ECole: Recent Episodes
Emily Cole
I wouldn’t say my family has ever been in poverty, but there was a time when my parents struggled due to my dad being out of work for 6 months. I was in college but still living at home. I worked 2 jobs and went to school so that I could pay for my own things and help with bills at home too. My mom had to take out a large loan and was always so stressed and worried. I don’t think it was to the point of severity where it personally affected my schooling, but I know exactly how it could have. Stress is a big factor, because while I personally wasn’t stressing as much I could see my mom was being eaten away by it. As her child I was worried about her. Children’s stress can be second hand stress, and when they enter the classroom, it isn’t something they just turn off. I see it a lot with our foster youth. They can’t function in the classroom some days because they are missing their moms and siblings. While not all of their cases are related to poverty, some of them are. They were taken out of that poverty situation but the stress from poverty has manifested itself into new stressors like when they will get to see their families or when they will get to go home. Poverty is still the culprit here because it is what started the cycle.
- My personal experience on the impact of social classes of education does not come from my own childhood, but rather my adult life. I currently work in a school that is very fortunate when it comes to materials and an active community. Our students families are generous and very involved in fundraising and volunteering. Their children have access to many resources when it comes to learning and this presents them with good opportunities. That being said we also have a decent number of foster children who reside in the few group homes in the neighborhood. Many of these boys came from poverty, poor living conditions, abusive families etc. Many of them were behind in learning when they arrived and some still struggle to keep up, or just walk out of class to save face. These kids come from a different social class than that of our neighborhood. As teachers and staff we go above and beyond to make sure the boys get every learning opportunity they can get and try to always let them know how much they are loved and cared for. Just because a child has been removed from chaos doesn’t mean they leave it behind when they are in the classroom. It is our job at the school to do all we can to help them see their full potential and be successful.
When one hears the word poverty, they may not know that there are different kinds. I admit that I have never thought about its variations. Poverty is when a person is living in extremely por conditions. Generational poverty is poverty that started with one generation and was continuously carried down the line. This is the kinds of poverty that families have been unable to get out of. Situational poverty is when a person or family comes upon hard times due to something current that is happening in their life. Financial burdens create situational poverty, however this type of poverty is often only temporary.
Students living in poverty affects student achievement greatly. Children don’t have the same responsibilities and worries as adults and as a result are better able to focus on school. That being said however is different for children living in poverty. Depending on the severity of poverty they may be residing in poor living conditions or lacking proper nutrition. A big part of this is stress. Children in poverty often have to grow up much faster than they should have too. There is more to their lives than just going to school and coming home. They may not know where they are sleeping, what they will have for dinner, if anyone will be home, or if they will have electricity/water. They also may miss school if there is no one who can get them there or who gets them there late. The variables are different in each case of poverty. When children are worried about the uncertainty of their lives outside of school it is hard for them to focus on what is happening while they are at school. This negatively affects their academic standing.