black scholarships the GPA minimum for many of them was 2.5, which is below the 3.0 national average. In essence, they were expecting below average blacks to apply for their

Everyone has heard the saying “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” but few people think of schools when they here this phrase. The way our educational system is set up today benefits students in high income areas more than it helps students in low income schools. People in the United States like to think that anyone can achieve greatness if they try hard enough but getting an education is important and being in a well-funded school never hurts. In this country there is a profound lack of funding to our schools and there is an inequality when it comes distributing the funds and it only serves to help some and disadvantage others.

Introduction There’s nothing that could describe the struggles of being a poor kid. In the documentary of Poor Kids, posted by PBS, there you can clearly see how bad poverty has grown in the US. It’s sad watching these kids talk about how they struggle to get pass a week after another. Seeing how are these parents work but yet can’t find the money to support the kids.

There are countless ways biased against low income families. A large part of the mold is just plain incorrect. Most people believe that the poor are poor because of their own shortcomings instead inequitable access to services and opportunities. There are litanies of stereotypes towards poor people, such as poor people are lazy and uneducated. They are alcoholics and drug addicts. They do not want to work and depend on social welfare system. They don’t know how to teach their children and let them run wild and dirty. Poor people don’t have knowledge and good for labor but nothing else. Other common stereotypes about the poor show that they are inattentive and, as a result, parents are not effective. Low-income parents or guardians who do not attend parent-teacher meetings can become the target of stereotyping, or worse, getting blamed by those educators.

Poverty within neighborhoods throughout the United States has increased immensely throughout the past 50 years. In 2011, nearly 46.2 million Americans were living in poverty compared to the 353,000 Americans who lived in poverty in 1959. (Dosomething 1) Poverty is hardly just defined as a lack of financial resources, it is defined as a condition that results in an absence of the freedom to choose arising from a lack of the capability to function effectively in society. (Poverty and Education 1)  For a person to be impoverished or to be living in a state of poverty is to live where they do not have the economic means to provide a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their family.  A majority of public school students across the country are considered “low-income”, according to a new study by the Southern Education Foundation.  Areas of concentrated impoverishment are often characterised by crime, unemployment, and lack of resources.  Children represent 24 percent of the population, but they comprise 34 percent of all people in poverty.  The shift to a majority-poor student population implies that a growing range of students who attend public schools are less likely to possess support at home, are less often exposed to enriching activities outside of school, and are more likely to drop out and never attend higher education.  Children living in poverty have a higher number of absenteeism or leave school altogether because they are likely to have to work or care for family

Have you ever been judged before for the smallest and unimportant things you can imagine? Or maybe you have seen others getting judged for the way they act or dress. On September 16, at James Giles School 7th and 8th graders were having lunch and recess. The students were having a good time talking playing games and eating lunch naturally having a good time. A group of 7th grade girls were talking and suddenly another girls joined them. The girls that joined them was their friend because they would go to the park together and walk together after school. The girls didn't like the idea of joining them. The girls started being mean and judging her of what she wore to school. People that judge others in a mean way know that its mean and hurtful

If a student doesn’t succeed in school, the common assumptions are that students don’t care, the classes are high capacity, the school doesn’t have enough resources or the socioeconomic status of certain students. These assumptions people have about poor education comes from the media. The media takes a huge roll because majority of the people own a phone, television, and a radio. The media portrays poor

“ Historically, low-income students as a group have performed less well than high-income students on most measures of academic success” (Reardon, 2013). Typically low-income families come from low-income parts of the state making a school that does not have as much funding as a higher economic schools does lack in resources for their students. The school then has lower paid teachers and administrators, with lower quality supplies. This results in a school which typically has faculty who do not perform as well as the well-funded schools. “The law fails to address the pressing problems of unequal educational resources across schools serving wealthy and poor children” (Hammond, 2007). Students from low and high income families will not be able to achieve the same education because their education simply is not the same.

They are often seen as “stupid” or “lazy” etc. because of their inability to find work. Kids get made fun of at school for being poor, or not having the newest things, parents of the kids are ridiculed and seen as bad parents for not being able to provide above and beyond what their kid needs. “Poverty and discrimination are linked. Discrimination based on ethnicity, race or gender directly influences economic opportunity through a complex set of institutional effects in families, schools and work settings.” www.psysr.org (psysr poverty and discrimination pages). Poverty stricken families are discriminated against all the time, and in many different ways. This shows how unfair society is against people who struggle economically. This is because people who are poor are looked down upon like they do not matter, and are seen as charity cases. Discrimination against the poor, or people of different classes is called classism. “Classism is when someone is treated differently because of their class, or perceived class. Classism is similar in many ways to racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.” www.classism.org (classism/ about class). Classism is a very real thing in the world. It is easy for people to assume that someone is poor and treat them like they are less than them because of them being poor. This shows that the lower class can and are discriminated because of their socioeconomic status, they are ridiculed and cut down because of it. Sometimes classism flows from people on the street to even law enforcement. “Research indicates that people living in poverty are subjected increasingly and disproportionately to a range of administrative and legal policy measures that seek to criminalize, penalize, segregate, and surveil them because of their situation. Such measures include laws that explicitly target people living in poverty (e.g., laws prohibiting vagrancy, begging and panhandling), laws and

The pinpoint cause of poverty is challenging to find. People who live well off and are above the poverty line may be quick to assume that laziness, addiction, and the typical stereotypes are the causes of poverty. Barbara Ehrenreich, a well known writer on social issues, brings attention to the stereotypical ideology at her time, that “poverty was caused, not by low wages or a lack of jobs, but by bad attitudes and faulty lifestyles” (17). Ehrenreich is emphasizing the fact that statements like the one listed, often influence readers to paint inaccurate mental pictures of poverty that continue to shine light on the ideology of stereotypes being the pinpoint cause to poverty. However, there are many other causes that are often overshadowed, leaving some individuals to believe that poverty was wrongfully placed upon them. Examples would include: high rates of unemployment, low paying jobs, race, and health complications. Which are all out of one’s ability to control. There is no control over a lack of jobs and high rates of unemployment, nor the amount of inadequate wages the working poor receive. Greg Kaufmann, an advisor for the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and The Half in Ten campaign, complicates matters further when he writes, “Jobs in the U.S. [were] paying less than $34,000 a year: 50 percent. Jobs in the U.S. [were] paying below the poverty line for a family of four, less than $23,000 annually: 25 percent” (33). Acknowledging Kaufmann’s fact, the amount received for a family of four is fairly close to the yearly salary of a high school graduate, which means, receiving that kind of pay for one man may seem challenging, now imagine caring for the needs of four individuals. To make matters worse, certain families receive that amount of money and carry the burden of paying for