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Dr. Graves
About Me
- Dr. Graves
- Dr. Graves grew up in Texas, where she earned a B.S.I.S. in early childhood education and a M.A .in education administration from Lubbock Christian University before completing her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Texas Tech University. Before earning her Ph.D., she taught in the Lubbock I.S.D. public school system. Dr. Graves joined the Emporia State faculty in 2007 and teaches a combination of reading and language arts methods courses and graduate reading courses. Her research interest include culturally responsive teaching, multiple literacies, and academic success for students in Title I schools.
Abigail Chappell, Section O
ReplyDeleteBecause we did not know how to post until today, I have been recording my observations in Microsoft Word. I am posting all five of them today. I dated them by when I made the observation related to the Payne book.
August 14, 2009
In chapter four, Ruby K. Payne discusses the characteristics of generational poverty. One of these characteristics is the importance of relationships. She states, “One only has people upon which to rely, and those relationships are important to survival.” In school, this implies that in order to make a difference, it is of paramount importance that the teacher establishes a relationship with students and parents. In my third grade classroom – in which most students receive lunch free or for a reduced price – my mentor teacher is working to do just that. Each quarter, she is making a home visit to each student’s house. Parents have already signed up for the first-quarter home visit. She will bring used books, and the child can choose a book to keep. She will read the book with the child and his/her parents, modeling how to read aloud with a child. Then she will have them sign up for the second quarter home visit. She is such a social and friendly person that I feel that this will be a great success. The students are already very excited by the idea of having their teacher come to their home. I think that building these relationships will help her to better teach all children, but especially those living in poverty.
Abigail Chappell, Section O
ReplyDeleteAugust 17, 2009
During my days at Washington Elementary, I have noticed that one African American boy in my class seems to lack the formal register. He always speaks in the casual register, using nonstandard English even when the situation calls for more formal language. In chapter four, Payne notes that minority students and poor students may not have access to the formal register at home, so it needs to be directly taught, as otherwise they are at a grave disadvantage. I am interested in finding books and lessons that would be relevant to teaching the formal register, as that is not something which I am certain exactly how to teach.
Abigail Chappell, Section O
ReplyDeleteAugust 18, 2009
Today I witnessed something related to discipline that made me think of the Ruby Payne book. A student was disciplined for not doing his homework, and he began arguing loudly, explaining that there were many reasons why he could not complete fifteen minutes of reading during the weekend. In chapter seven, Payne states, “Poverty is participatory, and the culture has a distrust of authority.” Those living in poverty see the system as dishonest and unfair. I can see how this student would view the system this way. In fact, he definitely saw the situation as unfair, and he distrusted that the teacher understood his own circumstances. The teacher handled this by refusing to listen to his explanations and walking away. This was effective in abruptly terminating the situation, and both teacher and student continued with their day in a positive way. I do wonder, however, if this further ingrained in the student the idea that the system is dishonest and unfair. Payne would have suggested that the teacher ask the student to use a four-part sheet explaining what he did, why he did it, four other things he could have done, and what he will do next time. I think that had he filled out this sheet in regards to arguing angrily with the teacher, it might have helped him to better understand his behavior and to behave better next time. It might have showed him that the system can be fair if students meet expectations.
Abigail Chappell, Section O
ReplyDeleteAugust 21, 2009
The same student who yesterday argued with the teacher about homework had another issue today. It was related to his constant touching of objects and people. He is especially touchy-feely with adults, wanting constant hugs and to hold the teacher’s hand. This can be appropriate at times, but it also means that he constantly gets out of line in the hallway and even has difficulty focusing, as he is always busy touching everything.
The Payne book suggests two reasons why this could be. One thing she notes is that those living in poverty rely heavily upon non-verbal data and touch. Her proposed solution is to allow the hands-one approach in a way that does not distract the student or others. For instance, he could be encouraged to doodle.
A second thing Payne notes is that those in poverty value and rely upon relationships with others. Hence, this student’s hugs could be him showing that he values and relies upon the relationship that he has with his teacher, student teacher, and others. I think that we need to be patient and understanding of this.
August 25, 2009
ReplyDeleteIn chapter six, Ruby Payne identifies support systems that schools can use to benefit students in poverty. I have seen two of these implemented at Washington Elementary. The first is schoolwide homework support. Washington does not actually implement it as the book describes. However, students who stay for School Plus have time to do their homework in a structured environment where they can get help as needed. This provides them with opportunities to practice following through with assignments, learn academic content, and achieve success.
The second support system that I have seen implemented is the direct teaching of classroom survival skills. My mentor teacher directly explained to students how to raise their hands to offer suggestions, when it is appropriate to sharpen one’s pencil or use the bathroom, where to put one’s things, and so on. Payne notes that some of these are hidden rules that may be confusing to those living in poverty. By teaching them directly to all students, my mentor teacher helped increase the success of all students in her classroom.
Heather McCartin, Section 0
ReplyDeleteI recently went to my school's back-to-school-night and I agree wholeheartedly with Abigail's August 14th comment about relationships. Payne spent a great deal of time talking about them in her book. I believe that it is important to foster the relationship between teacher, parents, and students in the beginning of the academic year. The status of the relationships can set the tone for the rest of the school year.
Kristi Wenger 8/27/09 section O
ReplyDeleteI just went to my back to school night at Northview. Only seven parents came out of sixteen. After meeting these parents I have to say I agree with Heather about it is important to foster the relationship between teacher, parents, and students right from the start. If you don't have a good relationship with parents and students then the year will not go well. I am hoping to meet all the parents but not sure if it will happen. Some of the students in the class don't live with there mother or father. There life is pretty rough. It is sad that life is this way to these students. I think it is a good idea to make sure the students feel safe and want to come to school.
Wow Abigail! I can't believe your teacher actually goes out to each student's house and visits them. I think that that is an awesome way to build relationships with the parents and students like Ruby discussed in the book. I just think that in today's society it's so dangerous to go to someone's home who you don't know very well. You never know what's waiting behind the door!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's interesting that she goes to each house by herself. Home visits have come up in several of our classes this year, and all of our professors have said that they can be dangerous. I must say that Ms. Steen does not seem concerned. She has done this in previous years and has never had a problem. She also has all of the students over to her house a couple of times a year. When it comes to building relationships with both students and their families (as well as faculty members at school), she is definitely a role model!!
ReplyDeleteI am in a fifth grade classroom at Rolling Ridge, and I have a boy in my class whose family is not very well off. He lives with only his mother. They receive a lot of support from the school and groups around the community. On the sneak-a-peek night him and his mother came in and informed us that they didn't have his supplies with them that night because they were getting supplies from the school. My teacher made sure to get the supplies from the teacher in the building who was supplying him with them so that he could have them for the first day of school. A few days after class started, the students were asked to bring in a bag that had things that described about themselves. In this bag the same boy brought his Wii numchuck remote because he loves to play his Wii games, and he also loves to watch t.v. at home because he has 250 channels to watch. Over the past few weeks we have also heard from this boy all of the places that he likes to eat out at. This astonished my mentor and me both. It just shocked me to see what some families deem as importatn to spend their money on and what they don't.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy hearing your stories and comments! Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteAmber Jackson
ReplyDeleteI was observing kindergarten students during center time. I overheard a little boy ask a girl if she wanted to be his 'real' girlfriend or his 'school' girlfriend. At first, I was shocked. I thought these kids are only in kindergarten and they are already trying to 'hook up' at school. I remember the Ruby Payne book commented on relationships and family ties. To me, it sounded as if this boy has been exposed to a person with multiple significant others and is under the impression that it is acceptable.
When my mentor overheard the boy, she immediately redirected the two students, and explained that in kindergarten we are all just friends, not girlfriends and boyfriends. She seemed a little taken back by the conversation as well.
Angela Onstott
ReplyDeleteI am in a third grade classroom at Havencroft. My mentor has weekly classroom meetings where the students can talk about issues they are having in the classroom and/or at home. There is a three ring binder in the back of the classroom where the students can write the issues they want to talk about in their meetings. It is voluntary on whether or not they put their names in the book. When they sit down for the meeting she passes around a palm tree and when you want to speak you raise your hand and they hand you the palm tree which gives you permission to speak. I think that this is a great way for the students to communicate about what they consider appropriate and unappropriate behavior. The teacher also gives her input on each situation to let them know what is correct and what is incorrect and what they can do to make the situation correct. It gives her the chance to get to know the students on a more personal level and maybe help them through a tough situation at home. Sometimes they are allowed to behave one way at home that is unappropriate for school and they had no idea. It also shows the kids how it effects everyone when they do something hurtful. This is a great support system for the kids and the teacher.
Kristi Wenger
ReplyDeleteI am at NorthView and in a 4th grade class. There is this one student who seems to always be in trouble. If I go up to him and ask him to stop doing what he is doing, he just ignores me as if I never said a word to him. I ask my mentor about it and she said he does the same thing to her. She told me that I need to just make him have eye contact with me when I have to correct him; she said he then will do what I ask him to. We were told that we are going to have to put him on a behavior plan. I feel very sorry for him because he doesn't live with mom or dad. He came into school today asking if we have lunch money for him. I also have noticed that he will come in with the same clothes on from the day before. I think by the look of things that he has a pretty rough home life. I am guessing that is why he might come into school with attitude most of the time. When you know these kind of things about a student, you just want to try to help them all.
Ashlay Parker
ReplyDeleteI am at Washington Elementary in the 6th grade classroom. The first week of school I observed that there is 1 Caucasion, 5 blacks and 9 Hispanic. In Ruby Payne we talked a lot about Diversity in the classroom and different ways to present the issue if it comes up in class. Throughout the whole six grade class its very diversed.
Heather McCartin
ReplyDeleteLast week I was thinking about how my elementary school (Northview) provides a breakfast opportunity for the students. Some of the students at the school may not have the opportunities or resources to have a good breakfast to start the day at home, and it is great that the elementary school provides that service for students.
Angela, I love the format of your mentor's class meetings. Having a book where you can write down an issue that you do not want to address publicly puts less pressure on students and may give students an extra incentive to share (knowing that it could be private).
ReplyDeleteOne student in my fifth grade class at Rolling Ridge I can tell has a very rough home life. On back to school night her mother brought her, her three siblings, and a child that she babysits. It was very apparant that beings the student is the oldest child in her family she basically takes care of her younger siblings and the child her mother babysits. The mother kept sending the children out into the hallway because they were beging loud, but they were sent back because they weren't allowed in the hallway, finally the mom gave up, pulled on of her sons by the arm, and forced him to stand facing the wall for the remainder of the meeting. It was very hard to watch all of this going on, and it makes me have a lot more sympathy for this girl because I know how her home life is and the way it seems her and her siblings are treated.
ReplyDeleteAmber Jackson
ReplyDeleteRuby Payne dicusses different support systems the school can provide for students. At Countryside they have set up a support system through the entire school for all students. We have something called Countryside Communities. It is a group of students (at least one from each grade) and a teacher. These communities are set in place to give the students another feeling of belonging to something. These communities are to make the students feel more comfortable in the school setting and allow them to branch out and make new relationships with others they may not have ever had a chance to work with.
On top of the communities, every Tuesday is a 'Tune-Up Tuesday.' On Tuesdays, everyone, staff and students, are encouraged to wear their Countryside Rocks t-shirt. All the students were given a t-shirt that is the exact same as the staff. On Tuesdays, we focus on ways to improve the overall school community. This is a positive way to encourage a safe environment at our school.
Angela I love the way your teacher has the class meetings organized. We have class meetings too but they are not led that way. The teacher is the one with the agenda and it is mostly about things the students need to know concerning upcoming schoolwide activities such as picture day or walk-a-thon, etc. I would love to try this kind of class meeting out with my kids if I ever get a chance! It seems like a great way to make sure the kids feel like part of the classroom and like their voices are really being heard.
ReplyDelete-Maria Ramos
Maria Ramos
ReplyDeleteOver the past few weeks I have seen more than one situation in my own classroom with students of low income families. (I am at Countryside, 4th grade, by the way). The most recent is a boy who missed 2 days of school last week. My mentor teacher commented that she saw a moving truck in front of his house on her way to school. When he came back after 3 days, I went to him and told him we had missed him and asked him if he had been sick, and he just told me "no, my mom and dad can't pay the bills anymore so we had to move". I was so saddened by that but he didn't seem to mind. He said he liked his new house which was a duplex. I remember reading in the Payne book how students of lower income families struggle academically but this doesn't seem to affect this particular student. He tells me that his family helps him study and do hw, which I think is fantastic. He is one of the better students of our class.
However, we also have a girl in kind of the same situation. She struggles academically but we learned from the counselor that her mother was recently arrested,and her older brother is already in jail, so she has to live with her aunt. She doesn't get much help from her family with her studies, and has shown little signs of improvement. It reminded me of the Payne section where it talked about the different kinds of lifestyles students like these had at home. It's dfficult for me to be upset with her for not doing well when I know what she has to go home to.
by the way, I have no idea why but when I signed up it used my moms gmail account becuase I don't have one, so that's why it says "Marina"..just so you all know! :)
ReplyDeleteMy Kindergarten classroom is very diverse. Ruby Payne talked about diversity throughout the book. There are 8 Hispanics, 4 African Americans and 10 caucasions. The students get along very well and do not treat one another any different. This is good, because every child gets to be involved in group activities and is aloud to put their input on the subject being learned. My mentor does a great job of presenting diversity in her classroom.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading the Ruby Payne book she talked throughout the book at support systems. At Washington Elementary we have a buddy system to help those students who may have behavoir problems or just need someone they can talk to. The Buddy system is set up where seleceted students are paired up with a teacher, counseolor or prinicipal that they can go to for support. From what I have seen so far it in a lot of students its important and works very well.
ReplyDeleteWhen moving to Olathe I would have never imagined that poverty would be a huge concern. I had 7 students in my classroom who did not have supplies at the beginning of the school year. The school has provided them with some supplies, but several students are already low and have not brought any to replenish their supply. We have some homework issues with a few students. We have found out that 2 students go to work with mom and dad after school and do not get home until after midnight. When they get to school they are dead tired, starving and just want and need lots of attention. 6th grade teachers are meeting almost every week to discuss and come up with a plan to help these students. It seems in everybody's interest to feel bad for the students, but at the end of the day we still are held responsible for their eduction.
ReplyDeleteKristi Wenger
ReplyDeleteLast week at my school Northview, I had a small group that I took to the library. I was to assist them while they took their test. While in the library the police showed up. One of the boys in my group really got scared. He kept on saying "are the po po's after me". This really had me concerned. I tried all I could to calm him down. I told him that they were not there for him. He said "will they take me out of here with hand cuffs"? I decide to take them to a different place so they couldn’t see the police. This really had me thinking. Most of the students in my small group are in the category of low income. This boy, he doesn't live with mom or dad. I said to him that the correct word is police man. I think that it depends on where you live and how you are brought up is how you relate to situations like that. I think most kids wouldn’t have freaked out like he did.
In my forth grade class there is a boy who doesn't have mom around. His dad doesn't pay to much attention to him. He comes in everyday full of energy. He makes comments at times like "dad never looks at my agenda" or "dad doesn't care if I do my homework so why should I". This is pretty sad. I just want to make him think differently but how. You always know when he comes in and mom has been around. He is in a really bad mood and can not stay on task. He is very angry. This is a terrible thing. They are also low income. Most of the time, he will wear the same clothes three times out of five days. I always try to say something positive to him in the morning and when he leaves at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I was standing outside of the school. It was the end of the day and the students were going home. I notice this one little boy walking towards me. I said are you waiting for mom and dad to pick you up? He said back to me that it was just mom that dad doesn't live with him. He went on to tell me that his dad and mom are not married. I said that is okay. He then said to me as he walked away, that his dad is in jail. He walked away and I was left speechless. I have found that there are several students at Northview that are really down on their luck. You are able to see this poverty in the kids. Almost every one of them has a story.
ReplyDeleteKristen Holsapple, Section O
ReplyDeleteSince the beginning of the year I have been making mental notes of things that I have noticed in my 1st grade classroom at Northview Elementary. My first observation was done at back to school night in August. In chapter four, Ruby K. Payne talks about how important it is that the teacher establishes a relationship with students and parents. The parents did not seem interested at all to see what their child was going to be doing during the school because only 10 parents of students out of 23 students showed up. There were some parents that wanted to know EVERYTHING but then there were some that never called, never check their Go Home binder, their Between You and Me Notebook, or even look at their child's school work. I do not think that there was a lot of opportunity given to the parents during back to school night to open up a relationship with the teacher. It was more of a let me know if you have questions type of deal and I am starting to see now the impact of not having those relationships because parents are wanting to meet with my mentor before school because they do not understand why their child is reading at a certain level or getting in trouble throughout the school day.
Just this last week I was having a conversation with another teacher at my NV Elementary School. We were talking about how so many of the students have cell phones. I did not expect many of the students to have phones of their own. It just goes to show that students of all incomes go to Title I schools.
ReplyDeleteI am working with 5th graders at Rolling Ridge. There is one ELL student who is really struggling with understanding lessons. He is actually supposed to have a para for a couple hours a day, but hasn't received one yet. He came to Rolling Ridge at the end of the year last year and they have just received his old IEPs from his other schools. He is a student that has moved around a lot and most likely by the time his needs are being met he will be moving again. I can tell it is hard for him to ask for help and that he is trying to attract attention by doing silly things in class to distract away from his lack of understanding. He also really likes to tell stories and talk all the time. It is distracting others around him. We know he can do better and hope that he will be at Rolling Ridge long enough to make a difference in his learning.
ReplyDeleteJoel Patterson, Section O
ReplyDeleteDrawing from the same chapter as Kristen did above (chap. 4) I made a similar observation at our back to school night and our curriculum night/camp read a lot. There seems to be a disconnect between a lot of our students parents and the school. For each of these events we had less than 5 parents show up and we have 22 students in the class. I understand that these parents must have busy schedules, but I've been shocked at how uninterested many of these parents are with their child's education.
In response to mufford's September 21 post (sorry I don't know your name), I too am in a diverse kindergarten class at Countryside. There are 4 Hispanic, 1 Philipeano, 2 African American, and 11 Caucasian. The students do not discriminate due to race, but they definitely want seperation between genders.
ReplyDeleteSnack time is the worst when a student brings pink packaged snacks for girls and blue for boys or Spiderman fruit snacks and My Little Pony fruit snacks. Some students get very upset and will even tease another student for taking the 'wrong' snack. We continuously have to correct the students by saying all the snacks are the same just different shapes and colors and it doesn't matter what one you choose.
Amber Jackson
ReplyDelete* I forgot to post my name on the 1st Sept. 25 post.
Amber Jackson
ReplyDeleteNot only is my own kindergarten class diverse, but the entire kindergarten class is. Countryside is an ELL school. We do a school-wide morning enrichment program called Smart Start. In Smart Start, students from the same grade mix based on their pre-assessment scores for a week of enrichment.
Today, my group consisted of the ELL students and the medium-high students. One of the ELL students, who isn't in my everyday class, was struggling to understand the oral directions of the pre-test. I took it upon myself to help her by translating key words I know in Spanish. She still wasn't understanding me. My mentor came up to me and informed me that she speaks Arabic. I felt so embarrassed. I had no idea that she spoke Arabic and it made a lot of sense that she wasn't understanding me.
This incident made me more aware of the importance to know all the students' backgrounds that you work with.
Nicole Delich
ReplyDeleteI am at Countryside Elementary in second grade. One thing me and my mentor teacher have been noticing when it comes to poverty is lunches. Countryside has a high number of free and reduced lunches. My mentor told me how you can usually tell whether a student is on free or reduced lunch or not if a student always gets cold or hot lunch. If they are on free and reduced lunch they are most likely to get hot lunch because it is partly or fully paid for. To our surprise a number of the students in our class bring a cold lunch and I think everyone has brought their lunch atleast one time. My mentor said she has never seen so many students bring her lunch and to her this shows that we do not have that many low income families in our class.
Nicole Delich
ReplyDeleteI am commenting on Amber's post. I agree that it is important to know the studnts backgrounds that you are working with, atleast the language they speak. I think that a lot of people assume that if someone's primary language is not English than it must be Spanish, especially if they have characteristics of someone who may speak Spanish.
Amber Jackson
ReplyDeleteNicole - That is exactly what I thought. I found myself just assuming that since she had darker skin and hair and didn't speak English first that she must speak Spanish. I don't even think about all the other languages that are around since I am only exposed to English and Spanish a regular basis. I don't know many people personally that speak Arabic. I find it difficult to step out of my own box at times.
Throughout the entire Ruby Payne books there is a lot of discussion about diversity. In my first grade classroom at Northview Elementary there are 14 Caucasians, 3 African Americans, 2 Hispanics, 1 Asian, and 3 Mutli Race students for a total of 23 students in one classroom.
ReplyDeleteSara Mehl Section O
ReplyDeleteToday I found out about a project that gives students in need bookbacks to take home on the weekends that are filled with nutritional snacks. They take them home on Fridays and return them on Mondays. In my fifth grade class at Rolling Ridge there are five students who are participating in this program. Parents fill out paper work to qualify and it goes by their income. Most classes have three students at the most in the program so by having five in our classroom is very telling of the needs of the students in our class. Although a couple of the students are living in nice homes and dress pretty well. It makes me wonder if there aren't even more kids in the class that should qualify, but parents either don't know about the program or are too proud to participate. I'm sure this program could make a huge diference to lots of children and I'm glad Olathe has this program set up for them. Other students also don't have a clue what the bags are for. At least not it our class. They were asking how they got to take them home and one of the kids said his name was drawn. I don't know if he really thought that was how he was picked or if he just said it to keep from explaining why he gets them, which isn't any bodies business anyway. They also get some kind of community service points each time they return the backs on Monday. When they picked up the backs I was very impressed by how nobody made a big deal about them at all. So far I've noticed that there aren't really any major divisions of students in anyway. The students in our class pretty much hang out with each other in mixed groups there aren't really any outcasts our kids that are picked on. It's very refreshing!
Heather McCartin Section O
ReplyDeleteSara, the nutrition project that you mentioned seems like a great way to provide for students with various needs. Does the school publicize the program very well? Do all of the students in the building (even those that do not apply) know about it?
There is one student in my 1st grade classroom that consistently needs redirection. When he is on task he is very focused and eager to please others and wanting to do the best he can do. But he always wants to give my mentor teacher and myself a hug when he feels like we are upset with the class or him. Payne states that this could be because those that are living in poverty rely upon relationships with others and that is why the student is consistently wanting to give hugs because he is trying to show that he values his relationship with his teacher and myself.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I had problems getting in to post before today. There is a lot of diversity in my classroom. There are several mixed races including Asian-Caucasian, African American - Caucasian, Hispanic, and Caucasian.
ReplyDeleteI noticed at back to school night, only a couple of parents didn't show up. But others who did but did not speak English had been confused about the time and the directions for interpreter assistance. We had one parent helping one of the parents complete paperwork, but no interpreter was in our room except the parent who was translating for his wife. It can be difficult when the students parents don't speak any English.
ReplyDeleteI have one boy in class who tends to act out a lot and Payne is correct that there are problems at home. It turns out his mother left and dad has custody, but his dad works nights. The student stays with different friends his father works with during the week and goes to his grandparents sometimes for the weekend. He doesn't really see his dad much. But, I can understand why he wants the attention from someone stable...the teacher. It doesn't matter to him if the attention is good or bad.
ReplyDeleteSince the beginning of the year in my 1st grade classroom the students have had difficulty understanding that they cannot shout out answers, when it is appropriate to sharpen pencils, and knowing what the morning routine is, even though they are consistently reminder of these daily routines. In chapter six, Payne says that these are hidden rules that may be confusing to those living in poverty. It probably should have happened on one of the first days of school, but I think it would be a good idea for my mentor teacher to take the time to rewind and show the students exactly what is expected of them throughout the entire school day because they probably do not even realize what is expected of them if they were never taught these hidden rules.
ReplyDeleteWe had picture day last Friday. It has always been my job to greet the children at the door and help them get papers out of their folders and into the correct boxes. So I was collecting the money envelopes on Friday and about half of our students brought them back earlier in the week and a few dwindled in on the actual day. One of my students was the first one there and I hadn't yet recieved his packet--so I asked him, were you going to order pictures? He looked at me and said, "Ms. Cramer, mom didn't have enough money for me to get pictures." It broke my heart to hear this but I replied with, "that's all right, it happens that way sometimes, no big deal." It was eye opening to me that a child was so open and honest with me about why he didn't have his packet. It reminded me to always think twice before asking about money things in front of the entire class.
ReplyDeleteKatie Anderson
ReplyDelete9/04/09
While working with a student, having trouble with writing exclamatory sentences, I prompted her by saying, “Do you ever tell your sister to get out of your room?” she answered back, “I don’t have a room.” I asked her where she slept and she told my on the couch.
9/15/09
Today I had a student how was wearing really big socks and a pair of black “All Stars”. He was taking a long time to line up so when I turned to him to encourage that the walk a little faster, he shyly said “Sorry my feet hurt. My shoes don’t fit.” If we are told that in order to learn all our basic needs must be met then I wonder how much that child learned in school with so much discomfort.
9/21/09
We have a student that has a lot of trouble completing homework. This is a problem but when we called his mother she did not seem very interested in helping him complete his homework. How is he supposed to take it seriously as a fourth grader when school work is not much of a priority at home?
9/25/09
I attended a meeting with a concerned parent today. She was upset that her student’s grades were so low. We had to have an interpreter in the meeting just so mom could explain her concerns. One of the main issues she had was that she herself could not do a lot of the math that was being sent home for homework.
The other day during guided reading our book was about a house. While prompting the students about their houses and where they sleep, I got a answer I thought I should share. The one boy in my group stated that he slept on the couch. I told him oh that's fine, trying to not make a big deal out of it. He proceeded to talk about how him mom and step-dad sleep in the bedroom and that he has to sleep on the couch. He thought I needed to know that they only have one bedroom. I din't say anything about the one bedroom, I just reminded him that it is okay to sleep on that couch, sleep is sleep and it's okay.
ReplyDeleteOur school sells Smencils on Fridays and they are $1 a piece. It a Tuesday and one student had brought his $1 for his pencil and I reminded him that pencils sells were not until Friday and he put his dollar away. Well on Friday I asked if he bought his pencil and he said oh my mom needed my dollar and I let her use it. It broke my heart to hear him say this. He wants a Smencil like the rest of the students and he had his dollar but gave it to his mom. He has tried giving other students classroom money to buy one of their pencils, but no has taken him up on the offer.
ReplyDeleteThe more that I observe different cultures in teh classroom, the more I am amazed at the differences and how it effects the classroom dynamics and relationships among students. Something that has been really surprising to me is that one of the students who qualifies for the help program of donated food that goes home every week, comes to class every day dressed in nice brand name clothes and with school supplies so that you would never know that he comes from a home of poverty. My mentor had said that this was because of his culture, and how they spend their money. I remember in the Ruby Payne book, it discusses that people in poverty often do not know how to manage their money, causing them to spend thier finances on things that might not be logical, like new clothes instead of the water bill. This may be the case, but there tends to be a lot of eye opening expiereiences for me to observe.
ReplyDeleteI have had similar observations like Chelsea's. I notice that most of the children from low income families still have many expensive items. It suprised me to find out that most of my 2nd graders have cell phones, nintendo wii's, I-pods, etc.
ReplyDeleteAnother observation I have is from a boy in my class who has severe behavioral problems. This stems from his home life. He lives with his dad and has no contact with his mother and sister. He spends a lot of time with his grand parents and jumps around a lot to other family members homes. I believe this instability causes his behavior issues at school. He is always in a power struggle with adults and is always looking for ways to get attention.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor had a meeting with a student's parents who were concerned about their child getting into Sped classes. They wanted to get some tips on how to help their son become a better reader (I thought this was great). But halfway into the meeting they asked (in front of their son) "what do I tell my son when he says that books are boring? I can't lie to him and tell him it is exciting." (Not so great)
ReplyDeleteSeveral students in my class complain that they are hungry. When I ask if they ate breakfast they usually reply with "there wasn't anything to eat" or "my mom said we didn't have time". It just breaks my heart to think that these kids are hungry. I can't imagine how hard it is to pay attention and focus on school when all you can think about is lunch time.
ReplyDeleteRuby Payne talks in her book about the formal versus the informal register and how people living in poverty sometimes lack the formal (standard) register. I noted in one of my first posts that a boy in our class seemed to also lack this register. I know that his shouldn't surprise me, but his mom sent a note to the teacher, and it seems that she lacks this register, too. Her note was about how the teacher shouldn't come for the home visit as planned because the mom was sick. It was not only rambly, but was phrased something like, "...but I have the flu, wow, that sucks." I read it and thought, "What an odd note to send to your child's teacher!" I suppose that was the only way she knew to say it, though.
ReplyDeleteWell parent-teacher conferences were...interesting!! I see why some of my 2nd graders act the way they do now. One huge surprise was one of my student's mom had braces!! She can barely afford to keep them fed, clothed, and sheltered but can somehow afford braces?! It was a huge shock to me!! I feel badly for this student because he is ELL, SPED, Title, and tends to his 1st grade brother before and after school. They set alarms to wake themselves up and walk to school because their mom is working two jobs. They receive the backpacks with food in them and it is sad to see them barely making it through. Thank goodness they both got special attention for the first quarter. My teacher was informed three days prior to conferences that the 2nd grader was being dropped from Title 1 Reading because he is on an IEP. Also two other boys were being dropped too. My teacher was furious because for the past two and a half years they have been able to have an IEP and attend Title sessions but recently on the students in the group has been having behavior problems and the teacher did not want to deal with that anymore so she dropped all three of them. RUDE!!! That is awful!! Maybe, just maybe, dropping the behavior student would be okay but not the other two! The other two students moved from a KALL 10 to a KALL 16 in a month!! That is an amazing rate!! And it was due to the extra help they were getting and now will not! Needless to say, that Title teacher is in BIG trouble and parents are going after her and my teacher is 100% behind the parents!!!
ReplyDeleteAt Washington Elementary, the Fourth grade class I am in has all different levels of learners from all different backgrounds. There are 18 students, 2 African Americans, 6 White, 1 Russian, and 9 Hispanic students. Each group has higher academic level learners and low.
ReplyDeleteWashington Elementary has a great support system for its students. Expectations are set school wide and consistent, which is crucial in a Title 1 school. School Plus is an after school program set up providing care and help for homework. Without School Plus many students would not complete work, since their parents time, energy, and education often is low. Every morning after the Pledge of Allegiance, the school recites the Mission Statement, which is about respecting others, property, and ourselves. Students are learning great social skills at Washington too. Washington also has Champ Buddies, teachers who take time to get to know a student, like a Big Brother or Big Sister would. These Champ Buddies are great for any student, but especially for those struggling hard to reach ones. There are also assemblies to revisit the goals at Washington and Tune up Tuesdays to ensure students remember those goals and expectations.
My mentor Mrs. Feikert has set up great relationships with the community, parents, and students. After she showed them that she really cares, they were willing to give their attention to what she knows. She also let the parents know that she is open to communication and wants what is best for their child. They understand that they are their children’s first teacher and their input is valuable to her. She is very personal with the families and has had multiple siblings, making great bonds with families.
The students in the Fourth grade class come from a lot of mixed family backgrounds. Some students live with both parents and siblings, but some live in single parent homes, typically a single mother, and some even live with Grandparents. Some students actually live with Grandparents due to their parents being in jail or rehabilitation centers. These children know so much about terrible things at such a young age. Many parents work more then one job and work really late hours barely seeing their children during the week. These parents feel guilty and end up buying their children presents to buy back their love or are so tired that those presents become the babysitter. These children need extra love and either is starved for it or are scared of it because they do not receive it. I have some students that when I hug them, squeeze me so tight I think I might pop and then other students do not hug back and turn their heads. I tell those students who turn away, that by the end of the year, they will hug me back.
Abigail- I am intrigued by the home visits. I feel it can be good to become personable with those families, but I can also imagine that it might be embarrassing for some. It could also be dangerous or dirty. It could be awkward for all involved. I do agree that she should not go alone just for safety.
Angela- I really like the idea of the class-meeting notebook. I also like that it is confidential, but I’m not sure if it can be if other students are looking in it to add something. I like the team building. I also like the idea of a Palm Tree to pass around to take turns. Maybe instead of a notebook, students can drop a note in a can, so others cannot decode another student’s handwriting, if reading it.
I have a Fourth grade student that just breaks my heart. He comes to school in clothes that are way too big for him. His pants are always falling off, so we talked to him about a belt, even though a belt for pants that big really don't help much. My mentor actually gave him some rope the other day, so his pants would stay up. His shoes are so big he walks out of them all the time, so playing at recess is really hard for him to be involved. He has holes in his shirts and they are usually inside out and backwards. Now that it is getting colder, I have noticed him walking to school without a coat. I am really worried about this boy. He tries to play it off, but I can tell he is having a hard time.
ReplyDeleteMegan- I feel for you and those students that are hungry. I bet it is hard to react to students in that situation. I'm sure it catches you off guard. I can only imagine how those children feel. It's hard enough to focus sometimes, but especially if your hungry. Your body needs that to fuel the brain. I might talk to your mentor and see if you can find a way to have snacks in the class for those students. I know my own children will be served for breakfast in the morning, but as a mother, I feed them something in the house just so I know they have food in their bellies.
ReplyDeleteKristen- I agree with you and the hidden rules. These children have not had the rules, the structure, or the boundaries to know what is acceptable. It is sad. That is just another one of our jobs- teaching social skills and respect.
ReplyDeleteChelsea- I see it too. Parents buying their children and ridding themselves of the guilt. I know some work multiple jobs and are just tired, but these children do not technology for a babysitter. They need their parents attention. I'm afraid that some of my own students are not living up to their potential because they do not have the necessary support at home or are just trying to find a way to get any kind of attention.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Megan. We also have a number of low ncome families in our class but while they talk about having to move to smaller houses or apartments because "mom couldn't pay the bills", they still have cell phones and video games. At fourth grade I don't think some of these things are necessary at all when there are more important things to pay for.
ReplyDeleteMaria Ramos
We have a boy who has been having huge behavioral issues and up until last week at conferences, I wasn't able to know much about his home life and why he might be acting out in class so horribly. At conferences, I found out that his dad left a while back, and his mom works late. This boy is home with his mom's boyfriend and sometimes alone, without anyone to help him get his work done at home. He isn't getting much attention at home and looks for it at school even if it has to be negative.
ReplyDeleteMaria Ramos
In response to Amber and Nicole's comments- I ran into the same situation in my class. We have a lot of ELL students, the majority of which are hispanic but I actually mistakenly assumed they all were, when there are actually a couple of vietnamese children there as well. I was wanting to be ELL certified thinking that my Spanish would give mean advantage but I'm realizing that there are so many children in ELL that are from different, non-hispanic countries, which is something I would have to take into consideration as well.
ReplyDeleteMaria Ramos
At conferences I was surprised to see how many of our kids are alone when they get home after school and among them, which ones are the ones who can self-manage and do what they are supposed to do and which ones have trouble. It depended a lot on what the parents showed as far as their concern for the importance of school and how much they enforced that at home. One boy was alone until 10 pm every night because both parents work double shifts every now and then, yet he is one of the best students in the class. Another girl is one of our strugglers, but her mom is with her from 4 pm on, and she doesn't usually even go to sleep until 1am. It all depends on how much effort the parents put into showing their children the importance of school and of doing their responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteMaria Ramos
With halloween coming up, there has been controversial issues with the teachers in my building regarding costumes, not because of the holiday but the issue of students who come to school with costumes and students who can not afford to buy or wear them. My mentor teacher chose not to wear a costume for this reason, so I followed her example and didn't dress up either. I think this will always be an issue but seems dramatic to not let any children dress up because of this. I haven't yet come to an opinion of my own, but I would think that children could at least wear their pj's or something that is different from their regular clothes, but something they all would probably have.
ReplyDeleteSara Mehl Section O
ReplyDeleteObserving parent-teacher conferences was a very eye opening experience for me. We needed an interpreter for 4 of our conferences, however one parent called in to say they wouldn't make it because of the rain and another showed up early and said she we didn't need to wait for the interpreter. I'm still not sure how much of what my mentor teacher said she actually understood, she just kept nodding her head. The conference that stands out the most was a father of a Hispanic student, who did have an interpreter. He was very concerned about his daughter’s education. He said that in Mexico he only went to the seventh grade and that he came to America so that his kids could get a good education. He stressed that in his home his kids are expected to care about their education and do their best. It was very refreshing to hear how important it is for this parent to see his children be successful. I should add that at our conferences students were also to come and be part of the conference. So the student was there and we discovered that she isn't always trying her hardest and sometimes pretends not to know what she is doing to get out of homework. All in all the parent-teacher conferences went very well, however three parents total didn't show up and aren't trying to reschedule. Two of the three didn't even call to say they wouldn't be coming in, they just didn’t show up.
A trend that I have noticed with our low income families is that they will send their child to school sick. There have been several times when certain students will not be feeling well and is incredibly obvious, but they will not say a word about it or let on that they are sick, even when asked up front about it. My mentor has had to send them to the nurse with her own suspiscion only to find out that they have a high temperature. I do not think that they hate their home or are scared to go home, but do not have parents who can spare to take off work or find someone to take care of them if they are sick. It seems like they would rather have school be the babysitter than take care of their ill child. I hate that some students have to experience these things, but understanding low income backgrounds, helps me understand that parents are trying to do the best they can, and sometimes taking off work is not an option.
ReplyDeleteI am in a kindergarten class at Central Elementary. During my time there I have been exposed to a divserse class, composed of 9 hispanic, 2 etheopian, and 4 caucasian. Over the time I have spent with them, I am coming to know each student and their individual situations. I love the culture experience that I am able to witness in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteSomething that has been completely shocking to me is that there are 3 girls that do not speak hardly any English at all. I had never been in a position to see perspective like that before and it is really surprising to me. Kindergarten can be overwhelming enough, but to not speak the same language as the majority of everyone else seems unreal to me. Over time I have watched these girls learn bits of English through total immersion and ELL. Their ability to do this amazes me and their progress is great. I try to put myself in the shoes of those students and I can not imagine the dynamics that will effect the rest of their educational career.
Payne's book was the first time that I had been exposed to beginning to understand different types of culture linked to poverty and education. It was a great eye opener and I will continue to observe connecttions to this book as the month goes on.
My eyes have really been open over the past month how bad some of my student have it at home. During conference time I found out that a couple of families do not have cars to get to school, they walk everywhere they go. I have also found out about several parents getting into legal trouble and the children getting stuck in the middle of the situation. It makes me sad to see these things going on at home because these students clearly have a hard time being situated and feeling safe at school while these things are going on at home. It definitely helps you understand the student better by knowing whats going on at home.
ReplyDeleteWe have had a major problem with tardies in my classroom. During conferences the principal sat in on about 3 or 4 conferences for the sole purpose of explaining the importance of getting to school on time. At least 3 of my students are dangerously close to getting into a problem with truency. This was explained to me as a so many unexcused absences being accumulated that the district attorney needed to be contacted. Since conferences most of these students have started showing up on time. I can understand the problems that these families are having by knowing their family situations for example not having a car. This can clearly make it harder on a family, but they are still expected to arrive to school at the same time as everybody else. When they start their day later than everyone else you can clearly see that their entire day is affected by it.
ReplyDeleteJamie, at my school Northview, we had the same issue going on. Notes went out to students and the problem seems to be getting better. I agree with you about how when they are late getting to class it just affects the whole day for the student. It seems to me they are trying to catch up all day long.
ReplyDeleteChelesa,
ReplyDeleteI think it is amazing how much you have to do with your Kindergarten class. I think it is hard enough to teach students who do speak English let alone several who don't. I bet it is so rewarding to see the ones who don't speak English to start speaking it a little. I think your job has to be hard and rewarding.
Marina,
ReplyDeleteI read your post and I have to say I have a student in my 4th grade class that is somewhat the same as yours you talk about. He doesn't live with his mom or dad. He told me the first few weeks ago that his dad was killed by a train. Now we are writing our rough drafts in class to get ready for the assessments and he is writing about his dad. I asked him if he sees his dad and he said yes. Now I am not sure what to believe. I think he just doesn't get the attention he needs so he makes things up. Your post made me think of my student. Thanks for sharing.
Megan Clevland,
ReplyDeleteI also have a student in my class who has behavior issues. He doesn’t live with mom or dad. His guardian isn't a relative at all. He calls her mom and said he has 8 siblings. You can tell he doesn't get the love and attention he needs at home. It just makes you want to hug them and take care of them. I completely understand you post.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that having breakfast at Northview, is a great way to let the students who don't get it at home to start their day off right. There are so many who skip breakfast and they really need it.
Over the past few months, I have become familiar with the services that Central has to offer for people in need of different things. I am amazed that people have jobs in the building specifically for meeting needs of people in poverty. There are a couple students who have qualified for the back pack program which allows the child to go home with a back pack full of food, and no one knows what they are taking home. I think it is great that privacy is honored so that students don't suffer being made fun of. With the weather getting colder, our school nurse has provided coats many times for those who show up without anything on. I love the community in our school and how great it is when students can have a safe place to come and get the things they need.
ReplyDeleteOne of the topics Ruby Payne talked about was relationships in families that show in the classroom. I have noticed many of our first graders at Indian Creek have "boyfriends and girlfriends" and they are only 7 years old! One thing I have noticed a "couple" doing in my class was sitting together and rubbing eachothers backs while I was reading a story. I could tell that they have seen that kind of intimacy at home and think that that is how they behave with people of the opposite sex.
ReplyDeleteAmber, I really think the idea of setting a community within the school is really important. I think its great that Countryside has set days just to focus on what can be improved for your school.
ReplyDeleteI have one little girl in my class who has some major behavior problems. She throws tantrums, cries, and then will sometimes be the class clown. She loves the attention. Sometimes when she is getting in trouble she has a look on her face that she is trying not to smile. It is very frustrating. I would love to know what is going on at home that makes her act out like this.
ReplyDeleteChelsea,
ReplyDeleteWow! I love that idea of a back pack program. It's awesome that the families are able to get what they need, but not have everyone in the class know that they are in need. I would love to see something like that done at our school!
Chelsea,
ReplyDeleteWashington Elementary has a similar program. Every Friday, the school supplies students in need with a red back pack full of food for the weekend. Our secretary makes an announcement every Friday at 3:00 that simply says "Teachers, this is your 3:00 reminder." Although the announcement is directed towards the teachers, it serves as a reminder for the students involved with the program as well. Since the announcement comes at the end of the day when everybody is getting their back packs ready to go anyway, it's not a big deal. I actually saw first hand, one of my students ask another student what was in her red back pack. She simply said it was full of books and even let him pick it up so he could see how heavy it was. I think this program is great, and very beneficial to the students and their families. I would like to see it in every school!
I also wanted to comment on the school procedures for Halloween. Washington allowed students to wear costumes and masks on Halloween as long as they were "appropriate" for school. However, it became quite clear that not all of our students had a costume, or could afford one. To help with this situation, our amazing counselor, Mrs. Leif, brought in several large boxes of various costumes in all different shapes and sizes. The students that didn't have a costume, but still wanted to participate in our school-wide parade were allowed to go get one from Mrs. Leif. I thought this was a very kind and generous gesture made by Mrs. Leif. It gave the students the opportunity to participate and be included in something that they otherwise might not be able to. And to top it all off, Mrs. Leif allowed any student that got a costume from her, to keep it!
ReplyDeleteKristen,
ReplyDeleteWashington also had a back to school night at the beginning of the year. Surprisingly, my 5th grade class had a 100% parent and student turn-out. My mentor said that was the first time thats ever happened. Granted, our school took some extra measures to encourage attendance. And by extra measures I mean a carnival; complete with cotton candy, hot dogs, traditional carnival games, and a moon bounce. It definitly seemed to work! And I'm so glad it did because it helped me to make that school-home connection that is so very important.
In my 1st grade class we have sharing. This is like show and tell. We always ask students where they got their object from. One day a boy brought in a stuffed bear. He said his mom gave it to him. We asked him where his mom got it and he said the trash. This really broke my heart. The worst part was that he said it as if it was completely normal and like it happened all the time.
ReplyDeleteI have a very diverse 5th grade class at Washington. There is a total of 17 students in my classroom; there are 8 students that are hispanic, 7 students that are caucasian, and 2 that are bi-racial. I love that there is so much diversity in our schools today!
ReplyDeleteKristi,
ReplyDeleteI have experienced a couple of similar situations with students whose parents are in jail. I know a little boy in one of the other 5th grade classrooms whose mom is in jail. A few weeks ago, he showed me a beautiful drawing of a flower that he had been working on for several days. I told him how good it looked, and asked him who it was for. He said if was a present for his mom because she was getting out of jail this week. It's these types of comments that really bring you back to reality; even if it's a sad one. It's so important to remember that every child has a story!
Over the past few weeks I have really started to notice the financial hardships of some of my students and their families. At Thanksgiving time a note went home with about 6 of my students or so. This note said that their Thanksgiving dinner supplies would be available to pick up after school on Tuesday. This just broke my heart and happy all at the same time. I had never thought about families that couldn't afford to have Thanksgiving before. I also was happy to know that they were being provided with this free of cost to them.
ReplyDeleteThen today after recess my teacher told my students that beings weather is getting colder they would no longer be allowed to go outside without a coat. One of my students (one who I really didn't expect this from) asked me "What if you don't have a coat?" She told me she had one but it was very old, and way to small to fit her. My mentor got ahold of some services to give to her family that could get them these type of things. It really just breaks my heart to know that these students have all of these other things to worry about besides just being a kid and a student. I can't imagine all the extra stress it puts on their life
Jamie I have found a lot of the same stuff happening at my school. In my classroom a lot of students only wear zip down hoodies outside even when it is really cold. I had to tell a student that said he didn't have a coat to bring at least two or three hoodies to put on so I think it is great that your mentor was able to provide this for a student.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my mentor has a prize box. She put gloves in there and I was thinking what kid is going to choose gloves, but actually a lot of them wanted the gloves. We even ran out.
Also in my mentor's prize box, she puts food items like the austin peanut butter crackers in it. The kids love the food. This is not surprising because many of them eat breakfast from 7:50-8:10, then at 9:00 or 9:30 they start asking me if it is time for lunch. I have even caught a kid trying to sneak food from the prize box into his mouth at recess.
ReplyDeleteFor Halloween I bought all my students glow sticks. These were kind of expensive for what they were but my kids are 6 years old and I do not think some of their parents will be with them when they go trick or treating. I also do not think that safety is something they teach their children. I am sure some of them do, but when I take the walkers outside at the end of the day to meet their parents I really see how the students act at home and what they get away with and it is really scary to think of some of them out trick or treating.
ReplyDeleteIn my class we have a few students that are having trouble with attendance, but one really had a hard time getting to school. The first day he was not picked up from school. He was 10 minutes away from being turned into the police as a child in need of care when his aunt picked him up. I was the one on the phone trying to call the parents since I spoke Spanish. His aunt happened to call about her own kid that also goes to Central when my student said, "I know her have her come get me." The worst part was that the kid acted like it was no big deal. He did not even realize that he was the last student in the building. This same kid was not picked up the second day of school either. His parents finally came and I talked to them. He was actually supposed to ride the bus but the parents never made sure we knew that so we had to trust the boy when he said his brother was picking him up.
ReplyDeleteThis same kid has not shown up to class many days or has showed up really late. It was to the point that if he had one more absence or tardy his mom would have to be reported to the state. When we confronted the mom she said she works at 4:00 in the morning and has to rely on the 20 year old brother to take the boy to school. The 20 year old brother gets off of work at 1:00 in the morning and decides to sleep in instead of taking the boy to school.
We had a new student join our classroom a couple weeks ago. He new how to speak English very well but unfortunately he could not read or write it very well. We found out that his mother did not speak English at all. He was moved to BlackBob 4 days after he arrived because they are an ELL school and they would be able to help him more. The worst part is that they can and got him at around 9:00 to take him to his other school. This made all of the other students in class ask many questions all day. They did not understand why he would already be leaving when he just arrived. Poor boy!
ReplyDeleteWe have a student in our classroom who is constantly absent and late. She has already missed about 10 days of school this semester. WHen she is at school she is late most of the time. Some days she could be 2 hours late and she looks like she just woke up. She lives with her mom and I don't feel her mother takes school very seriously. Her mom has had papers served to her for this problem but she still keeps coming in late. I feel sorry for my student because her mom does not make her a priority.
ReplyDeleteI can tell that some of my students families are in poverty because they owe quite a bit of money for lunches there children eat and they are not paying for them. Their accounts are in the negative. Then they start eating cold lunches because I don't think that their families can afford to pay for the hot lunches.
ReplyDeleteOne of my students was on meds for ADHD and his insurance was cancelled by Healthwave. His mom did not inform us of the meds not being taken until a week after he stopped taking them. When she did inform us she said he would not have them for a couple of months because they had to figure things out with Healthave. My students behavior and attention span deminished tremendously over the next few weeks. The family moved to a differenct school district about two weeks after we were informed of his meds. I have no idea how he is doing at his new school. I hope he is doing okay and his family has figured out his meds so he will do well at his new school. I feel sorry for him but I was very surprised that his mother did not contact us right away to let us know about the situation. That is a pretty important detail in a child's education.
ReplyDeleteI have been very lucky this year to have a group of students who are very well behaved. I have one student with Autism, and I can see how sometimes it takes a lot of money to take care of a child with a disorder. He comes to school with jeans that are too small, holes in his shirts. One day he actually told me he wanted a Wii but his family was too poor because his dad's eyes are "damaged."
ReplyDeleteAngie, I also have a student like yours. His parents are constantly pulling him from school, ir he doesn't show up at all. They say he has health problems, but no one seems to know what they are. I would think that this information is an important part of his education because he has missed so many days. Plus, this is nothing new this year. Last year in 1st grade he missed a total of 40 days because of the same thing.
ReplyDeleteBeing a school with low income families making up a large portion of the community, we have many support systems in place to help those who need it. Around Christmas, we have a giving tree in which people place hats, gloves and scarves to give to those students who do not have them. The YMCA also has a morning and after school program for kids that need to be dropped off early or picked up late because their parents are still at work.
ReplyDeleteDuring conferences, we met with one little girl's mother, who informed us that this little girl's father, who has not been around, showed up at the house with his new pregnant wife. The girl had no idea that her dad had even gotten married, or that she was about to have a new brother or sister, that she would probably never see. It just amazes me how happy some of these kids can act when things at home are just so unbelievably complicated and sad.
ReplyDelete