Dr. Jensen has written about “the emotional keyboard” and I find this to be very interesting. This is described in his book in chapter 2. We learn from reading it that the emotional brain (this would align with mental and emotional health on your umbrella and in the Health Resource Manual) can be illustrated as a piano keyboard which has 88 keys.
Jensen wrote that children of poverty usually use fewer keys than well-off children. Figure 2.1 on page 18, informs us that six emotions are hardwired and that means that we are born knowing how to express them and these six hardwired emotions are: sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear. The other two boxes contain emotions that we are not born with, and we do not know how to express these emotions unless we are taught to express them. Those 10 emotions are: humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude.
Read the information in chapter 2 about the “emotional keyboard.” For this blog comment you will write 2 scenarios about 2 different children. One child is middle class and one is a child of poverty. Name and describe the children and their emotional keyboard. Explicate their behaviors and why they behave emotionally the way that they do. Differentiate clearly between the two, and be realistic. Also, think about the developmental needs of children. Remember what early childhood children need (what needs must be met developmentally) in order for them to develop healthy minds and bodies (think Maslow’s Hierarchy).
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Middle Class Child
A boy named john is in the 8th grade. He lives in an average size house and in a good neighborhood. Both his parents are involved in his education and he plays basketball after school and on the weekends. In class he well and is social. John enjoys working in groups when doing projects and is optimistic when it comes to succeeding in school. His teacher brings his class a treat every Friday to end off the week and he is very thankful because he knows no other teacher does that in his grade. John’s emotional keyboard consists of optimism, social ability, cooperation, and gratitude. He behaves this way because he has both his parents who are very involved; and who have taught him these emotions. The stable relationships he has with his parents provided him with his developmental needs for his emotional responses like his thankfulness towards his teacher.
Child of Poverty
A girl named Janine is also in the 8th grade. She lives in a smaller home in a rather rough neighborhood. Her parents push her to do good school. However they are not home much because of their work schedules. Janine likes to go walking with her friends on Saturdays but stays in side and watches TV the rest of the week. Janine is social but does struggle in school when it comes to getting good grades and being polite. Her and her friends make fun of a boy with a speech impediment. Janine’s teacher pushes her to try and reach her full potential, but instead of being grateful she gets frustrated with the teacher because she feels the teacher is picking on her. She also gets frustrated with her work easily. Janine behaves this way because her parents are not as involved because they are busy working. She does not have a close and stable relationship with her parents. This has caused Janine to lack the emotions of compassion, gratitude, cooperation, and patience.
Teachers have a hard job, they not only have to teach students the material but they have to teach them home skills that the students should have already come to school with. Dealing with children of poverty is a complex issue that much attention.
Jamie is a second grader at Lane Elementary. He is a well loved child who lives with both his parents in a nice home. Jamie is considered to come from a middle class family. Jamie does well in school and knows his manners. Jamie’s emotional keyboard displays all of the hardwired emotions, plus some of the taught emotions. A scenario that Jamie finds himself in at school shows how he uses these emotions.
While at school, Jamie often needs extra help from his teacher when trying to complete certain tasks. These tasks can include anything from reading, because he struggles in reading. Today, Jamie is to complete a worksheet based on the story that his teacher read to the class. Jamie notices that he does not understand what exactly he has to do so he raises his hand to wait on the teacher to come help him. Jamie is showing patience as he waits for the teacher to come and help him. Patience is a trait that is taught not something he is born with. Jamie also shows gratitude when he finally gets to work with his teacher. He displays this behavior when he says thank you to the teacher for their help.
Amy is also in Jamie’s class. She is considered a child of poverty and does not have the behavior that Jamie often displays. Like Jamie, she too has the same hardwired emotions in her emotional keyboard, but does not have the same emotions that are taught. Amy does not come from a home that have both parents, but a home that has 3 brothers and a mother. Her mother works a job the majority of the time and does not always express the want to help Amy with her school work. Amy’s emotional keyboard is not as equipped as Jamie’s is, because she was not taught how to express emotions as he was.
While in the same classroom that Jamie is in, Amy also struggles with reading. As Jamie and the rest of the class work on completing the worksheet, Amy is doing other things and is disrupting the class. When the teacher asks her why she hasn’t finished her worksheet, Amy replies saying that she can’t do it. Amy lacks optimism, which is an emotion that is taught. She also does not cooperate when the teacher asks her to get back on task, to try and do the worksheet to the best of her knowledge. Amy gets frustrated and angry with her teacher, because she thinks her teacher doesn’t care that she can’t do it. Amy shows hardwired emotions when she is angry, but does not show the taught emotions such as cooperation and optimism.
Jamie and Amy both have emotional keyboards with hardwired emotions. However, they both do not have all of the traits that are taught. Jamie has more emotions that are taught than Amy does. Both behave different because of what they are being taught at home and how they should behave at school. In Amy’s home life, her mother is not always home to teach her the proper way to behave such as being positive and cooperating to do her work. Jamie on the other hand, has both of his parents to help him behave the way that he should. Children who are in poverty do not have the same teachers at home as middle class children.
John Michael is from a middle class family that goes to a private school. His parents are planning to attend the Spelling Contest that he is participating in. They go to the contest and John Michael wins the contest because his parents helped him practice all of his spelling words. He shows gratitude to his parents because of all their help! He wasn’t born with the emotion Gratitude, but instead was taught Gratitude and expressed that emotion to his parents that were very proud of him.
Eric is a child of poverty that goes to the local public school. Eric had a hard time in school because his mom is a single parent with two jobs and has a younger sister to take care of. He wasn’t really able to be focused on his schoolwork with everything going on at home. When Eric is given his final report card, he shows the emotion that he was born with and that is SADNESS. He is really sad about his final grades!
According to Dr. Jensen, “The emotional brain can be represented by a keyboard on which children from poverty use fewer keys than well- off children” (Jensen 18). He explains children are born with six emotions which are sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear. I agree with Dr. Jensen that children are born with these six emotions because as a baby they show them. There are ten emotions which are humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude. As a baby they can’t show these emotions because these are more complex than the six emotions they are born with. These ten emotions are to be taught by teachers, parents, and even by their peers. So as a teacher, you should practice these ten emotions in front of your students so they learn and use the ten emotions. Especially children at an early age should be taught these emotions so they can develop better mannerisms and even values can come from these ten emotions. When teaching children to use their manners like saying “thank you”, they have to be taught the emotion GRATITUDE like how John Michael did with his parents. Also children that only know the six emotions like SADNESS when a child is being bullied and the bully says sorry how can that child forgive the bully if he hasn’t been taught that emotion. The emotional keyboard is very important when trying to figure out the emotional process of a child. As teachers, we need to represent these emotions and teach them the correct way so our students can correctly use them in their life.
1)Joey- Comes from a background of poverty. He has a single mom because his dad passed away from a car accident. His mom also works two jobs and does not have the time to spend helping Joey with his studies. Joey’s mom has also yet to attend any parent- teacher conference so far this year. Joey is begging to struggle with his studies in math; this is probably due to the lack of help he is getting at home. He also tends to lash out at other classmates and sometimes at me. I think this is a result of not receiving attention and care at his home. His anger causes him to miss out on opportunities to cooperate with his classmates. By the end of the year I would like to see Joey start to show patience and compassion for his fellow classmates and improve his studies.
2)Ryan- Comes from a middle class background. His mom and dad both work well paying jobs and are building a new house in a family oriented neighborhood. Both of his parents are involved with the school and work with Ryan on his studies. He is showing great participation with his fellow classmates and is showing responsibility by following the rules in the classroom. His attendance is normal and rarely misses a day of school. He is also excelling in all his studies and loves working at center time. By the end of the year I would like to see Ryan still improving in these same areas.
Cain-
Cain is 8 years old. He is one of the oldest kids in his class because his parents requested for him to repeat kindergarten so he could get a better grasp on some skills. Spending another year in kindergarten has in no way negatively affected Cain. He lives at home with both parents. His parents have him involved in after school sports programs. Cain has started showing sympathy, patience and cooperation during recess when he teaches his peers the games he plays after school. I asked him where he learned to be patient and he told me that he was acting like his coach acts.
Nisa-(poverty)
Nisa is 7 years old. She lives at home with her mom and younger sisters. She is a great problem solver, but often has a negative view of her work because of her moms sarcastic comments. She is capable of showing joy, disgust and fear, but struggles with when it comes to interactions with her peers. Because her mother works second shift, there is no one to keep an eye on Nisa and her sisters. So Nisa looks after her sisters. The little she has learned about being sympathetic, showing gratitude, and forgiveness has come from the cartoons she watches in the afternoon. Nisa and her sisters watch t.v. so the neighbors won’t know they are home alone.
Part 1:
Child one comes from a middle class home. His name is Ben, and the youngest child of three. Ben is a second grader at a local public school. His dad is the corporate manager of a family owned business, which means his mom has always been able to stay home and take care of the family. According to Jenson, the attachment between a child and parent begins at birth and determines future relationships with teachers and others. As an infant, Ben’s emotional keyboard hardwired six emotions. They were sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear. Because he comes from a supporting and loving family, he was able to add emotions to his “keyboard.” These other emotions include humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude. These ten emotions must be taught, so children will only develop them if their surroundings allow. Ben’s family made sure he has a safe environment thus far in life, and numerous hours a week of interactions. He developed the emotions of gratitude, forgiveness, and empathy during the first two years of life from this attunement. At school, Ben carries his lunchbox every day, with food from the most important food groups. His mom packs his favorite fruit and a post it note everyday reminding him to have a great day. He always has paper, textbooks, and other supplies in class, which keeps his teacher from having to get on him about that. After being picked up from school, Ben goes home to an afternoon snack and sits down to do his homework, which is later checked by a parent. Ben enjoys playing outside after school with neighborhood friends, as long as his mom knows where he is. When his dad gets home from work, he usually spends time with him before sitting down with the family for supper. They pray together before eating, and then talk about how everyone’s day was. Because Ben was raised around family and friends, his social skills are higher. He knows how to respectfully answer and talk to other people. Ben has never been around violence or argument, which is definitely a good thing. When Ben becomes older, he will have more knowledge about positive actions towards others. As a younger child, he is being taught emotions such as sympathy, patience, gratitude, etc. He would see his parents, family, or siblings model these actions, which would make him understand the importance of using them. Ben is a respectful child who rarely has to be disciplined because his parents have shown him the correct way to act by modeling.
Luke is a first grade student. He is the second of four children and lives with his mom who is currently a single mother and works two jobs. He recently began getting many notes sent home from school because of his behavior in the classroom. He does not participate well in group activities and often ends up angry with another student and becomes violent with them. If he cannot grasp a new lesson within the first few minutes of trying he gives up because he has no patience with himself or others. He also stays mad at other students for a very long time and does not forgive his fellow students for actions that make him upset. When notes are sent home they are signed by a different babysitter every week because Luke goes to bed before his mother returns home from her job. Since Luke does not have a stable home environment and has a different babysitter every week he is not able to make stable relationships. Luke is not getting the consistent and unconditional love, guidance, and support he needs. Since he is not getting these emotions he does not know how to show them to others which may be why he cannot get along well with his classmates. Also, since his mom works two low income jobs and three kids, she does not have a lot of money to spend on rent. Therefore, this family does not live in a safe neighborhood. He is not allowed to play outside because of his location. Luke also does not complete his homework at night. His mother is not home to help him and did not finish school herself and feels uncomfortable when he asks for help. Since she does not help him Luke feels like homework is unimportant and now has no drive to complete it or see it as something he needs to do. During the first few years of Luke’s life he was bounced back and forth between his mother and father in a custody battle. During this time he was not able to gain any emotions on the emotional keyboard except the six that are hard-wired into infants.
Chris is the younger of two children. He lives with both his parents who are married in a nice, safe neighborhood. He goes to a nice school where his mom volunteers at least once a week in the classroom. He gets help from his parents with homework every night and his parents read to him every day. His parents helped him learn how to share and cooperate well with others since he was born. When he did something to hurt someone else he was taught to say sorry and his parents showed him forgiveness when he did something wrong that upset them. They also showed him and his sister compassion and care their entire lives and were there to support and comfort them whenever they needed it.
Unlike Chris, Luke was unable to grasp any emotions other than the ones built in him because his mother and father never taught him to feel these types of emotions. A child needs to feel and be shown an emotion before they can show it to someone else. Children need to feel support and love from a secure relationship with someone they trust. Chris is able to get enough food, sleep, water, and health care he needs to develop both physically and emotionally. Luke lives in an unsafe neighborhood where it is loud and noisy all night keeping him awake. He has to share his food with his three brothers and sisters, getting barely enough for himself. These boys have completely different lives. Chris does great at school because he is fully rested and well nourished. He is able to pay attention and focus on the lessons and work with others. Luke on the other hand, shows up to school hungry and tired. He falls asleep during instructional time and always end up angry during group work and centers therefore doing poorly on all his assessments. These two boys show that if emotions are not taught to children it greatly affects them the rest of their lives.
Part 2:
Child two comes from a home of poverty. His name is Michael and is the child of a single parent mom. He has five siblings, all with different fathers. Michael is the third oldest child. He doesn’t have a babysitter because his oldest sister is sixteen, and can care for the children while their mother works her two jobs. Ever since he was born, his mother has been working to take care of her family. Because of this, Michael has not formed that attachment that helps with future positive relationships. Like his classmate Ben, Michael also developed six basic emotions as a child. They include sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear. Michael does not have a close relationship with his mom because she is hardly home due to work. When she is home, she is usually stressed out and tired. Yelling is usually done when one of the five children act up. All this is doing is showing the children negative discipline and a lack of warmth and sensitivity. While at school, Michael is often called on for talking in class, or forgetting to do homework. He never studies for his test, causing his grades to be poorly. Michael takes the bus home from school, so it is usually 4:00 before he arrives home. Because neither his sister nor mom is home then, Michael stays with friends. When someone older than him does arrive home, he eats supper. When his mom is home, she tries to cook for her family. Three days a week she works third shift, which means he usually eats cereal or frozen pizza for supper. Michael has not learned healthy emotional responses, which is shown by his school performance. He does not have appropriate manners, because he is only required to use them at school by his teachers. The teacher spends more time talking and working with Michael, because his home life does not teach him the emotions other than the six hardwired emotions. Michael does not have a father figure in his life, so sometimes his emotions show. He is very protective over his two younger sisters and mother too. Basically, Michael comes from a very different home environment from Ben. He does not have parents that are home at all times, leaving his siblings to take care of each other. He has had to grow up on his own, and learn emotions through his teachers at school. Michael may have a hard time growing up, because he lacks emotions that are important to have in the future.
Dr. Jensen writes that the emotional brain can be represented by a keyboard in which children from poverty may use fewer keys than the children that are better off. He states that there are certain emotions that we are born with, while others must be taught. The emotions that we are born with are known as hardwired emotions and are: sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear. The emotions that we must be taught in order to express them are: humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude. “Low-income parents are often overwhelmed by diminished self-esteem, depression, and a sense of powerlessness and inability to cope—feelings that may get passed along to their children in the form of insufficient nurturing, negativity, and a general failure to focus on children’s needs” (Jensen 16). This helps to show that children that come from low-income families are at more of a disadvantage when they begin school.
Ashley came from a single parent home. Her mother worked two jobs and it was her sister’s job to take care of her. When her mother was home, she did not spend time with Ashley and was constantly in depressed moods. When she began school, the teacher had a very hard time keeping her attention and she acted out numerous times throughout the day. She refused to cooperate with the teacher and students and showed little to no sympathy after hurting other’s feelings. The student was not taught the kinds of emotions that she needed in order to get along with others. Her mother is to blame in how she spent little time with her daughter, and when she did she only exhibited negative emotions. Unfortunately, Ashley was not ever taught or modeled the emotions necessary because her mother was not present.
Jon came from a middle class family where both parents work full-time jobs. His parents are able to spend time with him every day and make sure to exhibit their compassion for their son as much as possible. They taught him how to cooperate with others, be empathetic, forgive, and be patient. When Jon started school, he made friends on the first day and stayed positive throughout the year. He did not misbehave during class and was always patient when wanting to be called on. Thanks to his close-knit family and support, he was taught the appropriate emotions needed to succeed the best he could in school.
It is important that teachers become aware of their students backgrounds. Although it is important for children to learn emotions before they begin school, not all are. The teacher must not only teach their students the necessary emotions, but also exhibit them themselves. There are numerous lessons that are based off of the emotions and can be fun ways for students to learn and interact with their classmates. Some children do not have a role model at home to teach them these emotions and teachers must take control and get these students back on track. It is so important that these children know that they are just like everyone else and that they are capable of doing whatever they may dream of, but exhibiting the appropriate emotions is the first step.
Tanner is a 7 year old boy who was born into a middle class family. His father is a professor at the community college in their town and his mother is a nurse at the local hospital. His father is home each evening to help Tanner with his homework and although his mother works late some nights, she is home often enough to help Tanner with his reading. Although Tanner struggles with his reading from time to time, he does not become easily frustrated by his mistakes. His mother has explained to him that learning to read takes time and becoming angry over simple mistakes will not make learning to read any easier. Tanner’s father helps to coach his little league baseball team where Tanner cooperates with and is friends with his teammates. In fact, when Tanner’s teammate Roy sprained his ankle during a game, Tanner asked his father to help him make a card for Roy to feel better. When Tanner was put in time out for talking in class last week, he stuck his tongue out at his teacher. Tanner felt ashamed of this behavior shortly after because his parents regularly emphasized the importance of manners and he knew it was impolite to disrespect an adult as he had. Although Tanner may get in a little trouble from time to time, his friends and teachers at school like him very much. He is an emotionally well-balanced child. His family has provided him with his basic needs but also his need for safety and security. Tanner thinks of himself as a pretty smart kid and when he does not understand something he knows he can go to his teacher or parents for help.
Graham is a 7 year old boy and is a child of poverty. His father died when he was just 3 years old and his mother works two jobs, as a maid during the day and as a waitress each night. Although his mother loves him very much, she is not often home to help Graham with his homework. His twin brother and his younger sister are home with him in the afternoons and at night when his mother is at work. Graham has recently been in trouble at school for using obscene language on the playground. When Graham’s teacher confronted him about this behavior he threw a book on the floor and became quite angry with her. Last week, Graham’s closest friend moved to Florida. His teacher expected Graham to be upset about this move but when she asked him how he was feeling he simply laughed and said he did not care that his friend was gone. Although his teacher believes he is a very gifted student, Graham often does not complete his tests or do his homework. Many of Graham’s classmates have stopped asking him to play with them at recess because he often does not follow rules and cooperate during games. Graham’s mother is able to ensure that his basic needs for survival are met such as food, shelter and water, but since she works so often, it is hard for her to see that his other needs are met. Graham does not feel safe or secure in his environment, which makes it very hard for him to reach out to people. It is also very hard for Graham to make friends. His closest friend just moved away and now he feels very alone, although he does not know how to show it. Graham does not understand a lot of his homework and the only person available to help him at home is his twin brother who does not know much more than him. He does not think of himself as very smart and chooses not to do his homework because he is concerned about what his teacher will think of him when she sees all of his wrong answers.
Tanner is a 7 year old boy who was born into a middle class family. His father is a professor at the community college in their town and his mother is a nurse at the local hospital. His father is home each evening to help Tanner with his homework and although his mother works late some nights, she is home often enough to help Tanner with his reading. Although Tanner struggles with his reading from time to time, he does not become easily frustrated by his mistakes. His mother has explained to him that learning to read takes time and becoming angry over simple mistakes will not make learning to read any easier. Tanner’s father helps to coach his little league baseball team where Tanner cooperates with and is friends with his teammates. In fact, when Tanner’s teammate Roy sprained his ankle during a game, Tanner asked his father to help him make a card for Roy to feel better. When Tanner was put in time out for talking in class last week, he stuck his tongue out at his teacher. Tanner felt ashamed of this behavior shortly after because his parents regularly emphasized the importance of manners and he knew it was impolite to disrespect an adult as he had. Although Tanner may get in a little trouble from time to time, his friends and teachers at school like him very much. He is an emotionally well-balanced child. His family has provided him with his basic needs but also his need for safety and security. Tanner thinks of himself as a pretty smart kid and when he does not understand something he knows he can go to his teacher or parents for help.
Graham is a 7 year old boy and is a child of poverty. His father died when he was just 3 years old and his mother works two jobs, as a maid during the day and as a waitress each night. Although his mother loves him very much, she is not often home to help Graham with his homework. His twin brother and his younger sister are home with him in the afternoons and at night when his mother is at work. Graham has recently been in trouble at school for using obscene language on the playground. When Graham’s teacher confronted him about this behavior he threw a book on the floor and became quite angry with her. Last week, Graham’s closest friend moved to Florida. His teacher expected Graham to be upset about this move but when she asked him how he was feeling he simply laughed and said he did not care that his friend was gone. Although his teacher believes he is a very gifted student, Graham often does not complete his tests or do his homework. Many of Graham’s classmates have stopped asking him to play with them at recess because he often does not follow rules and cooperate during games. Graham’s mother is able to ensure that his basic needs for survival are met such as food, shelter and water, but since she works so often, it is hard for her to see that his other needs are met. Graham does not feel safe or secure in his environment, which makes it very hard for him to reach out to people. It is also very hard for Graham to make friends. His closest friend just moved away and now he feels very alone, although he does not know how to show it. Graham does not understand a lot of his homework and the only person available to help him at home is his twin brother who does not know much more than him. He does not think of himself as very smart and chooses not to do his homework because he is concerned about what his teacher will think of him when she sees all of his wrong answers.
HLTH 312-Brigman
Child #1: Middle class-
This child is raised in a middle class family. This child has a wide “Emotional Keyboard” range. An emotional keyboard is a way we can measure or show a child’s range of taught and hardwired emotional responses. This child has a wide range: meaning that he has the hardwired responses such as sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise and fear. But he has also been taught emotional responses, such as: humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude. Because this child has already been “taught” emotional responses, this child is able to have and create social and emotional relationships with peers, and other adults. This child can also sit still in class, be attentive, and not cause problems. This child is able to act that way in school, because he was “taught” before he got in school the emotional responses needed. This child is also able to make healthy choices, because of previous taught behaviors, and emotional response. This child can react to bully or violent situations in a responsible way again because of these already taught behaviors.
Child #2: Poverty class-
This child is raised in a home with poverty. This child has a small “Emotional Keyboard” range. An emotional keyboard is a way we can measure or show a child’s range of taught and hardwired emotional responses. This child has a small range: meaning that he has the hardwired responses such as sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise and fear, but that is it. He does not have, and has not been taught the other emotional behaviors (humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude) before entering school. So when this child enters school, he may be more likely to act out, or cause problems in the class. He may be more likely to turn to the “help me” scenario during assigned task during class. Needing the teacher’s full attention and wanting all the help possible. This child may also not be able to make healthy lifestyle choices. This child in a bully situation may turn to violence, or act out because he does not have the “taught” emotional responses. After this child enters school it becomes the teachers responsibility to teach/ demonstrate the “taught” emotional behaviors to this child.
After reading about the emotional keyboard it has opened my eyes to a lot more explanations and reasons that explain why maybe my children of poverty may act the way they do. Also after reading about it, it has made me more understanding to the scenarios that my students are going through in the world. I feel like my eyes have been opened to ways to be more caring and to handle situations without getting frustrated. I understand one of the best ways to get my students to act the way I want them to is to demonstrate it. I need to show by example at all times. Children are always watching even when you think that they aren’t. If I want my students to be respectful I need to be respectful to all them. I strongly agree with the book when it said something along the line of if children are not taught the ten emotions of humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude then it is our job as a teacher to teach our students how to express these emotions. Another thing that stuck out to me a lot is that we need to avoid blaming or labeling our students that are children of poverty. It is not their fault that they are children of poverty so therefore no blame should fall upon their shoulders. In my classroom I want everyone to be equal. I want people who enter my room to not be able to determine who is a child of poverty and who is a middle class child. I will offer all my students the same chances and treat them the same way. I guess the biggest thing that I have gotten out of this assignment is to lead by example. If you want your students to act a certain way then you need to be showing them what you want and how to express that feeling or emotion.
Ashley comes from a middle class family. Her mother is a teacher as well as her father. She has one older brother. Ashley lives in a middle class neighborhood with a large backyard and two dogs. Ashley’s parents invest a lot in her education as well as her brother’s. They are on the same schedule everyday. The children wake up and get ready for school while their mother makes them a hot breakfast. After getting on the bus to go to school their mother and father goes to work. Ashley and her brother both have lunch money to buy whatever they want for lunch. After school they get home and both sit at the kitchen table with their homework. Both Ashley’s mother and father help the siblings with their homework. After homework they get to play outside. When it is time for dinner the whole family sits down at the table with a nutritious meal and talks about their day. Before the children go to bed they each get to read with their parents. Ashley comes from a very well rounded family where her parents have the time to show her a lot of attention. In the classroom Ashley is a straight “A” student. She values education very high and would like to attend college one day. Ashley always does what is asked of her and is very respectful to the teacher. She is always on time to school and turns all her work in on time. I think Ashley is the way she is because of how she was raised. She was raised in a house where education is valued. Also she was raised in an environment that provided her with the things she needs in life like nutritious food and a loving family. Ashley has everything at her fingertips.
There is another girl in class with Ashley and her name is Riley. Ashley and Riley are classmates but are complete opposites. Riley lives at home with her mother and her three siblings. Riley’s mom works two jobs to try and cover the bills the best she can. Riley’s grandmother will help out watching the children when she can but isn’t that reliable. Riley lives in a trailer park. There isn’t much room for her and her siblings to play and it isn’t the safest place for children after dark or on the outskirts of the park. Riley and her siblings don’t really have a routine schedule they follow. With their mom cleans house during the day and waitresses at night it makes it hard for her mom to keep up with the children and what is needed. Their mom never graduated high school and doesn’t really care when or if the children go to school. In the mornings, that leaves Riley and her older brother Cory to get the younger two siblings ready for school. Riley and Cory have to get the younger two dressed and ready for school. This involves feeding them breakfast if there is any that day. Then they get dressed. Often this causes Riley to be late for class on a regular basis. In class Riley has a lot of outbursts, isn’t very patient, and doesn’t always display the appropriate emotional responses. Riley has a hard time waiting her turn because at home she can do as she pleases since she is the one who is pretty much in charge. Riley uses vulgar language in class as well because she doesn’t know any better. She laughs when someone gets hurt because she doesn’t know how to show sympathy. Riley acts the way she does because she doesn’t have anyone at home showing her how to display her emotions.
After completing these two scenarios it has even opened my eyes even more. I want to love on Riley and show her that I care. I want Riley and Ashley to have the same goal of going to college. I want Riley to value an education and know that Ms. Kady cares.
Johnny Smith’s father lost his job and cannot find work anywhere so his mother is struggling to pay the family’s bills. Little Johnny is not an only child which makes the family’s cost of living higher. Little Johnny has a rough life at home because he and his family are under stress related to the financial struggles they are facing. Little Johnny goes to school where he can somewhat keep his mind off of what is going on at home. One day Dylan, Little Johnny’s friend, came into school upset because his dog, that he had for five years, had died. Little Johnny did not sympathize with his friend because he wasn’t sure how to show sympathy. Later that day, Dylan took Little Johnny’s toy and Little Johnny was mad at Dylan for about an hour. Mrs. Monneyham came over and asked what was wrong with Little Johnny and he said, “Dylan took my toy.” Mrs. Monneyham said, “Dylan, that wasn’t very nice. You need to give Little Johnny his toy back.” Dylan had already returned Little Johnny’s toy but because Little Johnny didn’t know how to forgive Dylan, Little Johnny was still upset. Mrs. Monneyham explained to Little Johnny that when we are friends with someone and they do something to hurt us we have to forgive them and still be friends with them. Little Johnny then forgave Dylan and they played with the toy together. When Little Johnny got home that day, his father was cooking him and his sibling dinner. Little Johnny was very impatient while waiting for his dinner and when it was done, he showed no gratitude toward his father for cooking. Little Johnny’s teacher, Mrs. Monneyham, is trying to teach him emotions other than sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear, but it will take time and Mrs. Monneyham has other children that need her also. Mrs. Monneyham also makes sure Little Johnny and his classmates eat healthy and get plenty of exercise while at school.
Susie Queen is a thirteen year old who has a good home and school life. Susie Q’s mother works as a cashier at a local grocery store and her father both works at an electrical company. Susie Q attends school with many of her neighborhood friends. Susie Q. loves having her friends come to her house for play dates and sleep overs. One day, Susie Q has her best friends over one night after school. The girls go outside to play while Susie Q’s mother cooks a healthy meal for them. Her friend, Ashley, tells Susie Q that she has a bad feeling and that something is wrong. Not long after that, Susie Q’s mother comes in to tell her that there has been a wreck and they need to get to the hospital immediately. Ashley’s parents had been hit by a drunk driver on the way home from dinner. Ashley is very upset but Susie Q keeps telling her that everything is going to be okay and is constantly comforting her. Susie Q is very patient with Ashley that whole weekend and both Susie Q and Ashley show gratitude toward that hospital’s staff and Susie Q’s parents. Both Susie Q and Ashley share many feelings throughout the following week while Ashley stays with Susie Q because her parents are still healing in the hospital but they do come home without any serious injuries. Susie Q and Ashley’s parents have all taught the girls how to be optimistic, compassionate, sympathetic, patient, and grateful. They also taught the girls how to forgive when all the members of both families forgave the drunk driver for choosing to drink and drive that awful night when Ashley’s parents were hit by him. The girls are taught how to healthily express their feelings and how to exercise and eat healthy by their parents.
Kathleen is from an upper middle class home. She attends a private school. She has a stay at home mother who is very involved in her school as well as her activities outside of school. She has been taught to empathize and have compassion for those who are less fortunate than she is. She is pushed to excel in her school work so that she can attend a good college. Even though she is only in the 3rd grade, grades and activities are regarded as important to make her a well-rounded child so that her future can follow a map set out by her parents.
If Kathleen has a school report, she is able to get information for her reports from her personal laptop. She has someone to help her at home and to monitor her computer usage.
Grace is also in the 3rd grade. She is from a single family home. Her father is her primary caregiver and is often overwhelmed with things from work and does not have the extra time to help Grace, nor does he have the extra income to allow her to attend activities outside of school. Grace goes home to an empty house each afternoon when she gets off the bus. There is often no one home until after dinner time. Grace must do her homework by herself and there is no one available to check her work.
Grace's father is very concerned about her school work; however he does not have the time to become involved. He completed high school and then went right to work. He would like for Grace to attend college, however, he does not have the monetary means to support her academic future past high school. Grace does not have the ability to obtain information from the internet and must rely only on what she gets from her text book to write her reports.
Grace does not feel optimistic that she will go to college, she does not have sympathy for others, and she feels very much like she should be able to do more like other children she knows. Grace often feels alone and angry because she does not have things other children in her class have.
Both children have parents who wish for them to do well, however, one child has more parental assistance than the other. It is not that Grace's father does not want her to do well; he just does not have the time or the financial abilities to help her achieve further success.
Children have the ability to succeed, however, it will be much easier for Kathleen to succeed due to the assistance from her mother and from the activities she attends outside of school.
Even in low SES homes, there are caring parents. There are parents who push their children to excel in school and are very involved. I've been in classes with some of the poorest children in this area. I've seen children who are pushed to do well, and who have parents who are very involved in their learning. I've also been to private schools where the children make C's and their parents do not feel any concern, nor do they participate in the academic lives of their children. The children are taken and picked up from school by nannies and are often ready for bed before their parents come home, and then it is sometimes only to say goodnight before they head out for a social function.
The needs for involvement, nurturing and caring are things children need from the adults in their lives. I believe that they need these just as they need food and shelter. They all work together to help the children succeed.
Serena, a fifth-grade student and a child of poverty. In Mr. Bear's class, is being quiet and sullen for the fourth day in a row. Although she does not speak English fluently, Serena’s grades have consistently been in the C and D range, given her inability to successfully complete assignments and her failure to turn in several important projects. When Mr. Bear returns Serena’s latest essay, she quickly becomes frustrated and rips the paper in two. She yells, "I just can't do this writing stuff" she finally says in an appeal to Mr. Bear. "I'm not a good student. I can’t wait until the year is over so I can get out of this class!" Then Serena runs out of the class in anger. Serena behaves this way because she probably does not have anyone at home to help her on her projects back at home. Also she has a lot of problems going on at home so she does not have the right concentration. When she gets in class she does not comprehend what she is doing and therefore leaves her with a low grade range. Being that she does not communicate like the other children in the class she doesn’t express her feelings so she is being quiet. So she acts out finally out of anger. That is the only way she can let the teacher know there is a problem. Martin is a tenth-grade middle class student who takes considerable pride in his academic work. Martin is an excellent student. He studies regularly, submits assignments and projects on time, serves as a tutor for Ms. Randall’s geometry class, and participates in several extracurricular activities. For the first time, Martin is struggling in his honors Biology class. Martin really works hard in the class and submits his best work but it seems that his best only earns him a B on the tests and projects. Martin is quite disappointed when the teacher returns an exam in which Martin earns a "B-". Martin is surprised and tells his guidance counselor that he really studied and thought he would earn an A on this test. His goal is to maintain his excellent grade point average and earn an A in the Biology class. Because of his frustration in this class, Martin has been experiencing anxiety attacks. Martin’s behavior shows how he feels about his outcome of his B- grade. I think that since he is so used to getting the grade that he knows that he will get and then gets otherwise makes him feel sad and maybe shameful. The emotional keyboard in both scenarios are both taught and hardwired. Overall these feeling they cannot change because it’s in their DNA. Their socioeconomic status should not take effect on the emotional keyboard.
Tommy and Brad both go to Eastwood Elementary. They both are in Mr. McCall’s class and are best friends. Tommy and Brad play together every day and are very in tune with each other. They experience many of the same emotions like sadness, surprise, disgust, and joy. When Tommy is upset Brad empathizes and tries his best to help, and vice versa. When Brad and Tommy go home they live very different lifestyles. Tommy is a child of poverty. He comes from a single parent home where his mother works two jobs to support the family. Throughout his lifetime he has developed few social skills. Tommy has few patience, he lacks gratitude, and it his hard for him to cooperate. Tommy is not use to someone taking their time to be sure his is receiving the guidance he needs. He does not say neither “thank you” nor “you’re welcome,” in his home this is not stressed when someone else does a deed for him/her. In Tommy’s household he has to do a lot of things on his own, he is not accustomed to working with others which make it hard for him to cooperate. Brad is a child from a middle class family. Both of Brad’s parents are in the home, they both work but his mother is home by the time he is done with school. Brad exhibits excellent behavior. He is humble, patient, compassionate, and very cooperative. Brad has is mother in the home to teach him right from wrong. Brad is an only child but he has many close cousins. Brad has to share whenever his cousins come to visit; he plays with them, and is very good at waiting his turn during the games.
Child 1 (Child in Poverty) –
Jessica is a 5 year old who lives with her single mother, her elderly grandmother, and two younger siblings. Her mother works two jobs to support her children. Her father and mother never married and her father left her mother when she was six months old. Jessica rarely sees her mother because she leaves for work before Jessica gets up and comes home when she is going to bed. Her elderly grandmother gets her up and gets her on the bus for school. Most mornings Jessica does not get breakfast before school because she does wake up in time.
Her first experience with children other than her younger siblings was when she started 5-K. She began school not knowing any letters of the alphabet or any numbers. She struggles with interacting with other children. She has very few social skills. She does not share with her peers and if they have something she wants she just takes it from them. Her mother receives notes home almost every day where the teacher is complaining of Jessica anger issues with other children in her class. When the children don’t do what Jessica wants them to she hits them and yells at them instead of trying to talk to them or tell the teacher. She had one friend in her class, Samantha. Samantha said something one day about Jessica’s clothes having stains on them and Jessica got mad at her and would not talk to her anymore. Samantha tried to apologize to Jessica but she would not forgive her.
Her teacher is concern that she may have a learning disability because she has not mastered the skills needed to move to the first grade. She has not mastered her alphabet or to count past five where all the other children have learn their entire alphabet and can count and recognize numbers 0-100.
Child 2 (Child in Middle Class) –
Katie is a 5 year old who lives with her mother and father. She has one younger sibling. Her father and mother own a local automobile shop. When she was three years old she began a preschool program. Her mother woke her up every morning to eat a well-balanced breakfast and drove her to school. Every afternoon her mother would pick Katie up from school. After school she would get a healthy snack and her mother would talk to her about her day and review what she had learned that day. Her family sat down together every night and ate dinner together.
When Katie began 5-K she knew how to right her name, the alphabet, the numbers 0-20, and most colors. On her progress reports she always had excellent because she caught on quickly to whatever the teacher covered. Katie showed great interest when the teacher introduced something new. She had great social skills and made many friends fast. If a conflict arose and she could not talk through it with her peers she would talk to her teacher about it. She is an outgoing child and cares about her peers feelings. She knows that it is not good to treat her friends and peers mean.
Katie’s teacher said that she has completed all of the goals set for her at the beginning of the year and more. She has been recommended to go to the first grade. Her teacher has told Katie’s parents that if she continues on this path that she feels she will be placed in the gifted and talented classes in the future.
Haley is a 6 year old girl who was raised in a middle class family. Haley is in the first grade at Waccamaw Elementary. Haley was raised with both parents in her life. Haley and her parents live in an suburban neighborhood. Haley’s Father is a Lawyer and comes home every night around 7:00PM. Haley’s mom Kelly is a stay at home mom. Kelly is there for Haley whenever she needs her throughout the day. Every night for dinner they eat at the same table and discuss how their days went. Whenever Haley is upset about something her parents talk to her and show compassion. Haley does her homework every night before bed with the help of her mom or dad. They demonstrate patience when she doesn’t understand certain topics. Haley is also rewarded for good work and doing well in school. Her parents as well as others taught her how to express all the emotions on the emotional keyboard through their actions over the years. Because Haley has both of her parents, a stable living condition, and rarely any financial hardships, she is less stressed, behaves well in school, and illustrates all the elements on the emotional keyboard. Haley shows empathy, forgiveness, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, cooperation, etc. She was taught these elements at a young age. Also Haley was able to observe her parents behaviors and other children in the neighborhood behaviors and acted off of them.
Joshua is a 6 year boy who is a child of poverty. He lives with his mother and 3 older siblings. His mother Katrina is a single parent and lives in a 2 bedroom home. Katrina home is located in a violent neighborhood. She works all day at a factory earning minimum wage. She is rarely home due to working most of the time. When Katrina is home, she sleeps most of the time. Joshua has to make his own dinner almost every night because his siblings don’t care or they are away with friends. Joshua eats in front of the Television almost every night. Joshua struggles with his homework because he doesn’t have the guidance that is needed. Whenever his mother is available to help him with his homework, she gets very impatient and annoyed. Joshua stays to himself on the bottom bunk in his bedroom that he shares with his other siblings. He doesn’t confide in anyone whenever he has problems. Joshua does not display all the elements on the emotional keyboard because he hasn’t been taught them. Joshua is filled with sadness, anger, disgust and fear. He displays joy when he is at school. Katrina did not provide consistent and unconditional love, guidance, and support to Joshua. Being that she works all the time to make ends meet, Joshua lacks most elements on the emotional keyboard. Joshua is learning to be independent because he doesn’t have anyone he can depend on. His teacher, Ms. Brown tries all she can to help Joshua but it will take time and dedication to get him where he needs to be. Joshua acts out at school because he hasn’t been taught how to behave in school or how to behave in a respectable manner.
Children need self-accusation, esteem, love/belonging, safety, and physiological needs in order to build healthy minds and bodies. Haley receives all of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which reflects on her character. Joshua lacks love/belonging, esteem, and safety. His character is due to lack of hierarchal needs. Joshua developmental needs have not fully been met and it causes stress, acting out, lack of social skills, and less empathy for others. Haley on the other hand, has all of the hierarchal needs which is why she doesn’t act out and show all of the elements of the emotional keyboard.
Read the information in chapter 2 about the “emotional keyboard.” For this blog comment you will write 2 scenarios about 2 different children. One child is middle class and one is a child of poverty. Name and describe the children and their emotional keyboard. Explicate their behaviors and why they behave emotionally the way that they do. Differentiate clearly between the two, and be realistic. Also, think about the developmental needs of children. Remember what early childhood children need (what needs must be met developmentally) in order for them to develop healthy minds and bodies (think Maslow’s Hierarchy).
John in six he lives in a poor neighborhood with his mom and little brother. John’s mom works a lot and his dad has never been around and John’s mom hates him for. When his mom doesn’t keep a promise or his brother loses something of his John never forgives them. He acts out a lot and it’s a direct result of all the accumulated anger. His mom won’t forgive so neither will he. John does not believe that people can change their situation. His mom works a lot of hours and still only barely manages to support them. If the hardest working person in his life is unable to succeed what chance does he have. Although John is not emotionally equipped when it comes to forgiveness or optimism he strives in areas such as gratitude and empathy. Because he is left alone so much with his younger brother he has learned patience, humility, and how to understand his brother’s needs and give them to him. Although he does not have a lot of toys or clothes John appreciates everything he has because he sees how hard his mother has to work to get these things for him.
Becky is six. She lives in a middle class neighborhood with her mom and little sister. Becky’s dad isn’t around much which is okay because he sends her every gift she could ever imagine. Becky hates her little sister. Her mom is always trying to make Becky share HER stuff and its bad enough she already has to share HER mom. Becky is far from pathetic she throws tantrums in the grocery store every time her mother won’t let her get candy. Although Becky isn’t emotionally equipped when it comes to patient or gratitude, she is very optimistic. Becky has a big dream of one day owning her own pet store and selling exotic animals from all around the world.
The differences between these two scenarios aren’t directly related to wealth. Even if John was rich and his father left and his mom was hard working he would have come to these same developmental stages and the same goes for Becky the depths of these stages are affected by the child socio-economic class, but most of a child’s emotions are based solely on their environment and the style of discipline the parents give them. A child from a poor background is more than capable of achieving the same emotional feelings as one that is not, it may require a longer amount of time in some cases, but it Is achievable.
In my first grade class, I have a student by the name of Dean Matthews. His father is a district store manager for a prominent grocery chain while his mother is a teacher at a private school in our area. Dean comes to class neatly dressed and well groomed everyday. He is on time, ready to participate, and eager to learn with each class. He has excelled in so many ways in and out of the classroom. He is an outstanding example for his class mates. In his everyday play you can find him showing others what it means to be patient when dealing with each other as well as when waiting for instruction. He shows gratitude for any action done for him and the class. For Dean to be so young he continuously shows me as well as others what it truly means to forgive someone i.e. his classmates. Although there may be a disruption between Dean and another student, he is quick to offer an apology to me as well as the other student involved. Throughout the day I find the children partaking in their daily centers and see Dean being respectful to his fellow classmate by respectful I mean allowing others to show him how a puzzle should be placed together and thanking them for their input. He not only shows what it means to be a gentleman by opening the doors for the girls in the class but also is eager to inform others on the correct etiquette behaviors without seeming condescending. With every activity you can find him being cooperative and ready to follow directions. But with the good comes the bad. There are times to where he feels upset or sadden while in the classroom. With these emotions he handles them accordingly and coming to talk with me about the issues even drawing a picture when he cant appropriately identify how he is feeling. Overall Dean is progressing very well emotionally. He is turning into quite a little adult. Showing not only his classmates but me as well what it means to truly be selfless and promote giving to others at such a young age. I truly believe that his home life promotes an emotional balance for him which in turn promotes a stable personality in the classroom.
My next student is Jonathon Leslie. Jonathon is a student who has a big heart once I was able to penetrate the surface. Jonathon is a repeat 1st grader who unfortunately was retained last year due to his lack of school attendance. His mother is a single mom of 4 with him being the oldest. She has missed our last 2 parent teacher conferences and opted out of home visits. When sending correspondences home about Jonathon’s progress or behaviors, there’s no response. In class Jonathon shows that he is emotionally behind his peers. His outlet for anger is that of hitting and using foul language. When trying to calm the situation, he resorts to further hitting and a tantrum that can interrupt class at any point. When things don’t go his way or he feels like things are taking too long he frequently acts out by running around the class and disruptive talking during the lesson. During reading time, rarely does Jonathon stay focused longer than 5-10mins, with this he becomes uncooperative and sometimes a challenge. Simple manners such as thank you seems to be something that is not apart of his vocabulary. He is constantly being condescending and pessimistic towards his classmates being considered a bully of sorts. He rarely has anything nice to say to his peers and never offers praise or appreciation for an action. He doesn’t have many friends in the class for the fear his anger will lash out at them. Jonathon has his days to where he is able to come into class and have an awesome attitude and show he is able to behave according. On these days we celebrate his triumphs. Continuously promoting to him that he his able to progress and be a good student without the added anger. In different group activities he is often paired with Dean whom I hope through interaction will help Jonathon learn new ways of doing things by seeing his peer perform the same task. Due to his home situation I understand why Jonathon experiences such a trying time in the classroom. When asked about his home situation, he often talks about his 3 younger sisters who he constantly seems to worry about throughout the school day. Unfortunately due to his home situations, I don’t believe Jonathon has been taught the correct ways to deal with his emotions. So in the classroom I try to promote activities to show him different methods of dealing with being hurt and different ways to deal with whatever is troubling him or the ones that make him happy.
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