As I reflect back on the works of Ruby Payne, A Framework for Understanding Poverty and Eric Jensen’s text, Teaching with Poverty in Mind I felt it necessary to define in my own mind the meaning of poverty. After looking at multiple meanings in a Google search I feel a good working definition for me would be one who lacks a sufficient amount of money or material possessions. Poverty can include a deficit in emotional, social, economic, and political elements. It can be chronic or temporary, but it is generally related to some type of inequality.
Both texts referred to poverty in the sense of lacking money and material possessions. What about those who come from a broken home or lack stability? I consider both of those factors to me an
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After reading both of these books I was reminded of many things that I already knew, but really need to keep at the forefront of my teaching. I need to remember that there are those that are quite content living a life of poverty. Though, that does not mean that I lower the bar for their child. However, just because a child has food, clothing and shelter to meet their basic needs does not mean they are not living a life of poverty. So many children today are being raised by an extended family member or a step-parent. Due to these circumstances their basic needs may be met, but their emotional and social elements are not being met. Therefore, they are also at a level of poverty in their lives.
I have no prejudices against students living in poverty. Whether the poverty be monetarily, socially or emotionally driven. In fact, I find myself going out of my way to make sure that I do not prejudge any student whether they come from a life of poverty, or the middle-class or the upper-class. As a matter of fact, I do not look at my student’s last name until the second week of school so that I steer clear of labeling a child because of his or her last