With so many Texan students homeless or considered to be in generational poverty, it is important to be aware of these situations and sensitive to them. Students who are in generational poverty or middle class come to school with concerns from outside the classroom that vary from those of students in upper middle class families. It can be hard for students to focus on their education when their next place to sleep is uncertain or their next meal might not be until the next school lunch.
When they are in my classroom how do I level the playing field? It is important to keep my expectations high for all my students and not change them when I see a student struggle because of their home life. By not lowering my expectations I show all my students that I believe in them and their ability to succeed in my classroom and outside of it.
I am not just teaching geometry to my students but also life skills. I need to equip students with skills they can apply outside of school and they might not be learning these social skills at home. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students might not have adult role models. As their teacher I can be a role model to students. I can demonstrate proper etiquettes, professional dress, and behavior.
There are facts and statistics that prove the majority of the children we teach are not coming from privileged lifestyles. Learning about what resources they are lacking when they come into our classrooms will make us more receptive to their needs not just educationally. When they struggle we cannot just blame it on their intelligence, but a multitude of factors that are impacting their lives.
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