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Disrupting Poverty: Five Powerful Classroom Practices

Jorge Amado

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Poverty is a complex issue that can have a devastating impact on children's lives. Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to experience health problems, academic difficulties, and social challenges. They are also more likely to live in poverty as adults.

Disrupting Poverty: Five Powerful Classroom Practices

by William Parrett

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
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Print length	:	238 pages

Schools can play a vital role in disrupting the cycle of poverty. By providing a supportive and nurturing environment, schools can help children from low-income families succeed academically and socially. The following five classroom practices can help teachers disrupt poverty and create a more equitable learning environment for all students:

1. Build relationships

Building relationships with students is essential for creating a positive and supportive learning environment. When students feel connected to their teachers, they are more likely to be engaged in their learning and to succeed academically. Teachers can build relationships with students by:

Getting to know students' interests and strengths
Communicating with students regularly
Being supportive and encouraging
Setting high expectations

2. Set high expectations

All students are capable of learning and achieving great things. However, students from low-income families often have lower expectations for themselves and their future. Teachers can help to raise students' expectations by:

Challenging students to think critically and solve problems
Providing students with opportunities to succeed
Celebrating students' successes
Encouraging students to set goals for themselves

3. Provide culturally responsive instruction

Culturally responsive instruction is teaching that is tailored to the cultural backgrounds and experiences of students. This type of instruction can help students to feel more connected to their learning and to succeed academically. Teachers can provide culturally responsive instruction by:

Using materials that reflect the students' cultures
Incorporating the students' cultures into the curriculum
Building on the students' prior knowledge and experiences
Encouraging students to share their cultures with the class

4. Promote student agency

Student agency is the ability of students to make choices and decisions about their own learning. When students have agency, they are more likely to be engaged in their learning and to take ownership of their education. Teachers can promote student agency by:

Giving students choices about what they learn and how they learn it
Allowing students to set goals for themselves
Encouraging students to take risks and experiment
Providing students with feedback and support

5. Use technology to support learning

Technology can be a powerful tool for disrupting poverty. It can provide students with access to information and resources that they would not otherwise have. It can also help students to develop 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. Teachers can use technology to support learning by:

Using technology to provide students with access to information and resources
Using technology to help students develop 21st century skills
Using technology to individualize instruction
Using technology to connect with students and parents

The five classroom practices described above can help teachers disrupt poverty and create a more equitable learning environment for all students. By building relationships, setting high expectations, providing culturally responsive instruction, promoting student agency, and using technology to support learning, teachers can help students from low-income families succeed academically and socially.

Disrupting Poverty: Five Powerful Classroom Practices

by William Parrett

4.5 out of 5