Poverty

Poverty

Unfortunately, poverty is a significant and growing problem in the United States.  I must admit poverty runs much deeper in the brain than I ever thought.  We know children raised in poverty face an uphill climb in many aspects of life.  Various research data shows children growing up in poverty complete less schooling, work and earn less as adults, are more likely to receive public assistance, and have poorer health.  A childhood in poverty often includes a lifetime of setbacks.  The achievement gap in schooling is also very bleak. 

So how can educators combat this ever growing problem?  I personally think it starts with relationship building, relationships within the school and relationships with parents and families.  While a challenge, developing positive relationships with parents and families of low socio-economic status and getting them involved with their children's education and school activities is a must.  

The living environment of many children in poverty is high-stress, so one of our most pressing concerns should be to keep the stress level in the classroom low.  We need to keep in mind that classroom environments that are safe and trusting can enhance learning.  Classroom environments should be high in challenge and low in threat. 

Parents, regardless of their socio-economic status, love their children and want them to succeed.  Many of these parents need to learn strategies that can help them cope and help their children get a chance at breaking the cycle of poverty.  We need to work together so we can provide the necessary supports and resources that will help break the cycle.

Formative Assessment

The more I read about formative assessment the more I realize it is the most important assessment practice.  It is the most powerful means to improve student learning and therefore must be part of the instructional process.  Formative assessment is a dynamic on-going process that provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening.  These adjustments help to ensure students achieve learning goals within a set time frame.  The more information we have about students, the clearer the picture we have about achievement and/or where the gaps occur.

Student involvement is key component of formative assessment.  If students are not involved in the assessment process, formative assessment is not practice to its full effectiveness.  Students need to be involved both as assessors of their own learning and as resources to other students.  Formative assessments communicate clear and specific learning goals, and allow students to become self-reflective.  When students provide feedback to each other, they identify the learning intentions through someone else’s work.  When students use feedback from the teacher to learn how to self-assess and set goals, they increase ownership of their own success.  Formative assessment requires students to become responsible for their own learning.  According to Wiliam, “the most effective learners are self-regulating.” We certainly want students to become owners of their own learning.