Craig Williamson

ADED 42275
October 14, 2015

Creating an Equitable Classroom Poverty

Introduction:
One of the best ways to avoid being poor as an adult is to obtain a
good education, people who have higher levels of academic achievement
and more years of schooling earn more than those with lower levels of
human capital (Jacob & Ludwig, 2009, p.56). By every measure we have an
education gap in America; and whether you study it geographically,
culturally, or racially the one contributing factor is always poverty. Poverty is
arguably the greatest hurdle a classroom teacher must overcome to not only
create an equitable classroom for his or her students, but to also prepare
those students to succeed outside and beyond their junior high or high
school careers.
It is for these reasons I chose to focus my study on poverty, the
debilitating effects it has on our students, and ways to reduce its impact.
This issue struck a chord with me as I graduated from an economically
challenged school district, and my current placement has found me at a
junior high school that is also dealing with the effects of a high poverty rate
among its student body.
Understanding the implications of poverty and addressing it now as a
preservice teacher will help to mold my thinking and teaching for my entire

career. As teachers we cannot simply plan and design as though every

student in our class has the same opportunities and resources and then
adjust after the fact, it is of the utmost importance that we keep the issue of
poverty front and center in our planning and methodology. We must face it
head on and prepare for its effects well before we meet a single student in
our classroom, only then will we have any chance to combat it.
Learning Report:
The first thing that struck me as I began to research the issue of
poverty in schools is how segregated we have become as a society in
America. A recent study by The Martin Prosperity Institute shows that
America has become increasingly segregated as a society over the past few
decades, and that this segregation isnt limited to simple sorting between
rural areas, cities, and metros; but within them as well (Florida & Mellander,
2015). While studies on segregation are typically limited to economic factors
The Martin Prosperity Institute examines three dimensions of economic
segregation: by income, education, and occupation.
The study makes a direct correlation between economic segregation
and educational segregation and shows that they mirror one another across
the United States. The majority of my focus with this text centered on
educational segregation and its connection to the income segregation and
poverty; the study paints a dramatic picture of how income segregation and
poverty in schools is a rampant and systemic. The study brings to light a
truth which I have never considered; with the growth of sever segregation in

America a teacher is more likely than not to become employed in an

economically challenged area, and when this happens it is more likely that
the number of students living in poverty will outnumber the students who are
not coming from economically challenged households.
For this reason I believe I need to revisit my rationale and make
preparing for and developing methods to deal with the issues associated
poverty a center-piece of my planning. Ohios economic history as a rustbelt
state makes it more likely than not that a teacher employed here will need to
be prepared for the issues associated with poverty. Thinking about equality in
the classroom cannot be something that I focus on after my planning for
specific students, it must be at the forefront of my thinking before my
planning even begins, only then will I have any chance of being successful.
My second two articles both focused on the increased social and
developmental problems faced by students who come from an impoverished
background as well as larger national misconceptions about ways to deal
with poverty as a national education system. Jacob and Ludwig focused on
the four main explanations critics tend to site nationally when addressing
why schools struggle to minimize the education gap between students living
in poverty and those who are not. I was disappointed to learn that most of
these ideas tend to focus on a lack of money and resources for schools in
heavily impoverished districts, and the idea that schools only matter so
much (Jacob and Ludwig, 2009, p. 56.) The real problem rests with the
social context in which schools operate namely, the family, neighborhood,

and peer environments that under this perspective make it difficult for lowincome children to take advantage of educational opportunities.
It seems to me that many of these ideas are copouts to remove blame
from the districts, schools, and teachers and place the blame on mitigating
circumstances or worse the students and families of the students. The
journal by Theresa Capra listed many programs which districts and schools
around the country have undertaken to improve these issues and in many
cases disprove the misconceptions listed in the Jacob and Ludwig article. It
focused a great deal on full family support beginning in early education
and continued scaffolding through all grades leading up to graduation. By
discussing and implementing plans to prepare for college early in the
students educational career the expectation to attend college becomes a
natural process.
It also specifically sights the role of junior high and high school
teachers to guide their students through the college application process and
to train skills that will be necessary to succeed in college. This is the main
idea that I believe I will try to emulate in my classroom. While some schools
do have college readiness courses many do not. I can use diverse
constructionist methods to prepare my students with the content knowledge
and critical thinking skills they will need when they arrive at college. I can
also go further and create an environment where all of my students can
believe that college is an option for them regardless of their social or

economic situation and present them all with the tools to achieve this goal
which in my opinion is the true definition of an equitable classroom.
My final source, an online teacher resource site TeAch-nology.com had
a large amount of writing and curriculum for teachers of all grade levels.
What I found most interesting and beneficial was an article detailing warning
signs for at risk students as well as individual focuses a teacher needs to
implement when scaffolding students who come from an economically
challenged background. These focuses include a need to motivate and
challenge, the effects poverty has on relationships, the need to promote
awareness and diversity, and to emphasize that each student is unique with
value, talents and abilities.
I will make special care to study the effects poverty has on
relationships. One of the social issues facing children of poverty is emotional
trauma. The emotional climate can often be very stressful and emotionally
depriving. This climate can lead to feelings of alienation, inadequacy,
depression and anxiety. For that reason it is especially important to build
strong a rapport with both the student and the students family. It is
important to emphasize the strengths a student has and to build from those
as opposed to an immediate focus on the students weaknesses. By only
focusing on areas the student is weak in the student can develop a feeling of
hopelessness or a learned acceptance that they will fail. By focusing on my
students strengths first I can use those to motivate my student and to
incorporate their strengths as a method to assist their weaknesses.

Many of the statistical realizations in these pieces were eye opening.

Obviously I knew that poverty and at risk students were a special area
classroom teachers need prepare for, but never had I delved so deep into the
issue. I feel as though my placement at a school with a relatively high
amount of economically challenged students will give me an opportunity to
hone some of my new insights and test my abilities. I will in particular focus
on working to my students strengths and using them to scaffold their
weaker areas. I will also work very hard to build a classroom that is a
community that promotes awareness and diversity. I will also try to
implement the idea that every student regardless of background has the
opportunity to succeed not only in school, but later in higher education, and I
will attempt to implement at least one lesson to build college readiness skills.

Resource Package
Capra, T. (2009). Poverty and its impact on education: Today and tomorrow.
The NEA Higher Education Journal, Fall, 75-76-81.

An article that presents statistical data on poverty related to education

and higher education. Capra lays out the reasons why poverty is a
debilitating issue for students all over the country and lays out methods and
examples of programs aimed to combat it. It specifically speaks to the issues
of college readiness and the necessity to continue to develop new methods
that target at risk children not only in but also outside of the classrooms.
Jacob, B. A., & Ludwig, J. (2009). Improving educational outcomes for poor
children. Focus, 26(2), 56-57-61.
An article that lays out a multitude of misconceptions in the national
discussion on how to deal with poverty in our schools and classrooms, and
presents contrary arguments, alterations, or additions to these
misconceptions. Jacob and Ludwig argue aggressively against the idea that
the main problem rests in a social construct based around family,
neighborhoods, or peer environments which make the problem largely out of
the control of classroom teachers.

Teachnology Inc. (2015). The effects of poverty. Retrieved October, 8, 2015,

from http://www.teach-nology.com/
An article from a large online resource for teachers which discusses the
effects of poverty in the classroom, and particular methods teachers can use
to connect with and scaffold at risk students. A large amount of time is
spent looking into indicators that a teacher can pick up on to identify a

student who is at risk. It also looks at different emotional and psychological

issues that students who are affected my poverty deal with, and ways the
teacher can help overcome these issues. It also focuses on methods to
promote a positive relationship based on trust and understanding with both
the student and the students support system.
Florida, R & Mellander, C (2015). Segregated City: The geography of
economic segregation in Americas Metros. Martin Prosperity Institute.
Retrieved Oct. 7, 2015.
A recent study by The Martin Prosperity Institute shows that America
has become increasingly segregated as a society and to better understand
this segregation we must make connections between the different types of
segregation facing our society. It examines three dimensions of economic
segregation: by income, education, and occupation, and then links how all
three are connected to one another. It also list a very large amount of raw
geographical data on areas across the country which are hyper segregated,
or abnormally diverse. The study also includes a large amount of charts and
graphs to help synthesis the data.

Additional Resources:
http://www.povertyusa.org/
http://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources
https://www.seattleu.edu/poverty-education/resources/lesson-plans/
Key Terms:

Learned Helplessness- A condition in which a person suffers from a sense

of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to
succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression.
Generational Poverty- A family having been in poverty for at least two
generations. It is important to understand the difference between
Generational Poverty and Situational Poverty.
Situational Poverty- Generally caused by a sudden crisis or loss and is
often temporary. Events causing situational poverty include environmental
disasters, divorce, or severe health problems.
Poverty Line- The poverty line for a family of four is $22,350 in annual
income; the poverty line for a single person is $10,890 in annual income. The
threshold increases or decreases depending on family size.
Absolute Poverty- A scarcity of such necessities as shelter, running water,
and food. Families who live in absolute poverty tend to focus on day-to-day
survival.