My philosophy of working with students of poverty

Every child deserves the right to be educated and educated to their maximum potential.
No matter what socio-economic background a student comes from, they should receive a sound
and meaningful education. I believe that one of the most important aspects to ensuring students
receive a quality education is letting them know you care. Especially students of poverty. Many
students of poverty do not hear this enough. A single teacher can positively impact a students life
by letting them know they are there for them. Simply believing in your students and making sure
they are aware of it, can break the typical “school to prison pipeline” of a student of poverty.
Some things that I would do in my classroom if I were to work with students of poverty
would be to discipline appropriately, make sure they know I care, and to make class fun. I would
use some sort of behavior chart or reward / consequence system. This would incentivize students
but also allow them to understand that there are consequences for any sort of misbehavior. One
thing that I would do when a student is being disciplined, is take the teachable moment and help
the student learn from their mistakes. A student is more likely to repeat a behavior if they do not
take the time to learn from it. Let’s say a student receives a detention. I would create a calm
environment where a student feels comfortable and do maybe an activity such as coloring or
yoga. As we do this activity, whenever the student is ready, we would talk through together why
they received this punishment and why it is unacceptable. Instead of enacting meaningless
punishments or turning students away from school for bad behavior, we must take the extra time
to teach and not just punish.
Knowing and caring for your students is also important. I would give a beginning of the
year survey in hopes of getting to know the student better. In addition to the initial survey, I
would check in with them in person or ask them about how they are doing on a worksheet they
turned in. This helps create a stronger connection between teacher and student which is crucial.
Once students know you care for them and respect them as more than just a student in their class,
they should give you that same respect and care in return.
Lastly, school should be fun. Students of poverty might find it difficult to stay motivated
in school. As a teacher, it is your job to get creative and differentiate your classroom to meet
your students needs. Not all students will enjoy reading a book and taking notes. Yet not all
students will enjoy watching a video or doing a hands on activity. You must incorporate different
styles of learning so students do not become bored, unmotivated, or frustrated in school.
I believe that students of poverty should still be held with high standards. We must do our
best as educators to provide students of poverty with the academic resources they need to
succeed at school, because they probably would not receive them at home. We must also inspire
students to believe that they can do and achieve more than what society expects of them. Letting
your students know that you believe in them with your whole heart is the key to any student
receiving a quality education.