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A Framework for Understanding Poverty |
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Key Points: Poverty if relative. Poverty occurs in all races and in all countries. Economic class is a continuous line, not a clear-cut distinction. Generational poverty and situational poverty are different. There are exceptions. An individual brings with him/here the hidden rules of the class in which he/she is raised. Schools and businesses operate from middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class. Four our students to be successful, we must understand their hidden rules and teach them the rules that will make them successful at school and work. We can neither excuse students nor scold them for not knowing; as educators we must teach them and provide support, insistence and expectations. To move from poverty to middle class or middle class to wealth, a individual must give up relationships for achievement. Two things that help one move out of poverty are education and relationships. Four reasons one leaves poverty are: It’s too painful to stay, a vision or goal, relationships, or a special talent or skill. Chapter One: Definitions Financial: Having the money to purchase good and services. Emotional: Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior. Mental: Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, computing) to deal with daily life. Spiritual: Believing in divine purpose and guidance. Physical: Having the physical health and mobility. Support Systems: Having friends, family and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are external resources. Relationships/ Role Models: Having frequent access to adults who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the the child, and who do not engage in self-destructive behavior. Knowledge of the Hidden Rules: Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group. Poverty is more about other resources than it is about money. The other resources are those that educators can influence greatly. Resources of students should be analyzed before dispensing advice or seeking solutions. Chapter Two: Registers of Language Frozen: Language that is always the same. For example: Pledge of allegiance, Lord ’s Prayer, etc. Formal: The standard sentence syntax and work choice of work and school. Has complete sentences and specific word choice. Consultative: Formal register when used in conversation. Discourse pattern not quite as direct as formal register. Casual: Language between friends and is characterized by 400 to800-word vocabulary. Conversation is dependent on non-verbal assists. Sentence syntax often incomplete. Intimate: Language between lovers or twins. Language of sexual harassment. The ability to use formal register is a hidden rule of middle class. Discourse Patterns (the organizational pattern of information): Formal: The pattern is to get straight to the point. Casual: The pattern is to go around and around and finally get to the point. Primary Discourse: Is the language an individual first acquired. Secondary Discourse: Is the language of the larger society that the individual must be able to use to function in the larger society. Formal register needs to be taught directly. Casual register needs to be recognized as the primary discourse for many students. Students should be taught the importance of formal register for getting/keeping a job. Chapter Three: Hidden Rules are the unspoken cues and habits of a group. Page 59 includes a table breaking down the hidden rules for poor, middle and wealthy regarding many social issues such as time, money, food, etc. Example: MONEY
Students need to be taught the hidden rules of middle class-not in denigration of their own but rather as another set of rules that can be used if they so choose. The key point is that hidden rules govern so much of our immediate assessment of an individual and his/her capabilities. Chapter Four: Generational Poverty-having been in poverty for at least two generations; however, the begin to surface much sooner than two generations if the family lives with others who are from generational poverty. Often the attitude in generational poverty is that society owes one a living. The mother is always at the center. The key to understanding the stories are the omissions. Roles of the family: fighter/lover, caretaker/rescuer, worker, storyteller, and “keeper of the soul”. In poverty the roles, the multiple relationships, the nature of the male identify, the ever-changing allegiances, the favoritism, and matriarchal structure result in a different pattern. Situational Poverty-lack of resources due to a particular event (i.e., a death, chronic illness, divorce, etc.) The attitude is often one of pride and a refusal to accept charity. Individuals in situational poverty often bring more resources with them to the situation; of particular importance is formal register. *Being in poverty is rarely about a lack of intelligence or ability. *Many individuals stay in poverty because they don’t know there is a choice-and if they do know that, have no one to teach them hidden rules or provide resources. * Schools are virtually the only places where students can learn the choices and rules of the middle class. Chapter Five: A System-is a group in which individuals
have rules, roles, and relationships. *Teachers and administrators are much more important as role models than has previously been addressed. *The development of emotional resources is crucial to student success. The greatest fee resource available to school is the role-modeling provided by teachers, administrators, and staff. Chapter Six: Coping Strategies-are the ways in which one copes with daily living. The ways to think about things, attitudes, self-talk, strategies for resolving conflicts, problems solving techniques and the avoidance of needless conflicts. Coping strategies are also a way of approaching tasks, setting priorities, and determining what one can live with and what one can live without. *By reorganizing the school day and schedule, and often by making minor adjustments, educators can build support systems into the school day without additional cost. *Support systems need to include the teaching of procedural self-talk, positive self-talk, planning, goal setting, coping strategies, appropriate relationships, options during problem solving access to information and know-how, and connections to additional resources. Chapter Seven:Discipline In poverty, discipline is about penance and forgiveness, not necessarily change. Children in poverty may still need to keep the rules of poverty to survive, although they should also learn the rules of middle class to be successful at work/school. The anchors of any effective discipline program that moves students to self-governance are structure and choice. Individuals always have a choice. To do or not to do. With each choice then comes a consequence-either positive or negative. Analyzing student behaviors can assist in properly supporting them to succeed. To get the student to self-evaluate is preferred. Ruby developed steps similar to the Reality Steps: 1. What did do? 2. When you did that, what did you want? 3. List four other things you could have done. 4. What will you do next time? Inside virtually everyone’s head are three internal voices
that guide the individual. Child voice: defensive, victimized, emotional, whining, losing attitude, strongly negative, non-verbal. Parent voice: Authoritive, directive, judgmental, evaluative, win-lose mentality, demanding, punitive, sometimes threatening. Adult voice: non-judgmental, free of negative nonverbal, factual, often in question format, attitude of win-win. The internal adult voice allows for negotiation and problem solving. *Teaching students to use the adult voice is important for success in and out of school and can become an alternative to physical aggression. *Structure and choice need to be part of the discipline approach. Chapter Eight: Low achievement is closely correlated with lack of resources, and numerous studies have documented the correlation between low socioeconomic status and low achievement. Cognitive Strategies-are the fundamental ways of processing information. They are the infrastructure of the mind. Concepts-store information and allow for retrieval. Skills- i.e., reading, writing, computing and language-comprise the processing of content. Content-is the “what” of learning-the information used to make sense of daily life. Mediation-identification of the stimulus, assignment of meaning, and identification of a strategy. Mediation builds cognitive strategies, and those strategies give individuals the ability to plan, systematically go through data, etc. Cognitive Strategies that must be built are: Input Strategies- Input is defined as quantity and quality of the data gathered. Elaboration Strategies-are defined as use of the data. Output Strategies-are defined at communication of the data. Using eye movement to follow the learning and processing. Additional instruction interventions that build conceptual frameworks and cognitive strategies. 1.
Using graphic organizer, *The focus in schools should be learning. Creating Relationships
The key to achievement for
students from poverty is in creating relationships with them. *For students and adults from poverty, the primary motivation for their success will be in their relationships. * Find ways to establish natural connections. Conclusion: Stages of grieving-Anger, denial, bargaining, depression,
and acceptance.
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