Being a disadvantaged student is interesting. Often you read books about statistics that include people that seem too similar to yourself. Dead or in jail before 22 or any number of things that can happen to a young black male. I imagine that this is the stark reality faced by Scotch-Irish teens living in rural trailer parks in Appalachia or Native American youth who feel trapped in reservations. The sense that the system is rigged to trap you. Teaching kids from these backgrounds is tough work, but like all work, it can be done well. Let’s talk about how to go about doing that.
I’m not going to put up a front. Educators say that they always believe in you, but often you don’t believe in yourself. Sometimes looking back it even shocks you when you succeed in defiance of the odds. What becomes even tougher after you succeed is trying to fit in. Your neighborhood no longer knows what to make of you, because you made something of yourself.
The road to success is built on many tears. Tears of joy and tears of pain. But as a wise man once told me, life is built on a cruciform. We’re all going to have to sacrifice but determining what that sacrifice is and how much you’re willing to sacrifice makes all the difference. Teachers that pull kids from the grasp of generational poverty make this bargain clear to their students by not allowing them to slip into bad habits.
Typically immigrants coming to the United States don’t have much. This was true of my parents. They settled in Alief, Texas sometime during the late eighties. This remains true of many immigrants to this very day.
Come to think of it, no one had much, so most of us learned to depend on each other. This took many forms from staying over at a friend’s place until mom finished up her shift or hitting up the local Stop and Go for a snack. The shackles of poverty left you hungry for simple basics, collaboration took on a way too real meaning as we worked together shoplifting. Not even one person had money.
But even back then, I knew that I didn’t have to steal. I didn’t have to remain in that impoverished place. My teachers reminded me that each action was a choice. A choice that I made. You could choose success or failure. With their guidance and support, I chose success. Here are five keys for parents, teachers, mentors, and others about teaching to overcome poverty:
First Key: Embrace New Things.
Introduce your students to new concepts regularly. Although my parents had high standards and were hardworking, there were things they just didn’t know. Often this was a source of tension between my parents and teachers. Teachers often appeared to talk down to my parents. Common flashpoints being cultural differences in how schools should be run and how their expectations of students differed greatly.
Second Key: Teach Reality.
Do your best to tie your curriculum to the things kids are facing. It wasn’t until I had reached middle school that I feel the majority of my teachers understood me. Regardless of race, age, or gender, when someone gets your story it is a powerful feeling.
Third Key: Be a Model Mentor.
Don’t be afraid to let your students know your struggles and how you overcame them. I specifically remember my Science teacher in the 9th grade sharing how she made it through certain obstacles such as poverty to obtain her degree. Students don’t need to know every detail, but they should know your general story.
Fourth Key: Discovery of Passions.
Encourage students to discover their life passions. Although I didn’t score well in math and science, I was always interested in science. I didn’t even know how many options were out there for me. Science, as a result of this, was never a major focus. The thought of how poverty nearly robbed me of my life’s work, genuinely scares me. In case you aren’t aware I’ve now worked in clinical healthcare for over 10 years.
Fifth Key: Don’t Let Poverty Define The Way You Teach.
Yes, they lack resources. Yes, they wear the same clothes consistently. Yes, they lack support. No, you don’t have to pretend to ignore it. Necessity is the mother of invention. By encouraging creativity and understanding even the most impoverished of students can accomplish much.
Closing Thoughts
Having experienced firsthand what it takes to overcome poverty, education alone is not the answer. It takes much more. A big component that many youngsters lack is having the right mentors. People that charge and energize the personal grit necessary to overcome poverty and hardship.
When did you learn that you were destined to break the cycle of poverty? How did you know that you were on the path to success? Who guided you along the path of success? I look forward to reading about your own experiences or about your experiences helping others overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
