Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The American Dream
Every child has the opportunity for prosperity, success, and upward social mobility that
can be achieved through hard work.
67,885Reports of child abuse and neglect -
one report every eight minutes.
11,090Children who were found to be victims
of child abuse or neglect
5545Victims of abuse and neglect younger
than 6
10,500Children abused by family -
usually a parent
54,000Children without health insurance
13,000 Kids were in foster care at least one day
By the Numbers - One Year in Oregon: Although the number of children in foster care in Oregon declined, the state
continues to place more children in foster care than most other states in the nation.
8500Kids in foster care on any given day
13,5000Children with at least one parent in
prison
1104Cases of child sexual abuse
1:4Girls who have been sexually molested
1:10Boys who have been sexually molested
Up to 25%Children living with a mentally ill parent
How Statistics Affect a Classroom
Approx.. number in a classroom
Homeless students 2-3Boys who have been molested 2-3Girls who have been molested 4-5Children living in a foster home at least once during the year
2-3
Living in adverse conditions – poverty, drug or alcohol affected, abusive
7-8
Students who will move in/out of the school during the school year
4-5
Living with a mentally ill or incarcerated parent
2-3
Homeless
Homeless
Homeless
Molested
Molested
Molested
Molested
Molested
Molested
Foster Home
Foster Home
Foster Home
Partial Year
Drug or Alcohol
Free/Reduced
Free/Reduced
Extreme Adversity
Free/Reduced
Extreme AdversityFree/Reduced
Free/ReducedFree/Reduced
Extreme Adversity
Extreme Adversity
Free/Reduced
Free/ReducedFree/Reduced
Free/ReducedFree/Reduced
Free/Reduced Free/Reduced
Extreme Adversity
Partial Year
Partial Year
Partial YearPartial Year
Drug or Alcohol
Free/Reduced
Molested
Many students are not ready to learn, and it is our job to engage them.
Seven Engagement Factors
1.Health and Nutrition2.Vocabulary3.Effort and Energy4.Mind-Set5.Cognitive Capacity6.Relationships7.Stress Level
Health and NutritionCreating a highly engaging classroom can help compensate for behavioral and cognitive issues resulting from
poor nutrition.
Adverse Living Situations Positive Living SituationMore likely to be born with low birth weight.
Mothers have appropriate prenatal care.
More likely to be obese and have a high carb diet.
More likely to eat less, and better quality food.
More likely to be exposed to lead and other toxins.
Seldom live in dangerous or unhealthy situations.
More likely to have mental health issues.
Receive needed counseling and treatments.
• Be aware of nutritional issues for students and the effect on brain development, cognitive ability and behavior.
• Be a connection to services to assist families.• Create an engaging classroom.
“What can we do?”
Health and Nutrition
Creating a highly engaging classroom can help
compensate for behavioral and cognitive issues resulting
from poor nutrition.
Adverse Living Situations Positive Living SituationBoth the quantity and quality of phrases in low income families are significantly lower.
3 year olds add words to their vocabulary at twice the rate of low income 3 year olds.
6 negative interaction for every positive one.
Many positive, encouraging words and phrases per hour.
Far less experiences, and thereby, diminished vocabulary
Many enriching experiences and conversations with adults.
VocabularyVocabulary is the brain’s toolkit for
learning, memory, and cognition. Words help children represent,
manipulate and reframe information.
Talking to Infants: The Cumulative Effects of Mother’s Speech on Vocabulary of 2-Year-Olds
100-200 Words
800-900 Words
Size
of V
ocab
ular
y in
Tot
al W
ords
Age of Child (months)
High levels of mother’s speech to infant
Low levels of mother’s speech to infant
Daily Parent-Child Interactions
• Purposefully build vocabulary daily, and in context.• Build academic vocabulary• Expose students to experiences and discuss the experience with
appropriate vocabulary.• Be aware or the vocabulary discrepancies in your classroom and
scaffold for those with lower vocabulary so they don’t tune out the conversation because they don’t understand many of the words.
“What can we do?”
VocabularyToddlers from middle and upper income families use more words talking to their parents than low income mothers use talking to
their children.
Effort and EnergyTeachers are more likely to attribute
disengagement of middle income students as “not reaching potential,” while
attributing the same behavior for low income students to “laziness.”
Adverse Living Situations Positive Living SituationChaotic early experience, brain becomes insecure and stressed, inappropriate responses to everyday situations
Strong, secure home, positive relationships, children learn healthy responses to everyday situations
Acute and chronic stress Protected from stress
Physical and emotional abuse Positivity and patience
Authoritarian household Choices and decision making
Mistrust of adults Trusting of adults
• Help students see a viable reason for the “academic game.”
• Affirm, challenge, and encourage.• Learn about student lives and connect with them.• Use engaging strategies to draw students into the lesson.
“What can we do?”
Effort and EnergyA student who is not putting in
effort is essentially telling you that your teaching is not engaging. Give that same kid an engaging
teacher, and a whole new student will emerge.
Mind-SetMindset is a crucial internal attitude
about learning. It is a strong predicative factor of academic achievement.
Adverse Living Situations Positive Living SituationFixed mind-set about learning – “I am what I am.”
Growth mind-set about learning- “I can learn and get smarter.”
Depression may be displayed as anger
Less frustrated about set-backs
Teachers may unwittingly reinforce student’s mindset
Teacher expects success
Appears as though the student doesn’t care or won’t try.
Reinforced for effort
Mind-SetWhen students have a
positive attitude about their own learning capacity, and
when the teacher focuses on growth and change, student
engagement increases.
• Teachers need to be knowledgeable about Mind-set and how to change a student’s mindset from fixed to growth.
• Teach students about their brain and how dendrites grow with new learning.
• Use the student’s knowledge of their brain to encourage perseverance
• Highlight small successes.
“What can we do?”
Cognitive CapacityChildren of poverty are more likely to have
low working memory, short attention spans, high levels of distractibility, and difficulty in generating new solutions.
Adverse Living Situations Positive Living SituationSmaller hippocampus (center for learning and memory)
Brain benefits from enriched environment
Artificially suppressed IQ due to environment.
IQ developed and enhanced from an early age
• Build attention skills• Teach problem solving and critical thinking• Train working memory• Develop processing speed• Foster self-control
“What can we do?”
Cognitive CapacityChildren of poverty are more likely to have
low working memory, short attention spans, high levels of distractibility, and difficulty in generating new solutions.
The mind that is susceptible to adverse environmental effects is equally affected by positive, enriching effects.
RelationshipsWhy do difficult students work for
some teachers and not others? Because they think
the teacher cares.
Adverse Living Situations Positive Living SituationChaotic early experience, brain becomes insecure and stressed, inappropriate responses to everyday situations
Strong, secure home, positive relationships, children learn healthy responses to everyday situations
Acute and chronic stress Protected from stress
Physical and emotional abuse Positivity and patience
Authoritarian household Choices and decision making
Mistrust of adults Trusting of adults
“What can we do?”
RelationshipsParent / Child Interactions:
Low Income Families1 positive : 2 negatives
Middle to High Income Families6 positives : 1 negative
• Students of poverty want to know who their teacher really is.
• They want the teacher to connect to their world. • Need stronger relationships to increase trust. • Won’t / don’t learn from people they don’t like or don’t
trust.
Stress LevelAcute stress is likely to lead to “in-
your-face” behaviors. Chronic stress can lead to detachments and
hopelessness.Adverse Living Situations Positive Living Situation
Brain responds to adverse conditions by focusing on basic needs, not new learning.
Protected from stress and available for learning.
More likely to be exposed to domestic violence, disruption and separation.
Protected from violent or stressful situations.
Stress if often channeled into disruptive behavior
More likely to respond appropriately to stressful situations.
• Realize stress has a physiological effect on students.• Teach and practice coping skills.• Give students some level of control over their school lives.• Teach stress relieving techniques.
“What can we do?”
Stress LevelStress exerts a relentless,
insidious influence on children’s physical, psychological,
emotional, and cognitive functioning; areas that affect brain development, academic
success, and social competence.
Incoming State
Boredom
Frustration
Giddiness
Hunger
Anger
Skepticism
Apathy
Annoyance
Resentment
Hopelessness
Fear
Sleepiness
Mischievousness
+TeacherActions
=
Target State
Anticipation
Confidence
Curiosity
Suspense
Inquisitiveness
Intrigue
Intrigue
Expectancy
Likelihood of Success
Health and
Nutrition
Vocabulary Effort and Energy
Mind-Set Cognitive Capacity
Relation-ships
Stress Level
Be aware of nutritional issues for students.
Purposefully build vocabulary daily, and in context.
Help students see a viable reason for the “academic game.”
Mind-set and how to change a student’s mindset from fixed to growth.
Teach problem solving and critical thinking
Students of poverty want to know who their teacher really is.
Realize stress has a physiological effect on students.
Be a connection to services to assist families
Build academic vocabulary
Affirm, challenge, and encourage.
Teach about how the brain grows with new learning.
Train working memory & attention skills.
They want the teacher to connect to their world.
Teach and practice coping skills.
Create an engaging classroom.
Expose to experiences and discuss appropriate vocabulary.
Learn about student lives and connect with them.
Use knowledge of their brain to encourage perseverance
Develop processing speed
Need stronger relationships to increase trust.
Give students choices/ control over their lives.
Scaffold literature and discussion.
Strategies that draw students into the lesson.
Highlight small successes.
Foster self-control
Won’t / don’t learn from people they don’t like / trust.
Teach stress relieving techniques.
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind
Single sheet summary of
high-leverage practices for classroom teachers.
Def: EngagementEngagement |enˈgājmənt|
(1) attracted to the work
(2) persist in their work
despite challenges and obstacles
(3) take pride in the accomplishment
Attracted to the work?
Engaging TopicConnection to Student Lives
GamesNovelty
TechnologyMovementHands On
Talking With Each OtherBuilding or Constructing
Integration to Other Subjects
Persist in their work despite challenges
and obstacles.
Take pride in the accomplishment.
Contact Information
Kathy Helgeson
www.RogueEd.com
541-601-2453
