Generational Poverty

1. Generational Poverty Effects on Education By Dr. Danan Myers

2. Poem of Generational Poverty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqo3mRKeWwo&feature=fvwrel

3. Activity - Think-Pair-Share • Think of this last year or your school setting. • How many students in your classroom live in poverty? • What characteristics do they have? • Do they have problems learning? • Do they have problems with authority? • How is communication with the parents? • Pair with the person at your table and share your responses to these questions and your concerns/frustrations. • Share with class about your pair conversation.

4. Generational poverty is defined as being in poverty for two or more generations. Generational poverty can happen sooner if families in poverty live with other families in generational poverty. Situational poverty is caused by a circumstance such as death, illness, or divorce. Generational poverty and situational poverty are different.

5. Poverty occurs in all races and countries. The United States’ child poverty rate is substantially higher than other industrialized nations. Immigrant children are twice as likely to be poor. In families with working parents, immigrant children are at greater risk of living in poverty.

6. Poverty is relative It only exists in relationship to known quantities or expectations.

7. Lyndon B. Johnson “Poverty must not be a bar to learning, and learning must offer an escape from poverty.”

8. Phoenix Demographics • Persons below poverty level in 2006-2010 • Phoenix 19.1% • Arizona 20.8% • O-5 year olds living in poverty in 2009 • 26% • 68% school age children receive a free or reduced lunch

9. Inner-city Children • More likely to be in single-parent families. • Seven times more likely to be victims of child abuse or neglect. • Children under six are particularly vulnerable to poverty.

10. There are hidden rules of each class. • Patterns of thought • Unspoken cues and habits of the group • Social interaction • Cognitive strategies Schools operate with middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class.

11. Rules of Generational Poverty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo74eOx5u_8

12. We must understand the hidden rules of our children. • Students that bring middle-class culture to school are decreasing. • School is one place where students can learn the choices and rules of middle class. • Students need to be taught the hidden rules of middle class.

13. Knowledge of Hidden Rules • Exist in all socio-economic classes and ethnic groups. • To move to another class, one must have a mentor or spouse to model and teach the hidden rules.

14. People are possessions Money should be spent Sense of humor is highly valued Social inclusion of people they like Quantity of food is important Clothing valued for individual style Present is most important Education is valued as abstract Believe in fate Language is about survival Family structure is matriarchal Sees world in terms of local setting Love and acceptance based on if you are liked Driving force is for survival, relationships, and entertainment Things are possessions Money should be managed Achievement is highly valued Emphasis is on self-governance Quality of food is important Clothing valued for quality and acceptance Future is most important Education is crucial for climbing the ladder of success Believe in choice Language is about negotiation Family structure is patriarchal Sees world in terms of national setting Love and acceptance based on achievement Driving force is for work and achievement Hidden Rules Poverty Middle-class Ruby Payne

15. “Teachers need to first acknowledge these differences and then act as a bridge between their student’s differences and the culture of the dominant society.”Sonia Nieto

16. The rules of poverty • Noise level is high. • The most important information is non-verbal. • Main value of an individual to a group is through their ability to entertain. • Extra money is shared or immediately spent. • Lack of order or organization. • Live for the moment. • Laugh when disciplined. It is the only way to save face.

17. Expectations of our students • Many teachers do not belong to the same social class as the students. • Prejudgments and misconceptions can get in the way. • Teachers need to be understanding and respectful of the needs of the students. • Teachers need to bring to life the motto: “All children can learn.”

18. Definition of poverty • The extent an individual does without resources. • Financial • Emotional • Mental • Spiritual • Physical • Support systems • Relationships and role models • Knowledge of hidden rules

19. Emotional Resources • Most important • Provides stamina to endure difficult and uncomfortable emotional situations and feelings • Helps a person not return to old habits • Emotional resources come from role models. • Teachers are good role models. • Being a role model does not cost anything.

20. Mental Resources • The ability to process information and use this information in daily living. • Reading • Writing • Computation • The ability to access information from free sources • Becoming self-sufficient

21. Spiritual Resources • A purpose for living. • Worth and love are gifts from God. • Does not see self as hopeless or useless. Physical Resources • Being capable • Mobile • Self-sufficient

22. Having a Support System • Mother is most powerful. • People are possessions. • can rely only on each other. • Schools are support systems. • Gangs are support systems. • Individuals who help • When children are sick • When money is short • Filling out papers • Help with homework • Help children get into college

23. Four reasons one leaves poverty • It’s too painful to stay • A vision or goal of something they want • A key relationship • Someone who sponsors them • Teacher • Mentor • Special talent or skill that provides an opportunity • Sports • Gifted • Artistic • Musician

24. Two things that help move students out of poverty • Education • Relationships “Teaching means helping the child realize his potential.” Erick Fromm

25. “In order to advance student learning, teachers and schools also need to change in substantive and significant ways.” Sonia Nieto

26. Achievement “We must see that every child has equal opportunity, not to become equal, but to become different – to realize the unique potential he or she possesses.” Horace Mann

27. “If teachers are to do effective culturally responsive teaching, they need to understand how ethnically diverse students learn.” “This is necessary because the processes of learning – not the intellectual capability to do so – used by students from different ethnic groups are influenced by their cultural socialization.” Geneva Gay

28. Building on experiences of our students • A teacher needs to take into consideration a student’s cultural identity to understand how the student learns. • Students develop many cognitive abilities before entering school. • Children come to school as thinkers and learners. • Teachers need to build on what the children do have.

29. Registers of Language • Frozen • Always the same • Wedding vows • Formal • Standard sentence syntax and word choice • Used in school and work • Straight to the point • Consultative • Used in conversation • Casual • Between friends • Texting and Instant messaging • Emails • Dependent on non-verbal language • Goes around and around and finally gets to the point • Intimate • Language between lovers and twins • Sexual harassment School language Language of Poverty

30. Story structure is different Formal story structure Plot Casual story structure Part of an episode audience participation How does this make a difference for students and teachers?

31. Activity - Vignette • Parent conference • You are a teacher and have scheduled parent conferences in 15-20 minute intervals. You need to share a whole trimester/semester’s work with the parent along with grades and behavioral concerns. Your expectation is that you will share and the parent will listen until the end when you ask if the parent has any questions.

32. How does this make a difference for parents and teachers? • Parent-teacher conferences are misunderstood • Teachers get right to the point • Parents beat around the bush before getting to the point • Parent-teacher conferences are too short for parents • What is the outcome? • Parents view teachers as uncaring and rude

33. What can schools do? • Have students write in casual story structure then translate to formal story structure. • Write the way they talk. • Use graphic organizers to show patterns in writing. • Tell stories both ways in the classroom. • Encourage class participation in writing and telling stories. • Use stories in all subject areas to help develop concepts. • Directly teach formal story structure. • Explain that the formal story structure will affect their ability to get a well-paying job.

34. What can schools do? (cont’d) • Students should stay with the same teacher for two or more years • Teach problem solving • Give more time to parents • Show them that you care by listening • Meet more often than twice a year • Make contact • Phone calls • Notes • Home visits • Newsletters

35. Low achievement is closely correlated with lack of resources. Teaching is what occurs outside the head. Learning is what occurs inside the head.

36. Learning Structures • Cognitive Strategies • Fundamental ways of processing information. • Concepts • Stores information • Allows for retrieval • Skills • Reading • Writing • Computing • Language • Content • Information used to make sense of daily life.

37. Children from poverty are coming to school without cognitive strategies.

38. Teaching Cognitive Strategies • Jean Piaget stated that when there is an environmental stimulus, there is a response. • Reuven Feuerstein felt that between the environmental stimulus and the response should be mediation. • Mediation builds cognitive strategies. Mediation

39. Mediation • Mediation is the intervention of adults to teach children: • Ability to plan • schedule and plan ahead • set goals • Ability to predict • Ability to identify cause and effect • Ability to identify consequence • Ability to control impulsivity • Think before acting

40. Too often low expectations placed on cultural and socio-economic groups create greater barriers to success than the difficult situations in which children from poverty live. • Teachers need to take the saying “all children can learn” beyond the saying and put it into practice.

41. Eric Jensen On Teaching Kids In Poverty - Brain-Based Learning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSshAsUpeTI&feature=endscreen&NR=1

42. What can the school do? • Learning should be the focus. • Teaching cognitive strategies should be part of the curriculum.

43. “We can neither excuse students nor scold them for not knowing.”Ruby K. Payne As educators we must teach them the rules that will make them successful.

44. Discipline “The aim of education is the knowledge not of facts but of values.” William Ralph Inge

45. Many of the behaviors that students bring to school are necessary to survive outside of school.

46. Two anchors of effective discipline programs • Structure • Clearly states expected behaviors. • States consequences • Desirable – for following expected behaviors • Not desirable – for not following expected behaviors • Choice • To follow or not to follow the expected behaviors.

47. Behavior Analysis • What kinds of behaviors does a child need to be successful? • Does the child have the resources to develop those behaviors? • Will it help to contact parents? • Are resources available through them? • What resources are available through the school/district? • How will behaviors be taught? • What are other choices the child could make? • What will help the child repeat the successful behavior? Ruby Payne

48. Behaviors Related to Poverty • Laughs when disciplined. • Teachers should understand the reason for the behavior. • Teach appropriate behaviors. • Argues loudly with the teacher. • Teachers should never argue with students. • Model respect for students. • Angry responses. • Teachers should respond in the adult voice. • Discuss only after students has cooled down. • Inappropriate or vulgar comments. • Teachers should have students brainstorm appropriate phrases to say the same thing. • Physically fights • Teachers should stress that fighting is unacceptable in school. • Hands always on someone else. • Teachers can give alternative activities to do with hands such as drawing or put hands behind their backs. • Can not follow directions. • Teachers should write the steps on the board.

49. Behaviors Related to Poverty (cont’d) • Extremely disorganized. • Teachers should teach a simple, color-coded method of organization in the classroom. • Completes only part of a task. • Teachers should write steps on the board. Have students check off each part when they finish. • Harm other students either verbally or physically. • Teachers should tell students that aggression is not a choice. Brainstorm appropriate phrases to use instead. • Cheat or steal. • Teachers need to address the reason or need. Emphasize that the behavior is illegal and not an option at school. • Talk incessantly. • Teachers should build participatory activities into the lesson.

50. Three Internal Voices • Child voice • Defensive • Victimized • Emotional • Whining • Parent voice • Authoritative • Directive • Judgmental • Evaluative • Demanding • Punitive • Adult voice • Non-judgmental • Factual • Attitude of win-win • Often in question format