What+teachers+need+to+know+about+poverty

Children face poverty in disproportionate numbers, and are often put in schools with the fewest resources
 * What teachers need to know about poverty **

Social and educational significance of poverty

Teachers can't change the system, but they do have to respond to it

Understand children's situations at home, speak to children when they act up and give them time to cool off, talk to the entire class about everyone's feelings; such as if a student is acting up, tell them "_ is worried about her mom, she feels mad or sad because she is going through a hard time right now and we all need to help her."

Teachers who do well with children in poverty have deep-seated beliefs about teaching, learning, and children, do not regard students as "animals to be shaped," are not preoccupied by punishments and rewards, don't blame parents, but rather realize that most parents care a great deal and will help in any way possible; evaluate themselves whenever they evaluate the students; if students seem disengaged, teachers ask what they can do differently again and again; believe in the potential of children in poverty

"Poverty is a function of political economy, not of scarcity, and not of personality." Therefore, studying the actions and behaviors of poor people will not lead to an understanding of why they are poor. Teachers should study poverty and its consequence on children.

References: Books, S. (2004). What every teacher needs to know about poverty. In //Poverty and schooling in the U.S.: Contexts and consequences//. Mahwah, NJ: LEA. **Pages 5-13.**