Read the Introduction and Chapter 1 in Dr. Jensen’s book Teaching with poverty in mind: What being poor does to kids brains and what schools can do about it.
Reflect on and answer the following questions:
1) What is the focus of the book, according to Dr. Jensen?
2) What three claims does he make?
3) Define poverty, in your own words.
4) Dr. Jensen writes, and I quote, “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in a multitude of ways.” [end quote, page 7]
Explain and reflect on how inferior resources both at home and at school place children of poverty at risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school drop-out.
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The focus of this book according to Dr. Jensen is to provide a framework, theory, the research, and strategies to make any school successful. Also the book is to provide a better understanding of poverty and how exactly it affects student. It also helps to understand change and how to make it happen.
The three claims Dr. Jensen makes are: 1) Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. 2) Because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success. 3) Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty.
Poverty is the state of having an insufficiency of money, food, shelter, and other necessary goods that are needed.
Inferior resources at home and at school can cause children risk because they do not receive the proper support needed to develop healthy attitudes and have no source of positive reinforcements in their lifes. This may cause them to act out in school and feel like noone cares about them and they will have a hard time developing healthy relationships. Children may have teachers or matericals that are not well qualified and poorly maintained. They can feel isolated and look for guidance from teachers because they do not have it at home. If they can not get the guidance they seek from teachers or parents, than the student may turn else where which can lead to crime and them dropping out of school.
According to Dr. Jensen, he focuses on the relationship between academic achievement and low socioeconomic status (Jensen 1). The first claim that Dr. Jensen discusses is chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. The second claim is because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success. The third claim is although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty (Jensen 2). Poverty is when people have a lack of essential items like food, shelter, clothing, proper education and health care. At home, children live in unstable conditions and those conditions affect the child. Children in poverty live in neighborhoods with higher crime rates, contaminated air and unclean water. Children that live with single parents or guardians who don’t care normally waste time in front of the TV instead of reading books or doing homework. Children in poverty deal with more stress than another child, that lives in stable conditions at home and parents that care about the child’s education. The parents of the children in poverty are uninterested in their child’s education and give no motivation to their children learning. Children in poverty often have poor academic skills and behavior problems and they tend to drop out of school. At school, educators have the most trouble getting the children to attend classes. Parents that had negative experiences at school tend to show discouragement to their child attending classes. Children in poverty attend schools that are poorly maintained with no technology resources. Children in poverty need to be encouraged to attending classes to learn and that teacher needs to do their very best in making the material fun and being that support for that child!
1) What is the focus of the book, according to Dr. Jensen?
The focus of the book is the relationship of academic achievement and low socioeconomic status. Throughout the book, Jenson gives information based on the research that he has completed as to how poverty affects children in school.
2) What three claims does he make?
The first claim that he makes is that poverty has an effect on the brain where it physically changes for the worst. The second claim that he makes is that the brain adapts from the experiences of the person and he believes that it can change for the good. This claim means that children who are in poverty can still experience success. In the third claim, Jenson states that there are many factors that affect academic success and the key ones change the impoverished child for the better. I believe that these claims are true as well, because anyone who wants to change what they are experiencing can if that is their true desire.
3) Define poverty, in your own words.
Poverty is the lack of ability to support one’s self, such as in buying food, shelter and basic necessities to survive. Poverty has a different meaning depending on where the person is living, because the cost of living changes from place to place. Therefore, it really depends on the situation that someone is in that determines whether or not they are living in poverty.
4) Dr. Jensen writes, and I quote, “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in a multitude of ways.” [end quote, page 7]
Explain and reflect on how inferior resources both at home and at school place children of poverty at risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school drop-out.
According to Dr. Jenson, there are four main risk factors that affect families living in poverty, which are emotional and social challenges, chronic stressors, cognitive lags, and health and safety issues (Jenson, 7). Each of these factors is the basis of a child who is in poverty whether they succeed or not. For example, if a child who is living in poverty gets hurt and does not have the opportunity to go to the doctor will be affected more than a child who does have the opportunity to see a doctor. The child who is in poverty will not be able to focus on what they have to do at school or home, but only on the pain that they feel from getting hurt. As a result, they will have even more trouble succeeding in school. Another example may be a child who has to help feed his or her family will more than likely drop out of school to help their family rather than staying in school and earning a degree. Each factor has a huge impact on what happens to the child in poverty.
1. According to Dr. Jensen, the focus of the book is comparing those who come from low socioeconomic homes to having high academic achievement. As a child, Dr. Jensen was very curious as to why people lived in poverty, but more importantly why they could not "get out of it". It is difficult for people who are not poor to understand how hard it for those who are, when it comes to finding work and moving up from lower class. I believe that children who come from low socioeconomic homes still have the potential to learn the same as those who do not.
2. The first claim Dr. Jensen makes is consistent exposure to poverty causes the brain to develop harmful changes. If a child is raised in poverty, he or she will begin to develop the mindset of not having as much as others, or always lacking needs or wants in their life. The second claim made is that experiences often can cause children to change for the better, rather than always the worse. Even though a child comes from a low socioeconomic home, he or she still has the ability to change and become something more than what they are. For example, a student who is poor may do very well in school their entire life. When they graduate, they may be offered a scholarship to a school they never thought they would attend. Just because the child did not have as many opportunities as a child who comes from a higher income home, doing well in school has given them success for their future. The last claim made by Dr. Jensen states that even though many factors affect academic success, there are a few that are effective in helping change the lives of students in poverty. A certain teacher may take extra time for a student who struggles with not having as much as others. This allows the student to realize they do matter, and their education is just as important as others who have more than them.
3. I believe poverty can be defined as not having financial opportunities that most have. Living in poverty means lacking the financials needed to survive. People who live in poverty may not have a safe home, money to buy food or clothing, and not having a job to pay bills and such. Over the summer I volunteer with a mission trip called Salkehatchie, where we travel to counties in South Carolina to help fix homes for families who live in poverty. This is where my definition of poverty came from. People whose homes we have worked on have nothing. Most walk everywhere they have to go, or don't have a reliable car. They also eat two meals a day, on a good day. Otherwise they may only get one.
4.Children living in poverty have a different home life from those who are from higher socioeconomic homes. Instead of using their imagination and play freely, their focus is on helping around the house to survive. The main focus in the home isn't homework or reading, but rather working to make money so the family can have food to eat and a house to live in. Children do not have many resources to improve their learning. Books and writing are usually not the main focus in the house. Parents of poor households do not have the time to set aside for homework or school involvement, because they are busy working. This makes the child grow up faster, and take more responsibilities around the home. Children in poverty are also set apart from others in school. It is obvious that they are different, and other children can see that. Poor children are often sicker than usual, or do not have a good sense of personal hygiene. They are often pointed out by others for the way they smell or the clothes they wear. One of the interesting points I read by Dr. Jensen was that children in poverty are often looked down upon their teachers, because of their lack of knowledge. I feel the teachers should take responsibility and make sure their students who are poorer have every opportunity in the classroom that others have.
1. According to Dr. Jensen the focus of the book is to address the relationship between children in poverty and their achievement in school. [Page 1]
2. Dr. Jensen's three claims are:
a) Children who are continuously exposed to poverty will experience adverse differences in their brains from other children.
b) He also goes on to state that even the children who suffer adverse differences due to poverty can experience beneficial changes when introduced to positive stimuli.
c) Thirdly Dr. Jensen believes that these positive stimuli can result in success and scholastic achievement. [Page 2]
3. I am not sure that my definition of poverty is far from that of the book. I believe that the inability to provide food, adequate clothing and shelter are signs of poverty. However, I also believe that sometimes a child can live in poverty while the adults in the family do not necessarily live in poverty. The abuse of drugs, alcohol, etc. can lead to a child having to live without the things they need so that the adults in the household can have the things they want. So while poverty for someone who is older may be that they do not have a car, games, etc., while poverty for a child may be that they go to bed each night without something to eat.
4. Children who do not have the proper resources needed for a safe, healthy home do not often see the value of academics. They often live in areas where they see older children who have nice cars, jewelry, clothing and food by selling drugs or through other means which do not require them to stay in school. They often find that school did not help a parent of someone else in their family or neighborhood to be able to overcome the poverty and do not feel it will benefit them. They have low success rates in schools often times due to hunger or being tired. It is very hard to concentrate and complete school work when you can hardly keep your eyes open, or when you may not have had a meal since lunch the previous day. As you get older you find it harder to catch up if you have fallen behind due to things such as this, and often just give up trying. It is hard for a person, any person, to continue trying to overcome something when they feel they have little or no hope, because experience has shown them through parents or grandparents that there is little or no chance they will be able to change their lives.
The focus of Teaching With Poverty In Mind by Eric Jensen is based on the relationship between academic achievement and low socioeconomic status. Just by looking at the cover of this book I thought it was going to be so boring to read but when I started to read for this blog I almost felt as though I couldn’t put the book down. I was quite intrigued reading about these children of poverty. I was raised in a middle class family so I have never seen what poverty was really like until I traveled to Brazil in highschool. Honestly even then it didn’t seem real. Poverty really hit me actually when I moved to South Carolina from my wealthy neighborhood in southern Maryland. When I did my first set of clinical hours in a school here is when I noticed the dramatic difference in the school system here compared to those at home. Here it seemed like supplies were low and children weren’t dressed in the best of clothes where as at home everything is new and the children have clothes from all of the mainstream stores at the mall.
In this book Jensen goes on to make three claims. His first one is chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. In my eyes this basically means due to extreme poverty the brain can change in a bad manner causing negative thinking and outcomes. The second claim that he goes on to make is because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success. To me this is saying just because the brain experiences bad events doesn’t mean that it can’t experience good events as well. So the brain can learn and adapt to bad things just as quickly as it can to good things. The final claim that he makes is although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty. This means that just because certain things affect students raised in poverty more than others.
My definition of poverty may seem ignorant to some people but in all honesty it is the only thing I think of when it comes to the word poverty and to me it means poor. I wasn’t raised in an area where poverty was an issue. If it was an issue it was so well hidden that nobody knew it existed in our area. Everyone in highschool had the nice clothes and drove nice cars to school. I can’t remember anyone coming to school and looking different from the rest of us. To be completely honest I can’t remember anybody not graduating or having missed a lot of school.
A number of different resources can affect a child’s performance in the classroom whether these resources are at school or at home. The four primary risk factors listed in the book are emotional and social challenges, acute and chronic stressors, cognitive lags, and health and safety issues. Compared to children who are well-off children of poverty run into different risk factors at home. At home they may live in a neighborhood that doesn’t value education so the students rely on their peers and may be influenced. Also at home in low poverty areas, sometimes there is a lack of education on the parent’s side so they are unable to help their child with any school work. When it comes to these children in the schools they seem to not do as well as the children that are better off because they have no motivation and feel as if teachers give up on them.
312 Brigman
1.) What is the focus of the book, according to Dr. Jensen? The focus of this book is on the socioeconomic and acadmeic acheivment status. In this book he makes three claims: Chronic exposure to poverty, causes determentail changes to the brain,even though "poor children" had a rough emotional road, if they experence postive emotions it can change the brain, and finally There are certain keys to acedmics that are sucessful in turning around students raised in poverty. In this book he offers you theories, reasearch, and stragies to succeed with your students in your classroom.
2.) What 3 claims does he make? Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically cahnge in a detrimental manner. Because the brain is designed to adapat from experiences, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, socail, and academic success. Finally; Although many factors affect academic sucess, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty.
3.) Define poverty- my words- When I first hear the word poverty I think- of someone who can not afford to buy the major essentails needed in life, such as food, shelter etc. But I also relaize that although that may be part of poverty, children can come from poverty and it effect them emotionally, socially, and even mentally.
4.)Exaplin and reflect on Pg. 7 qoute- At Home: Poverty effects a child academically because, their neighborhoods aren't as good, or safe. So for an example a play ground in a nice neighborhood may be up to date and have proper safety eqipment where a playground in a bad neighborhood would not. there for if a child where to get hurt it would affect them more drastically than it would another child. Also there tends to be health conserns in a home of poverty, for example: depression, disablilty early death etc. That also effect a child accademically. Also at home, the parents may not be anymore educated than the child, so as for reading or helping with homeowrk, they don't get alot of help and have to do it on their own. As far as in the schools go- well some of the children may not show up at all, sue to the fact they have no ride, need to work, take care of siblings etc. responiblites that other non poverty children dont have. Also their medical (Health) well being has alot to do with it children that are not in a poverty home may have insurance where a good many in a poverty situation may not so if the children get ill they cant go to the doctor then back to school the next day it has to be handled at home. And because children drop out you have the problem of gangs/drugs for furture generations.
1)What is t\the focus of the nook, according to Dr. Jensen?
The focus of the book is how low socioeconomic status and the relationship of academic achievement are prevalent in schools today. It also focuses on how schools can improve the academic achievement and help prepare economically disadvantaged students for life (Jensen).
2)What three claims does he make?
The first claim that he makes is how chronic exposure to a poverty lifestyle causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. The second claim he makes is the brain is designed to grow from experience; it is able to also change for the better. Children who are living in poverty can experience emotional, social, and academic success. The third claim is that many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially useful in turning students in the right direction who are living in poverty (Jensen, 2)
3)Define poverty in your own words.
Poverty in my words would best be described as not being able to provide food, shelter, self-support, and other basic daily needs. Poverty can be defined differently based on the place you live because of the cost of living in that particular place or environment.
4)Explain and reflect on how inferior resources both at home and at school place
children of poverty at risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school drop-out.
According to Dr. Jensen, there are four risk factors that affect families living in poverty which are emotional and social challenges, chronic stressors, cognitive lags, and health and safety issues (Jensen, 7). An example is that of an injury, so perhaps a broken leg. For a child who doesn’t live in poverty, they would have no problem gaining access to a doctor or healthcare. A child who is living in poverty though would not have the same opportunities and will be affected more because of not having the same equal chance to go to that doctor or have that healthcare. All four of those risk factors named are the foundations of children living in poverty.
The purpose of the book according to Jensen is the idea of how experiences can change a life. Life experiences according to Jensen should be able to changes lives for both the worse and for the better. Jensen has heard about how children from bad home lives have been very successful in school and he became very interested in how this happened.
Jensen makes three claims in his book: “Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner,” “Because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success,” and “Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty.”
Poverty to me is the lack of necessary needs for a family or person to be able to live their life in a healthy manner.
Children who have emotional challenges at home may have trouble making friends at school because they have never been taught how to have stable relationships. Also children are more likely not to have the proper health care when they live in poverty. At home they have to sometimes be a parent to themselves because they are often left alone while their parents go to work to support the household. Also they may fall behind in school because the family’s concern may be more on earning money to get by instead of helping the child with homework or listening to them read which may cause the child to fall behind in school.
1) What is the focus of the book, according to Dr. Jensen?
I think the focus of the book is to discuss various ways children of poverty are affected both emotionally and physically by their environment. Through discussion and examining research, methods to not only help these students achieve, but also end the cycle of poverty can be developed.
2) What three claims does he make?
Jensen makes claims about the effects that chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. He also believes that even though the brain can be altered to react negatively due to poverty it can also be changed for the better. Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty.
3) Define poverty, in your own words.
I think that true poverty is lacking the means to support yourself and your children at a normal level. This means lack not only basic necessities, but also those necessary to be successful in a modern day society.
4) Dr. Jensen writes, and I quote, “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in a multitude of ways.” [end quote, page 7]
Explain and reflect on how inferior resources both at home and at school place children of poverty at risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school drop-out.
If children grow up in an environment where school is not a necessity only surviving is they are less likely to achieve not because they are incapable, but because they lack the means to do so. Poverty stricken schools are generally taught by teachers who either got in trouble somewhere else or are just teaching there to get their students loans paid off. Very few truly care about their students causing the students not to take them or their work seriously. The fact that there home life is so bad also contributes a lot to their academic short comings. How is any child who maybe hungry, or worried about whether or not they’re gonna come home to an eviction notice on their door supposed to focus on completing a basic math problem. If a student is capable of overcoming this, they are then faced with the task of actually completing their work. Some students live in an environment where so little value is placed on school work that they maybe beat up or even looked down on for actually trying to achieve. More over some students lack simple resources like a poster board, or a computer which are required to complete a lot of projects now a days. Once a child has a history of not achieving in school they lose the will to try and eventually drop out and help continue the cycle of poverty they are already in.
1. “Focuses on the relationship between academic achievement and low SES.
2. –“ Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change n a detrimental manner”
- “Because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better . . . Poor children can experience emotional, social and academic success.”
- “Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around student raised in poverty”
3. Being unable to sufficiently provide basic needs to the home.
4. Not having resources at home and school begin affecting children of poverty at a young age. Many toys help to promote motor skill and brain activity in young children. For those who cannot afford to have these materials have less experience in motor skills and brain use. In the school years, many parents to children in poverty work long hours and don’t have the time or energy to give their children the extra help and attention needed at home. As children of poverty get older, many will drop out of high school to work full time so they can help bring in money to the home. These children see it more important to bring in money at the time rather than to further their education to bring in more money in the future.
1. According to Dr. Jenson the book focuses on the relationship between academic achievement and low socioeconomic status (SES). The three claims Jenson makes are that chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner, also because the brain is designed to adapt from experience it can change for better. That means Children can experience emotional, social and academic success. The last claim is that many factors affect academic success, certain key ones especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty. Poverty is the lack of emotional, physical, social and academic need that then enhances risks factors that affects the individual, family, etc. Down to the population as a whole. “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in multiple ways”,
Inferior resources at home and school place children of poverty in risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school dropout because the child lacks parental support. Because they don’t get this support the child interferes with self-esteem, feeling unloved, no help with homework, no motivation for them to succeed in school so that one day they can attend college. Also some children have a single parent what makes resource hard because there is not enough income and the older kids have to drop school so they can work. So therefore,no attendance at school so the grades drop. In low poverty schools with less qualified teachers, lack of resources such as updated books, technology and furniture. All these impact the student ability to learn and succeed.
The focus of the book is the relationship between academic achievement and SES. The first claim Dr. Jenson mentions is that detrimental change is due to the exposure to poverty. Second is although the brain changes from experience, other areas of success could be achieved; meaning that although the kids come from a background involving poverty they can still succeed. Third, Dr. Jenson mentions how the problems students of poverty are having that take a toll on their academic achievement could also be what drive them to do better. Poverty is an unfortunate circumstance where people struggle to provide the basic necessities to survive. The children of poverty are at risk for low academic success because they often come from one-parent households, which could inflict with the child being able to attend school. Because they aren’t attending school, some become adapted to it and begin to think school really isn’t important. Due to the lack of attendance they most likely won’t notice the importance and gradually stop going.
Dr. Jenson states in the introduction that “this book focuses on the relationship between academic achievement and low socioeconomic status” (1). If you read further you also get a sense that he is truly determined to also provide teachers with practical strategies to provide a better education for students of low socioeconomic status. Jenson narrows down all of his information in the book to three basic claim. Claim one is “Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner” (2). Claim two “because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success” (2). The third and final claim is “Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty”(2). This is the basic information that the entire book will boil down too.
First a person must understand poverty in order to work with children that are affected by poverty. To me poverty means a person that does not have adequate means and resources to provide for their basic needs. This means people that may not have food, shelter and/or transportation. Poverty comes in many forms and can manifest in many ways. If a child is concerned about where their next meal will come from is definitely living in poverty. When Jenson writes “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in a multitude of ways” (7) he is hitting the nail on the head. There are so many factors that contribute to poverty and children cannot necessarily be identified based on what they wear to school, where they live, or how they talk and act. It is important that a teacher takes the time to know her students and their situation in order to help them achieve. Also if the cycle of poverty continues then the population as a whole is affected. Government programs such as food stamps, abc vouchers, WIC and Medicaid are necessary for families living in poverty but the longer the cycle continues and the more money the government must spend to assist in the care of children and adults affected by poverty.
I know for a fact that limited resources do negatively affect children living in poverty because as a child one of my close friends and her family had limited resources and lived in poverty. Throughout elementary school we were in the same classes and our teachers pushed us to succeed but as she was unable to participate in extra after school activities to aid in her achievement she began to slip behind. She rode the bus and needed to be home as soon as school was over to watch her younger siblings. Her inability to stay after school for extra help or to participate in school clubs caused her to miss out on the opportunities that I have. She is now an unemployed single mother and is attempting to earn her high school diploma through adult education. I think about her and I know in my heart that her situation and lack of resources at home truly caused her to become a high school dropout. I pray that she will earn her diploma in adult education and that will hopefully in turn allow her child to break the cycle of poverty. I wish more teachers would read this book in order to learn how to help children like my friend because one at a time we can all change the lives of children and future generations.
After reading the intro of Eric Jensen's "Teaching With Poverty In Mind" I learned that the focus of the book is based on the question, "If life experiences can change poor kids for the worse can't it change them for the better". Jensen makes 3 claims in the book which are, 1) Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. 2) Because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success. 3) Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty. Poverty in my own words is a state which one is very below average in the economic world, and cannot provide the necessities for themselves or family. Inferior resources at home and school put children in poverty at risk for low academic success and becoming a drop out for many reasons. One reason is that the child may have very low self-esteem because of the troubles that they see their parents go through. The child may be teased and feel that they should not even study or try their hardest because they will be a failure because of the state that they and their family is in. Another reason a child may be at risk is they may see their family struggle and try to survive and the child may feel that giving up is their only option because their parents try and they are still in poverty. Also many children in poverty do not often have great role models so the adults that they are around may not help them and tell them that they will never be successful, because the adults around them were not.
1) The focus of this book is to step away from the blaming of the victim, pity of the victim, and checking out in the classroom. Providing new strategies for classroom teachers to implement as well as research and data for teachers to utilize and share with other teachers when dealing with students of poverty. Also taking a look at the children's lives and finding ways to encourage their success versus allowing them to fall behind because of their "circumstances"'.
2) A) Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. Exposure to risk factors continuously will cause the normal emotions and well being of a person to change influencing other areas of their lives.
B) Because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success. With positive reinforcement versus continuous negativity, children can have a chance at building successful experiences and emotions. Providing them with the correct tools to cope with daily and life long problems.
C) Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty. Success is made of many multifaceted components, but having some experiences that deviate from what one may consider norm can provide an alternative way of dealing with things and handling situations therefore showing the child that there are other choices available outside of their current situation.
3) Poverty is the lack of funds to provide for oneself and family to stay above economically which results in negative influences on spiritual, mental, emotional, cognitive functions, and all affecting the overall well being of the person.
4) The resources that children of poverty are exposed to are very limited. In the home setting, it is possible that the child's education is not priority for the parent. With many other economic risk factors taking precedence the child's needs are often overlooked. For a parent who does not hold education at high esteem it may be hard for them to encourage learning in the home and provide positive reinforcement of lessons therefore making it difficult for children to progress in the classroom setting. Without the needed encouragement it is easy for the child to fall behind causing lack of interest in school subjects and even attendance. Therefore increasing the probability of becoming a drop-out. As for the school setting, teachers find it hard to relate to. Holden of poverty because they themselves did not experience many pf the situations that children are now enduring. Because of this barrier, it is hard for tea hers to reach these students therefore beginning to allow the student to fall behind so they don't jeopardize the learning experience of he other students. Instead of educating themselves and making a difference in the child's life, they show the child because of your circumstances I don't have the time or energy to focus on what you need, causing the child to further believe school is not important and no one cares about their success.
Read the Introduction and Chapter 1 in Dr. Jensen’s book Teaching with poverty in mind: What being poor does to kids brains and what schools can do about it.
Reflect on and answer the following questions:
1) What is the focus of the book, according to Dr. Jensen?
According to Dr. Jensen, the focus of this book is on the connection between academic success and low socioeconomic status.
2) What three claims does he make?
Dr Jensen makes three claims:
1) Chronic exposure to poverty results in the brain changing physically in a harmful way.
2) Since the brain is intended to adapt from experience it may change for the better. In other words, underprivileged children may experience emotional, social, and academic achievement.
3) Even though many factors influence academic accomplishment, specific key ones are especially helpful in turning around students brought up in poverty.
3) Define poverty, in your own words.
Poverty is a continual and weakening state that results from poor risk factors and affects all aspects of a human being.
4) Dr. Jensen writes, and I quote, “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in a multitude of ways.” [end quote, page 7]
Explain and reflect on how inferior resources both at home and at school place children of poverty at risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school drop-out.
Children of poverty live much different home lives than others. Their houses may be noisy, crowded, and contain many safety hazards. These children often do not spend time enjoying their surroundings but more struggling in them to live. Children of poverty are more likely to believe their parents are not interested in what they do and may not experience positive reinforcement from their teachers. In result, they can develop a low self-esteem and do poorly in school, eventually dropping out.
Children of poverty are more often absent or tardy which correlates with high drop out rates. These children may have parents who did not succeed in school and who are not encouraging them to succeed in school. Students need positive encouragement from their parents to help them develop a balanced self-esteem and do well in the classroom. These parents are the least likely to show up for parent-teacher conferences and help out around school. This separates a child from the school which will likely influence the student to give up on academics.
The focus of Dr. Jensen’s book is to introduce teachers to the obstacles they may face when teaching children of poverty and to explain why these obstacles will be faced. Dr. Jensen does a great job of explaining poverty in the first chapter of this book. I feel as if poverty is when someone lacks, for a long period of time, something they need in order to survive. I feel mostly the lacking source is money which is used to buy food, clothing, and to provide shelter and other things needed to survive, but the sources can also be loving and supportive people surrounding them. An inferior resource will hurt a child because it will make it harder for the child to learn which would cause the student to become frustrated and give up.
1. The focus of this book is on "the relationship between academic achievement and low socioeconomic status."
2. The three claims are:
-chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner.
-Because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, an academic success.
-Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty.
3. Poverty is the inability to obtain the neccessities one needs, based on risk factors.
4.Children of poverty are at risk because they tend to live in low-income neighborhoods that have low quality services, higher crime and less playground safety. Their houses tend be more crowded, noisy and have safety hazards. Because of these conditions, children are concerned with survival and are more likely to rely on peers rather than on parents. Low-income families have risk factors that interfere with their child self-esteem and postive attitudes. These feelings cause a downward spiral which can effect their academic success.Tardiness and absences among poor students is most closely related to high drop out rates.
This book by Dr. Jensen was written to help improve teaching students in poverty. The main focus is to show its readers the connections between how well students perform in school and their socioeconomic status. It is the teacher’s job to use the information and research that is available to them in order to better their understanding in teaching students in poverty. The focus is to provide them with the information needed to help these children in poverty succeed not only in school, but as well in life. In order to do this he realizes that he cannot take the lazy approach that many sources take, and narrows it down to the factors that matter the most.
In this book, Dr. Jensen states three claims to help explain his ideas. The first claim being, “Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner” (Jensen 2). This means that after one is faced with poverty, overtime the effects will hurt the student in dangerous ways. We must provide the students with a safer and more beneficial environment at school than what they are able to have at home. The second claim is, “because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success” (Jensen 2). This claim is stating that it is proven that the brain changes with experiences, whether it is for the better or worse. This means that it is possible for children in poverty to succeed in life, but it is based on how positive their environments are. The third claim states, “although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty” (Jensen 2). This is saying that even though there are many things that contribute to the success of these children, we must concentrate on the most important ones in order to see positive results.
To me, poverty is something that is not easy to define. In my eyes, poverty is a way of life in which one does not have the amount of resources available to them as others may. It is a way of life in which an individual and their family struggles to make ends meet, resulting in a constant battle financially and emotionally. I feel as if my definition is just a small idea of what poverty actually is.
In order for a student to succeed academically, they must be given the resources and supported needed by both their parents and their teachers. In the home of a student in poverty, they are already at a disadvantage before they even start school. Their homes do not possess books and their parents do not have the time to sit down with their child to help prepare them for school. These are usually single parents that work numerous hours a week in order to provide their child with a home to live in. Unfortunately, a child at this young age suffers the most because they have little of a relationship with their parents. When these children go to school, they are sent to the school nearest to them, usually meaning a poverty stricken school also. These schools do not have the resources that the students need in order to receive the best educational experience. The teachers tend to not be certified and therefore do not know how to cater to these students. After years of little academic success and failure due to lack of resources, these students grow tired and give up by dropping out of school.
Students in poverty must know that they are capable to succeed in school and in life. It is the teacher’s responsibility to provide a positive and loving environment for them to know that they are capable of doing just that. It is important that teachers learn these strategies of teaching students in poverty and inform others of the impact it can make on these student’s lives.
Eric Jensen's book focuses on the relationship between academic achievement and low socioeconomic status. Also Jensen focuses on the gaps that can clear strategies that busy educators can apply directly in their practice. Jensen focuses on providing a better understanding of poverty and what it is and how it affects the students teachers work with. Jensen also focuses on social, cognitive, health-related, and stress related challenges that economically disadvantaged kids face every day. Jensen demonstrates what drives changes at the macro and micro level of school and the brain.Jensen prepares teachers for children of poverty. There are three claims he makes in his book. The first claim is, chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. The second claim Jensen makes is, because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. Poor children can experience social, emotional, and academic success. The third claim Jensen makes is, although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty. Poverty means lacking the basic necessities needed to live with stability due to certain risk factors.Poverty at home places children at risk of low academic success and dropping out of school because poor children have fewer and less-supportive networks than their more affluent counterparts do. Also when they live in neighborhoods that are lower in social capital, adolescents are more likely to rely on peers than on adults for social and emotional support. Children who have poverty in the household have fewer books at home, visit the library less often, and spend more time watching TV. Single parenthood strains resources and correlates directly with poor school attendance, lower grades, and lower chances of attending college. Poverty at school places children at risk of low academic success and dropping out of high school due to issues of transportation, health care, and family care, high tardy rates and absenteeism and common problems among poor students. Parents who did poorly in school themselves may have a negative attitude about their children's schools and, in an effort to protect them may even discourage their children from participating. Some children of poverty alienate from their schools, believing that no one cares or that their teachers don't like them or talk down to them, students will often give up on academics.
1) What is the focus of the book, according to Dr. Jensen?
2) What three claims does he make?
3) Define poverty, in your own words.
4) Dr. Jensen writes, and I quote, “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in a multitude of ways.” [end quote, page 7]
Explain and reflect on how inferior resources both at home and at school place children of poverty at risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school drop-out.
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