Teaching Under Privileged Kids

October 25, 2005 5:03 PM

Help my wife get a hold of her class room!

My wife teaches middle school math to overwhelmingly under privileged kids whose parents could care less about how they are doing in school. In addition, her school district more or less refuses to fail kids because they don't have the budget to increase the school's population each year. So the kids have no reason to want to learn (parents don't care, school will pass them on) and they have no reason to behave in class (parents don't care even if the kids get suspended, which is as far as the school is willing go). My wife has tried everything to get them to pay attention and not to bounce off the walls, at least to listen in class, but nothing works. She feels like there is nothing she can do to help these kids or get control of her room (she is the youngest teacher at her school by a decade -- all of the other teachers have the same problems but have ggot used to the situation a long time ago). Do you guys know of any resources (books, seminars, methods) that deal with teaching under privileged kids with no support from parents or school? Also, anyone have any first hand experience with this sort of thing?

posted by JPowers to education (19 comments total)

Read this book: Educating Esme

It's not a direct solution, but it'll probably give her a few ideas. But she's probably think outside the box.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:32 PM on October 25, 2005

I recommend these books. As with Brandon's suggestion, these aren't direct solutions but can give ideas.
posted by dobbs at 5:37 PM on October 25, 2005

First thing: Tell your wife to give up on the idea of standing in front of the kids and telling them anything. It's the hardest way to teach.

Ask her what she wants them to learn on a given day. Have her boil that down to a page of information that is written to their level.

Then create a worksheet with meaningful work to do based on what they learn from that informational page.

Show up to class, put them in groups (split up the biggest jerks), give them the informational sheet, tell them they have X minutes to read it to each other, give them the worksheet, tell them they have Y minutes to complete it, circulate around the room.

The rest is just variations on that theme.

Also, I should say all of the assumptions you have made are untrue:

the kids have no reason to want to learn (parents don't care, school will pass them on) and they have no reason to behave in class (parents don't care even if the kids get suspended, which is as far as the school is willing go

Don't give up on the kids or their parents.
posted by etc. at 6:03 PM on October 25, 2005

Yeah, I'm with etc. I don't have a ton of experience, but I've found that the less time the teacher spends yapping in front of them, the better. Of course, it sounds like these students may not just do whatever worksheets or classwork that is assigned. I think she needs to create some kind of punishment/reward system. She'll have to decide this on her own...

One quick idea...when I couldn't get students to shut up so I could give them instructions, I waited and starting writing the time on the board...that's how long they would be staying after class. Even if it's only a minute, making middle schoolers wait when they're usually running around in the halls is pure torture for them.
posted by jetskiaccidents at 6:35 PM on October 25, 2005 [1 favorite has favorites]

Tell your wife to get out of teaching. As it is, she's just a glorified babysitter. It's admirable of her to want to try, but until and unless she has support from the community (read: parents) she's wasting her effort.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:53 PM on October 25, 2005

More books:

36 Children (a classic)

Teaching Children to Care (excellent).

I know reading a book seems like a slow solution. But Teaching Children to Care might change her entire classroom life. Save 36 Children for summer, or when more iinspiration is needed.
posted by Miko at 6:55 PM on October 25, 2005

Also...it's easy to fall into the trap of "the parents don't care, the students don't care, there's nothing I can do". But I think it's highly possible that there are some students and parents who might care, but are overwhelmed by the situation. Not every parent is going to show that they care by showing up at conferences or open house nights - sometimes the teacher has to reach out to them. Same with the students...if 25 students in the class are off the wall, but one actually wants to be there, who's going to win?

I worry about the "no support from the school" comment though. I wouldn't say a situation like this should make her change careers, but switching schools might be an idea at the end of the year.
posted by jetskiaccidents at 8:15 PM on October 25, 2005

Watch the movie dangerous minds. Also watch the dead poets society, and mr holllands opus. Even though they are quite theatrical by nature, they should inspire.
posted by pwally at 8:24 PM on October 25, 2005

Must read: The First Days of School
posted by kdern at 8:37 PM on October 25, 2005

Like pwally, I was also immediately reminded of Dangerous Minds. It's about older kids though (high school) but it could be somewhat inspiring for ideas.
posted by easternblot at 8:51 PM on October 25, 2005

LouAnne Johnson wrote the book on which Dangerous Minds was based
posted by brujita at 9:24 PM on October 25, 2005

there's probably at least one kid in that classroom that really does care to learn something ... she should find out who they are and reach out to them
posted by pyramid termite at 9:29 PM on October 25, 2005

Yes, the students don't care.

Are ther any individuals who do?

I know it's not-PC/whatever to catever to those who care, but, hypothetically - if the teacher started paying attention to the students who *did* care, maybe the borderline students will fall in line. That is, supposing that the indifferent students don't end up being jealous of the students who got attention.

Tough situation. Very, very tough situation. Are the principles/vice princiles any help at all?

Willfull ignorance tops my list of pet peeve and I sympathise, but there may not be a "good" solution to this situation.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 10:07 PM on October 25, 2005

Dangerous Minds????? I must admit that I am mystified...

I'm not a school-teacher, but I have many friends who are teaching middle or high-school to very similar students. My advice is to get specific: find other young, frustrated teachers in your area who are in the same boat and talk to them. Experiment and try out different strategies. This type of community has really helped out many of the teachers I know. Perhaps she's already done this--but if not she ought to find colleagues her own age who are still enthusiastic about the job.
posted by josh at 5:28 AM on October 26, 2005

I know a couple of teachers, and they all say October is often when "I hate my job, I hate my life" doldrums started to take over during their first year. The doldrums went on for a while, but didn't last for the whole year. Your wife may feel that she's completely desperate right now, but the good thing about hitting rock bottom is that things should start to improve soon.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 8:34 AM on October 26, 2005

I would recommend contacting the folks at The Fairy Tree - Keitha is a middle school teacher who has specialized in teaching underprivileged kids. I've been to a few of her seminars - she's pretty sharp. I'm sure she'd be willing to offer a few tips via email.
posted by restless_nomad at 9:25 AM on October 26, 2005

nd other young, frustrated teachers in your area who are in the same boat and talk to them.

I would recommend contacting the folks at The Fairy Tree

Yeah. I think the greatest crime in the construction of teachers' jobs is their near-total isolation in the classroom. We wouldn't lock doctors up for six hours with their patients...we know they need time to conference, time to talk to other professionals involved in treatment, time to talk to families, time to research, and time to process. Teachers are utterly stranded, often. Finding a community will help.

Is this her first year? If so, remind her to judge nothing by her first year. Her first year would suck even if she was in a 99th-percentile, affluent community teaching Free-form Creativity to the gifted class. The first year is universally painful.
posted by Miko at 5:58 PM on October 26, 2005

I will limit my answer to a few points. I am student teacher struggling with management in class, not an expert, but I have some ideas.

0) The kids have to care at least a little bit. See my comments in an earlier thread for my ideas about how to motivate them.

1) Just because they are underpriveleged, does not mean their parents don't care. In fact, I would bet almost anything that their parents do care. Parents can have any number of reasons for being uninvolved - busy with work, distrustful of the school. . . .

Working on the assumption that at least some parents care, make sure to communicate with them. Send home a weekly report listing missing assignments and any notes, good and bad, about behavior. Insist that the forms be signed and brough back.

It is also nice to call home at least once just to check in and introduce yourself. That way if you call later about negative stuff, it won't be the first time.

2) Community-building makes management easier. The Responsive Classroom series of books is excellent for this. If you have a class where people respect each other, there will be fewer conflicts and kids will respond better to discipline.

3) Work out a consistent signal to get quiet and attention. I raise my hand in a "peace" sign. Other people do a pattern of claps, or count backward. Maybe she already has this, but if not, it is essential because otherwise you are just yelling to get their attention, and they respond by yelling over you.

4) What does she do if kids misbehave? She should work out a consistent routine. I give "negative points" for misbehavior, and on the third one the kid has to go in the hall and write a sheet explaning what they did wrong and why, and what they will do to improve their behavior. Cools things off for me and the kid, and then we have a mini-conference to go over what they wrote and for me to re-iterate my expectations for them. Can be followed up with a call home if necessary.

5) Extrinsic rewards are usually more trouble than they are worth. I've seen systems of points, money, etc. where if the class accumulates enough, they get a free day or some such. I think this sends a message that good behavior and working hard are not inherently worthwhile, but actually if kids learn how to be productive, they will likely enjoy school more.
posted by mai at 10:39 PM on October 26, 2005

My student-teaching friend highly recommends Tools for Teaching.

As mentioned above, he's also been warned of a "November slump" for beginning teachers. Your wife has my respect and great appreciation for trying to teach under such circumstances, and I hope she finds a way to make it work!
posted by gorillawarfare at 11:39 PM on October 26, 2005