Poverty

In the course of just a few days, I feel that I have learned much about poverty. Unfortunately, this is a subject that, in the past, I would have preferred to not think about; I think that it is easy to pretend that this is not an issue that concerns me. However, I have learned that this is far from the truth. With the study of poverty, many emotions have raised within me. My eyes have been opened to the sad truths about poverty; my heart has been broken. The tolls of this struggle are real, and there are many who have to endure the effects. And, as a future educator, this is going to be something that I will have to work with. In thinking otherwise, I would be very naive.
     
There are many students within schools that suffer the effects of poverty, and there are so many negative effects. To begin, most students in such a situation move around a lot. This means that it is likely that these students are missing much of school. Obviously, if it becomes a regular thing, the students will begin to have a great struggle in academics. It is also likely that these students experience poor nutrition and health. This could mean that these students are not able to function efficiently; hunger is probably on their mind. In addition to this, it is probable that the students are undergoing much stress. And, as I have previously learned, this causes the hippocampus to shrink, preventing memory recall. Sadly, the list of negative effects does not end here. However, even with these few examples, it is obvious that students living in poverty struggle.

I believe that this knowledge has impacted me greatly. I now feel as if I have become more sensitive to the issue of poverty. That being said, I am now working to do a number of things to help this situation. To begin, I feel extremely motivated to receive a  college degree. While this has always been a goal of mine, I truly understand the importance of it now. In receiving a degree, I hope that I can prevent poverty within my own family.
    
Obviously, I am working to earn my degree in elementary education. I yearn to be an educator for elementary school kids. In teaching, I think that it is possible to help these students in poverty. I want to be able to take them from their poor situation, and make the best out of it. These students, though financially poor, will not be poor in academics; I will not allow that in my classroom. I want to be able able to provide a bright future for those children.
    
I am educating myself now because I know that I can make a difference in the future. I want to change and become a better teacher. Here are some things that I think that will help: 

1. I will try to eliminate competition in my classroom. Although there is an difference in social classes between my students, I do not want to make that apparent. By eliminating competition, I believe that wealthy students and students in poverty can be on the same level.
2. When deciding to make projects, I will make it a point to provide the materials. In doing this, the students in poverty will not be humiliated if they cannot provide the materials themselves.
3. After holiday vacation time, I do not want to take the time to discuss what the students did. I know that this will be challenging to do, but it is the right thing to do. I do not want to put the students in poverty on the spot; they should not have to feel embarrassed to express the fact that they probably did not do anything.