Enriching Students of Poverty

1. Enriching Students of Poverty Presented by: Stefanie Mayr Gina Palermo Jillian Putnam May 16, 2014

2. “Chalk Talk” As you enter the room and get comfortable, please take a minute and go over to the “chalk board.” Take a marker and record what your goal is for today’s workshop.

3. Learning Targets • Define types of poverty • Review the impact of poverty • Discuss ways in which poverty effects the brain • Identify strategies to support learning and engagement • Review resources to support further professional development and implementation of strategies

5. 3-2-1 Activity • Pick a word for the day that best matches you for the moment. Once you pick one please tell the person next to you. Stand up and push in chairs. • Touch 4 other tables…….. Once you get to the fourth table, stop….. Before going back to your seat please take a moment to introduce yourself to three other people and when you do use your word of the day. • Tell your partner: • 3 - things about yourself • 2 – two things you hope to do in the future • 1 – one word from the chart that describes how you are feeling today

6. Double StandardsLow SES vs. Middle/High SES A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for similar situations, or by two different people in the same situation.[1] A double standard may take the form of an instance in which certain concepts (often, for example, a word, phrase, social norm, or rule) are perceived as acceptable to be applied by one group of people, but are considered unacceptable when applied by another group.

8. Reflecting on Personal Experience

9. From the Perspective of People Living in Poverty • “It’s feeling that normal daily challenges are magnified one hundred times more because I am that many more times powerless.” • “Being poor means not getting the same chances and needing to fight for everything.” • “Being poor means living is harder and quitting is easier.” • “It’s being almost invisible to almost everyone.” • “Being without what the middle class takes for granted.” • “It feels like you’re looked down on, regardless of the reason for poverty.” • “It’s being scared and afraid not knowing what tomorrow will be like.” (Source: Catholic Campaign for Human Development Poverty in America Survey, 2001.)

10. A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.  The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.  “That laundry is not very clean; she doesn’t know how to wash correctly.  Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.” Her husband looks on, remaining silent.  Every time her neighbor hangs her wash to dry, the young woman makes the same comments. A month later, the woman is surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and says to her husband, “Look, she’s finally learned how to wash correctly.  I wonder who taught her how to do that.” The husband replies, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”  And so it is with life …  What we see when watching others depends on the clarity of the window through which we look.”  (No-Exceptions.org)

11. What is Poverty? “Poverty is a chronic and debilitating condition affecting the mind, body, and soul resulting from multiple adverse synergistic risk factors.” -Eric Jensen

13. Many Faces of Poverty Absolute poverty is: _____________ Relative poverty is: ______________ Generational poverty is: _________ Situational poverty is: ___________

14. Types of Poverty • Absolute – scarcity of necessities (ex. running water, food, shelter) • Relative – economic status compared to others at work or in the neighborhood • Generational – at least two prior generations also in poverty • Situational – temporary condition (ex. natural disaster, tragedy)

15. Review and Reflect Reflect on what you have learned about poverty so far. Share your definition of poverty with a partner.

16. Video Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs a Champion http://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion

17. Reflection Questions • What are my beliefs? • What am I doing daily that matches this? • What am I doing that’s different than what’s being suggested?

18. The Impact of Poverty in the Home • Fewer cognitive enrichment opportunities • Fewer books • More time spent watching TV • Parents are non-responsive and harsh; higher risk for depression • Rely on peers more than adults • Fewer routines, less structure, greater instability

19. Home Environment

20. Home Environment

21. A Learning Palette • Brains absorb positives. • Brains absorb negatives (ex. toxins, mixed messages, apathy, problems, fear, anger, threats, and violence).

22. 0-5 years • Critical time period • Lack of maternal connection and bond • Shapes brain and emotional development

23. Negative Synergy • Negative factors act in a cumulative and synergistic manner • All of these factors create stress • Chronic stress is more prevalent among low SES • Chronic stress impacts brain development, memory, emotional development, and behavior

24. The Impact of Poverty at School • Lower academic performance • Higher drop-out rates • Behavioral problems • Greater risk for drug/substance abuse

25. The Ability to Change Old Paradigm: Brains stay the same, kids stay the same New Understanding: Brains can and do change everyday, but if the circumstances around a child stay the same, so will his/her brain. We must work to activate the change.

26. Neuroplasticity

27. The Woman Who Changed Her Brain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0td5aw1KXA

28. Building Strong Operating Systems • Champion Thinking – role model it, study biographies, teach optimism • Hope – foster dreams, goal-setting, teach study skills • Attention and Ability to Defer Gratification – project-based learning, inquiry, music • Memory – music, projects, drama • Processing Skills – music, cooking, visual arts, critical thinking, sports • Sequencing Skills – music, projects, sports, projects, math

29. Changing the BrainAction Step 1: • Replace the bell used between class transitions with music • Include time for homework in class – stress reducer • Use cooperative learning structures • Incorporate physical activities (ex. walk, games, recess, building, assembling, projects) • Use more kinesthetic arts (ex. drama, role playing) • Integrate creative works (ex. drawing, graphics)

30. Changing the Brain:Action Step 2 • Empower Students • Introduce conflict resolution • Teach goal setting • Give students a weekly life problem to brainstorm and solve collectively • Role model how to solve real-world problems • Teach social skills • Teach ways for dealing with anger and frustration

31. Reflect and Review: “Transparent Teaching” 1. Kids from poverty are different. 2. Their brains adapt to suboptimal conditions 3. But brains can and do change everyday. 4. You can facilitate that change 5. But for them to change, you must change; you must recognize and address how brains of students living in poverty are different. 6. No one is telling you it’s a piece of cake 7. But those from poverty can succeed. 8. We can make a difference.

32. Action Steps: Deepen Staff Knowledge Action Step 1: • An introduction to how students are affected by poverty. • Summarize and share information • Debunk myths about poverty • Staff meetings that inform and inspire

33. Action Steps: Change the Culture From Sympathy to Empathy Action Step 2: • Caring, but not giving up • Stop blaming poverty • Develop clear mission statements that acknowledge human possibilities • Affirming posters

34. Video: Monty Roberts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gobakkmzw-A

36. Lunch Enjoy!

37. Educational Leadership Activity: “How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement” Eric Jensen

38. Health and Nutrition Higher incidence of: • Premature births • Disabilities – Asphyxia, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • Asthma • Respiratory infections • Ear infections • Hearing loss

39. Nutrition and the Brain

40. Vocabulary • By the age of 3, children of professional parents add words to their vocabularies at about twice the rate of children in welfare. • Parents of low SES status are less likely to tailor their conversations to evoke thoughtful and reasoned responses from their children • Low income parents used less positive affirmations with their vocabularies

41. Differences in Verbal Interaction

42. Language

43. What Can Schools Do To Address Casual Register, Discourse Patterns, and Story Structure? • Have students write in casual register, then translate into formal register. • Establish as part of a discipline plan a requirement that students learn how to express their displeasure in formal register and therefore not be reprimanded. • Use graphic organizers to show patterns of discourse. • In the classroom, tell stories both ways. • Encourage participation in the writing and telling of stories. • Use stories in math, social studies, and science to develop concepts. • Make up stories with the students that can be used to guide behavior.

44. Effort • More susceptible to “giving up” or becoming more passive and disinterested • Impairs attention, concentration, and focus • Reduced motivation and determination

45. Effort

46. Hope Any student that feels “less than” cognitively is likely to struggle with: • Lower self-esteem • Acting out • Getting bullied or becoming a bully • Depression or helplessness • Academics

47. Cognition • Language • Memory • Problem-solving

48. Relationships

49. Distress Stress is the physiological response to perception of loss of control from an adverse situation or person. • Stress is real; it happens in our bodies • It’s the response to perception, not always a reality

50. Impact of Stress