1. Rural Poverty
Instruction
Ideas for Teacher Education
Sharon & Stephen Metcalfe
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Sharon: sharon.metcalfe@mvnu.edu
Stephen: stephen.metcalfe@mvnu.edu
2. Views of Poverty
Poverty Policies = âPrograms for people
in the inner city.â
⢠âDeserving Poorâ versus âUnderclassâ
3. Urban/Rural Sociological Differences
(Natchigal, 1982)
Rural Urban
⢠Personal/Tightly ⢠Impersonal/loosely
linked coupled
⢠Generalists ⢠Specialists
⢠Homogenous ⢠Heterogeneous
⢠Traditional Values ⢠Liberal Values
⢠Lower/smaller density ⢠Greater/Larger density
⢠Seasonal orientation ⢠Time-clock orientation
4. Views of âRuralâ
âLess populated versionâ of urban & suburban America.
(Natchigal. 1982)
âPeople Left Behindâ living beneath ânormalâ standards:
hicks â backward â uncultured â illiterateâ â provincial
âA place where The Good Life can still be lived.â
Mayberry/Green Acres
âWhere city folks go to play, relax, escape.â (Sinagatullin, 2009)
5. Rural Poor Demographics
(Duncan, 1992)
⢠30% of the U.S. population lives in
rural areas.
⢠40% of ALL poverty is rural.
⢠80% of rural poor are White.
*Most non-white rural families are poor.
6. Rural Poverty Demographics
(Duncan, 1992)
1. Typically working poor.
65% of rural poor families have 1+ person employed.
Rural Poverty âAmerican Dreamâ:
âSteady job that allows me to make my way
without owing anybody anything.â
2. Typically two-parent families.
3. Higher percent are elderly.
7. SES âCulturesâ
Two Lenses: (Neuman, 2009)
â âCulture of Achievementâ: middle
class routines/language fostering
â âCulture of Material Hardshipâ:
Learned approaches to living
without adequate resources (coping)
8. SES âCulturesâ
Two Lenses of âCultural Capitalâ
(Bourdieu as cited in Holyfield, 2002, p. 53)
â âAesthetic Tasteâ: middle class codes
and guides to âproper behaviorâ
â âTaste of Necessityâ: adaptation and
acceptance of âthe necessaryâ
9. Being Poor in the Country
(Holyfield, 2002)
⢠Harder being poor in the country.
⢠Harder escaping from poverty in the
country.
10. Being Poor in the Country
(Holyfield, 2002)
⢠Poverty hides easier in the country.
â Typically single-car families.
â Lack of transportation isolates families.
Isolation promotes âinvisibilityâ.
11. Rural Poor
Educational Attainment
(Holyfield, 2002)
⢠Rural Poor Adults:
44.5%= Less than a high school education
32.8% = High school diploma only
22.7% = Any schooling beyond high school
â77.3% = HS diploma or less
12. Rural Poor Educational Needs
⢠Language reflects acquired information.
(Anastasiow & Hanes, 1976)
â Product of both ethnicity and SES
âPoor Englishâ Spoken by the economically poor.
â Structurally less âsophisticatedâ.
â Often interpreted as âless intelligentâ.
â Historical link to discrimination.
13. Rural Poor Cultural Tools
⢠Teachers assume âLanguage of Schoolâ
Children of poverty âtranslateâ school English.
Reflects higher cognitive activity.
14. Poverty & Brain Development
(Jensen, 2009b)
Environment impacts development.
Poverty is an adverse environment.
⢠Affects these areas of life:
⢠Physical-Emotional-Psychological health;
Linguistic development; Medical coverage;
Social opportunities; Career options;
Financial opportunities
15. Poverty and the Brain (Jensen, 2009b)
⢠Poverty: chronic mind/body condition.
â Chronic instability adds chronic stress.
⢠Poverty impacts the brain for the worse.
â Impulsivity
â Poor short-term memory development
â Greater instance of depression
⢠Physical brain structures of people in poverty
are different than those who arenât.
Good News: The Brain can Change.
16. Common Poverty Risk Factors
1. Emotional and social challenges
2. Acute and chronic stressors
3. Cognitive lags
4. Health and safety issues
Common teacher complaints about low
SES students:
Chronic tardiness, Lack of motivation,
Inappropriate behavior, Absenteeism
17. Poverty in Your Classroom
Disadvantage responds much like disability.
(Tokuhama-Espinosa, 2010)
⢠Poor school-readiness skills lead low SES
children to exhibit classroom behaviors that
may be unproductive-to-seriously disruptive.
(Howard, Dresser, & Dunklee, 2009, p. 29)
18. Poverty in Your Classroom
Students from poverty are more likely to have
challenges or real-world concerns with:
Organizational skills/supplies Transportation
Reading Readiness Skills Parental support
Prioritizing academics Short-term memory
Emotional/social regulation Medical/health issues
(Jensen, 2009b)
19. Poverty in Your Classroom
Poverty-Related Deficits:
Lack of a Present Tense orientation (Payne, 2006)
â No planning = no prediction
â âNo predictionâ impedes cause/effect skills
â Cause/effect identifies consequences.
â Consequence ID improves impulsivity control.
â Impulsivity control prevents TROUBLE
20. âPoverty is Diversityâ
⢠Focus on how your students in poverty learn.
⢠Attend to what your students bring to the
learning setting.
⢠Diagnostic , not a âprogrammaticâ approach.
âWhatâs going on here?â
21. Rural-Specific Education
(Schaft & Jackson, 2010)
3 foci:
⢠Identity â Restructuring, affirming locality
⢠Place â What does education have to say
about the local experience?
⢠Community â Linking education & investment in
local over global interests.
22. Strategies for Teaching Students
in Poverty
1. Build positive relationships with
students and families.
2. Conduct frequent formative assessment.
3. Integrate learning experiences and
instruction.
4. Create a positive climate for instruction
(level the playing field). (Howard, Dresser, & Dunklee, 2009)
23. 1. Positive Relationships
⢠Model respect â Low SES students need context,
background, or skills.
â Always say please and thank you
â Avoid directives
â Avoid sarcasm
â Take responsibility for mistakes and make
amends
â Be consistent and fair
24. 1. Positive Relationships
Provide hope; build supportive relationships
⢠Promote student status
⢠Embed social skills
â Basic meet-and-greet skills
â Turn-taking skills
â Teach/Remind students to use courtesy words.
25. 1. Positive Relationships
Learn your studentsâ needs
â Academic tutoring/counseling; Reading materials
â Career, mental health counseling
â Child care for teen parents
â Life skills classes (finances, health, housing)
â Medical and psychological care; Dental care;
Access to medications
â Arrangements for when students stay after school
26. 1. Positive Relationships
Empower students
â Take time to teach HOW to act differently
â Role-model problem solving strategies
â Introduce âResponsibilityâ and âMaking Restitutionâ
â Conflict resolution/Anger management skills
â Goal setting
â Stress reduction techniques
(recognize the signs of chronic stress)
27. 1. Positive Relationships
Include parents, provide support and outreach
â Schedule times convenient for parents who work
different shifts/group conferences for siblings.
â Encourage and organize carpooling or taxis.
⢠Be inclusive
â Our school, Our classroom
â Acknowledge students for small productive things
â Celebrate effort as well as achievement
28. 2. Formative and Summative
Assessments
⢠Frequent assessment:
â Informs instruction
â Helps identify what students do well
â Identifies sources of difficulties
â Assesses prior knowledge
â Provides corrective feedback, continuous
improvement
29. 3. Integrate Learning Experiences
⢠Link what is known to new learning.
⢠Tie content to studentsâ real-life.
⢠Engage students.
30. 3. Integrate Learning Experiences
Teach, Model, Practice Core Skills
â Attention
â Sort-and long-term memory
â Sequencing and processing
â Problem-solving
â Perseverance; applying skills in long term
â Hopefulness and self-esteem
â Social skills
31. 3. Integrate Learning Experiences
⢠Teach Language Arts in all instruction.
(Anastasiow & Hanes, 1976)
â Cycle-of-failure potential increases without
mastery of middle-class English.
â Decode language the teacher uses and match it.
Train for âthe culture of commerceâ.
(Delpit, 1995)
32. 3. Integrate Learning Experiences
⢠No more than 50% of instructional time for new
content.
â Brain works best with time to absorb new learning.
⢠Learn, discuss, take a walk. Encourage processing.
⢠Add new strategies regularly, monitor progress
⢠Provide specific, customized, monitored, skill-
building activities (30-90 min/day)
⢠Increase arts activities, physical activity.
âBrain aerobicsâ
33. 3. Integrate Learning Experiences
CHAMPS
Championâs Mind Set
Hopeful Effort
Attentional Skills Never assume intact
cognitive strategies.
Memory
Processing Skills
Sequencing Skills
34. 4. Positive Climate for Instruction
⢠Create a User-Friendly classroom.
⢠Create a democratic learning environment.
⢠Positive feedback early and often.
⢠Provide verbal and nonverbal cues.
⢠Deepen staff understanding, empathy, and
cultural knowledge/relevance of instruction to
local identity and community. (Woodrum, 2011)
35. 4. Positive Climate for Instruction
⢠Structure time effectively.
⢠Be flexible - culturally and academically.
⢠Sense of humor.
⢠Celebrate successes.
⢠Augment nutrition: healthy snacks, water.
⢠Before/after school homework clubs,
transportation.
36. Seven âOdds-Changingâ
Instructional Principles
(Neuman, 2009)
1. Target your neediest students.
2. Earlier is better.
3. Coordinate services.
4. Focus on âcompensatory instructionâ.
5. Use the highest qualified instructors available.
6. Donât dilute any instruction â quality matters.
7. Always hold high standards and accountability.
37. References
⢠Anastasiow, N. J., & Hanes, M. L. (1976). Language patterns of poverty
children. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
⢠Bishop, B. (2010). Poverty highest in rural America: Rising in recession.
Daily Yonder. Retrieved from http://www.dailyyonder.com/poverty-
highest-rural-america-rising-recession/2010/12/21/3098
⢠Conger, R. D., & Donnellan, M. B. in Crane, D. R., & Heaton, T. B., Eds.
(2008). Handbook of families and poverty. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
⢠Coombs, P. H., & Ahmed, M. (1974). Attacking rural poverty: How
nonformal education can help. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins
University Press.
⢠Delpit, L. D. (1995). Other peopleâs children. New York, NY: New Press.
38. References (continued)
⢠DiFazio, W. (2006) Ordinary people: A little food and cold storage.
Philadelphia, PA: Temple University.
⢠Duncan, C. M. (1992) Rural poverty in America. Westport, CT:
Auburn House.
⢠Hansen, N. M. (1970). Rural poverty and the urban crisis.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University.
⢠Holyfield, L. (2002). Moving up and out: Poverty, education, and the
single parent family Philadelphia, PA: Temple University.
⢠Howard, T., Dresser, S. G., & Dunklee, D. R. (2009). Poverty is not a
learning disability. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
⢠Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind, (2nd ed.).
Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
⢠Jensen, E. (2009a). Super teaching: Over 100 practical strategies, (4th
ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
39. References (continued)
⢠Jensen, E. (2009b). Teaching with poverty in mind. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD.
⢠Leone, B. (1999) Poverty: Opposing views. San Diego, CA:
Greenhaven Press.
⢠Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD.
⢠Nachtigal, P. M. (1982). Rural education: In search of a better way.
Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
⢠Neuman, S. B. (2009) Changing the odds for children at risk: Seven
essential principles of educational programs that break the cycle
of poverty. Westport, CT: Praeger.
⢠O'Connor, A. (2001). Poverty knowledge. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University.
40. References (continued)
⢠OâHare, W. P. (2009). The forgotten fifth: Child poverty in rural
America. Carsey Institute, University of New Hampshire, Vol. 10.
Retrieved from
http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/Report-OHare-
ForgottenFifth.pdf.
⢠Payne, R.K. (2003). A framework for understanding poverty, (3rd ed.).
Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc.
⢠Pilisuk, M., & Pilisuk, P. (1971). Poor Americans: How the white poor
live. New York, NY: Aldine Publishing.
⢠Provasnik, S., Kewal-Ramani, A. Coleman, M. M., Gilbertson, L.,
Herring, W., & Xie, Q. (2007). Status of education in rural
America. National Center For Educational Statistics, Institute of
Education Sciences. Washington D.C.: US Dept. of Education.
41. References (continued)
⢠Sinagatullin, I. M. (2009). Teaching is more than pedagogical
practice: Thirty-three strategies for dealing with contemporary
students. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
⢠Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2010) The new science of teaching and
learning: Using the best of mind, brain, and education science in
the classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
⢠Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in
our times. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
⢠US Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2004) Rural
poverty at a glance. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/
publications /rdrr100/rdrr100.pdf.
⢠Watras, J. (2002). The foundations of educational curriculum and
diversity: 1565 to the present. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
42. References (continued)
⢠Wilson, Z. (2011). Speak your piece: Rural education reform.
Daily Yonder. Retrieved from http://www.dailyyonder.
com/speak-your-piece-rural-educationreform/2011/08/22
/3487.
⢠Woodrum, A. (2011). Rural education for the twenty-first
century: Identity, place, and community in a globalizing
world. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 26(5).
Retrieved from http://jrre.psu.edu/articles/26-5.pdf.
*âTo get kids to focus on academic excellence, we must remove the real-world concerns that are much higher on their mental and emotional priority listsâ (Jensen, 2009, p. 73)
Engaging Instruction â any strategy to get kids to participate emotionally, cognitively, or behaviorallyGather information from students about what excites them, what bores themCommunicate the evidence and make a plan
Add a strategy each week and monitor progressSwitch up social groupsIncorporate movement Ask more compelling questionsAppreciate and acknowledge every responseUse energizers, games, drama, simulations, and other demonstration strategiesKeep content alive with call-backs, hand raisers, stretching, and unfinished sentences and review questionsBe passionate about what you teachBuild in processing time to build in-depth understandings and process contentNever use more than 50% of instructional time to deliver new contentArts, Athletics, and Advanced PlacementâExercise increases the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that supports learning and memory function, repair and maintenance of neural circuits, and the production of brain cells that are crucial to forming the connections the brain needs to learnâ (Jensen, 2009b, p. 120).Exercise protects against negative factors of stress, disabilities, and diseases and enhances memory, focus, and brain function.Implement a strong arts program â arts build the student brainâs academic operating system and should be integrated into all subject areasâŚmusic, visual, and kinetic artsStep up the activity â minimum of 30 minutes a day, five days a week of voluntary, gross motor repetitive activityImplement an advanced placement curriculum (once the brain is more fit, it must be challenged)
CHAMPS â Championâs Mind Set, Hopeful Effort, Attentional Skills, Memory, Processing Skills, Sequencing SkillsHow to boost working memory: use pause technique, chunk content then review, prime the learning, do fast physical activity first to activate frontal lobe dopamine and norepinephrine.Sequencing Skills:Learning a new languageMusical artsProjectsWritten lists and timelinesModels, diagrams, flow chartsDramaTalking out loud, journaling, check listsSummary storiesTalk through a process with partner listeningGraphic organizersContent on cards in orderActivity steps-physical activity checklistAttentional Skills: brain is naturally attracted to novelty, contrast, reward, and movement, playing an instrumentPartner, teamwork â 1 review, 1 writeTheater, drama, or danceSpecialize computer gamesHigh interest readingProcessing skills: reading, writing, science, relationships, auditory processingPost on the wall clear directions of what you want the student to doObserve another doing it, take notesUse models and flow chartsTalk through your own thinking with partner/coachCreate experiment to test hypothesis