News|Fayetteville homelessness conflict
News|Fayetteville homelessness conflict
Children from low-income families are four times more likely to miss out on education than children from high-income families.
Mrs. Collins, the principal of Gallberry Farms Elementary School, played games with some lower-Income students during the holidays.
By Hailey Hodshon
2 May 2023
Poverty shapes the quality of our education system- Poorer areas may need more support to provide equity for all students. Providing a safe learning environment will become challenging without access to the funding they will need to support the students. Students living in poverty may require more resources like computers or the Internet at home to complete assignments. In addition, the parents of these students may work longer hours or multiple jobs, which may cause them to be unavailable to help their children complete assignments.
Getting a former student's perspective...
I Interviewed a man named Cameron Cox, a former student at Gallberry Farms Elementary School. Cameron Cox went to Gallberry Farms Elementary School with several students that lived In poverty. He states that students In poverty typically grow up In crime-ridden places. Growing up In this environment Influences them to act out during class and not take their education seriously. He also states that "poverty can affect a student's concentration at school by thinking about their home situations." When they grow up in this environment, students can be easily distracted from learning and doing work by constantly thinking about their outside life.
Public schools in low-income areas are victimized alongside the students who attend them- Lack of funding In these schools affects how teachers provide for their students. Teachers often have to use their own money for classroom activities, materials, etc., that the students will use throughout the day. Teachers that provide a school supplies list at the beginning of the year allow the teachers to prepare materials and Items that the students will use throughout the year. However, teachers in lower-income areas need help with parents providing materials for their kids.
Getting a former student's perspective...
Cameron states that he doesn't believe that poverty In schools has improved. He says, "Poverty has not only gotten worse, but It has affected a lot more than what meets the eye." Cameron had friends that lived In poverty, and he said that those friends often kept to themselves or were embarrassed to hang out with those friends outside of school.
For children who live in poverty, the burdens that they experience daily can be detrimental to their mental health, jeopardizing their success in school and their chances of escaping poverty in adulthood.- Children In Poverty endure more stress than children from a higher-Income. This stress can increase the likelihood of these children suffering from mental health issues. Some of these stressors are; parental stress, not having their basic needs met, lack of support systems, exposure to violence, vandalism, crime, and drug use, housing and food insecurity, and unemployment. The children living In poverty don't always experience these stressors or share them simultaneously. However, exposure to these stressors can highly affect their mental health and academic success. Children that live In poverty might struggle with concentrating, comprehending, interacting with others, staying motivated, and exhibiting appropriate behavioral or emotional responses.
As a teacher, they must know how to empower their students and help them do their best- Here are five ways that teachers can help students that live In poverty;
Hold high expectations for all students
Set Goals
Hold students accountable for classroom expectations
Be a role model for your students
Exposing students to places outside the classroom
Field trips
Bring In career professionals to speak with the students.
Building relationships with both your students and their parents
Let your students know that they can trust you
Foster respect and trust
Teach them social-emotional learning strategies
Use different techniques to regulate their feelings
Create a positive learning environment
Teach your students to be compassionate and respectful towards one another
Model kindness
Poverty In schools has negatively Impacted students and their mental health. It has affected the student's educational experiences and everyday life experiences. Teachers have found ways to help their students who experience poverty, but ultimately, they cannot remove them from poverty.