THe Constructions of Adalesence!!!

Chapter one was very interesting.  I actually liked reading it.  One point that stood out to me was the part when Ms. Peterson stated that she does not like confrontation in her classroom and that she is afraid of urban culture African Americans like Antwon.  This should not happen if you decide to be a teacher.  You should not fear your students.  They all have a reason for the way they act deep down inside.  You just have to try and find that reason and work with them to act better. There is no reason that you should have fear when you are the one that holds the power n the room.  These kids are just as afraid of you as you are to them.  There also like dogs if they smell fear they will use it against you.  We as teacher have to teach students the right ways to act and handle there issues as well as teach them.  There are a thousand students out there like Antwon and if we let them get to us as educators then the students would be running the schools and classrooms not us.

Children of Poverty!!

I have always wanted to help the kids less fortunate.  I grew up not poor but not rich either.  School was my favorite place to be it kept me out of trouble.  I lived in Woonsocket which everyone knows is a poverty area.  I have seen the kids in these types of areas; Woonsocket, providence, Central Falls.  These are the areas that I want to work in.  I want to make kids feel about school the way I did when I was growing up. 

Most teachers believe that students that grow up in poverty stay in poverty.  This is not the case at all.  Children that come from poverty are no less intelligent, able, motivated or worthy than others.  Children from Poverty can do anything they set their mind to, just like all kids. Four common myths about poverty are:

1.       Anyone can pull themselves out of poverty (The Bootstraps Myth)

2.       Those who are in Poverty are Lazy, welfare queens and or irresponsible (The Individual faults Myth)

3.       Poor Children are not particularly smart or school ready (The Educability Myth)

4.       People in poverty share a common culture (The Culture of Poverty Myth)

Ways Poverty does impact children is by environment, health, child labor, community violence, mobility, childcare, transportation, mental health and shelter.