Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do About It

Although every educator knows first-hand about the effects that poverty can have on students, here at last is a book that makes it crystal clear why and how the effects of poverty have to be addressed in classroom teaching and school and district policy. Veteran educator and brain expert Eric Jensen helps you understand what poverty does to childrens brains and why students raised in poverty are especially subject to stressors that undermine school behaviour and performance. Then learn how the effects of poverty can be reversed when educators employ the practices of turnaround schools and schools that have a history of high performance among students raised in poverty.

Drawing from research, experience, and real school success stories, Jensen explains what educators everywhere can do to improve the achievement of economically disadvantaged students:

• How to recognise the signs of chronic stress caused by poverty.
• Why to assess low performing students for core skills that are affected by poverty, such as attention, focus, and problem solving.
• How to change school and classroom environments to alleviate the stress caused by chronic poverty.
• Ways to empower students and increase their perception of control over their environments.
• Which school wide factors lead to success and which are always achievement killers.
• How enriching learning environments that include the arts and highly engaging instruction can change students brains and improve their lives

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1. Understanding the Nature of Poverty

Chapter 2. How Poverty Affects Behavior and Academic Performance

Chapter 3. Embracing the Mind-Set of Change

Chapter 4. Schoolwide Success Factors

Chapter 5. Classroom-Level Success Factors

Chapter 6. Instructional Light and Magic

References