When I was growing up, I was very fortunate to have two loving parents and a younger brother. We lived in a very stable household, and a nice home. My dad was in the Navy when he was younger, and went to Vietnam where he was stationed on an aircraft carrier to maintain airplanes. He later picked up a job for Penske Truck leasing which allowed him the opportunity to use his repair skills on semi-trucks. My mom began working for the Department of Veterans affairs when she was 19 in the IT department, and spent the next 42 years moving up in title. They worked really hard all their lives, and they always had stable jobs. They put a lot of their money towards my brother and I, paying for piano lessons, gymnastics, soccer, and other after school activities. We weren't rich by any means, but compared to many students, we were probably looked at that way. The town I grew up in was very blue collar, and whenever classmates of mine would learn what part of town I lived in, it was the area with the "big houses." Again, these weren't mansions, they were just slightly larger than our town's typical bungalow styled home. Growing up, my parents packed my lunch for school every single day. By the time I graduated high school, I really couldn't stomach eating another sandwich for lunch. But again, I was lucky. Many of my classmates were on the free or reduced lunch program. I often shared my sandwich or snacks with friends. Many of my classmates lived in apartments, and moved around because their parents could often not afford it. I had many friends with divorced parents, or situations where one parent wasn't in the picture at all. It was unusual for other students to be involved in extracurricular activities outside of school, because they couldn't afford it. I always knew I was lucky to have the ability to participate in activities such as these.
My husband on the other hand, grew up in a wealthier community. He went to private school growing up and many of his friends have grown into successful lawyers and doctors. I mention this because the textbook talks about how poverty affects school achievement, and I believe this to absolutely be true. I witnessed it with my friends. Our school in general, had lower test scores than other districts, and we often wore the same sports uniforms for years because the school couldn't afford to buy new ones. Not many of my friends from school have moved on to be doctors or lawyers. A few have, but it's rare.
The textbook states, "One troubling trend is that the achievement gap is growing between children from privileged families.. and children from poor families" (Woolfolk, p. 225, 2019). Besides the fact that there are so many more resources available for wealthier students like tutoring, travel, specialized summer camps that help give them a leg up, students of lower economic status often have to work jobs to supplement the family income, which takes away from their time to focus on school. The negative effects of poverty also include things like increased stress, health issues, lack of a balanced diet, more exposure to drugs, less access to good doctors, and the list goes on and on.
Just recently, my husband threw out his back (I guess this is what happens when you hit your 30s?!), and it was so bad we had to take him to the emergency room. We both are fortunate to have really great insurance through our employers, and even with great insurance, that emergency room visit cost us $400. $400!! We later owed ANOTHER $400 for this same visit. After this visit to the emergency room, we both also had the luxury to call in sick for our jobs, and still get paid for the day. Many many people in the United States do not have any of these luxuries. If they are injured, they either don't go to a doctor for help, or are faced with huge medical bills, often putting them in debt. Or, if they have an injury or illness, they can't afford to miss a day of work because they will not get paid. Often, this financial burden can also fall onto the students. At 16, you shouldn't have to work so many hours that it takes away from your ability to focus on your school work. No one should have to work more than 1 job to make ends meet. Things like this are what I saw growing up with my friends all too often. They would have to choose between work and participating in track or basketball with their friends. They would miss out on school dances because prom cost $90 a person.
All of these things contribute back to a student's self esteem. They may get picked on for wearing old, or out of style clothes. They may wear shoes that are too tight and can't focus because they're uncomfortable. Teachers may also have low expectations for these students, and avoid calling on them because they feel they won't know the answer to a question. As the textbook states, "Low expectations, along with a lower quality educational experience, can lead students to a sense of learned helplessness" (Woolfolk, p. 226, 2019). These students may view school as a dead end, and quit, leading to less job opportunities for those without a high school degree.
This cycle is very sad. As a teacher, part of my hope for my own career is to help reach those students who need a little extra help and encouragement. What I love about the subject of business, and teaching business, is that anyone can do it. You don't need to be a mathematician. You don't need to specialize in biology. You just need to know how to identify a need, and bring people together to solve for that need. Business is also a subject that is so broad, you're bound to find an interest within the field, whether it's marketing, finance, accounting, or even sales to list a few.
I'm excited that business programs especially within the high school setting are finally gaining some traction. When I went to school, the only business class I had the option of taking was economics. Now, the high school I attended has an entire staff of teachers dedicated to teaching a wide range of business classes as well as other vocational classes. Teaching business won't solve the poverty gap, but I do hope that I can help engage students who might not be interested in traditional classes, to try something new and find a path that suits them.
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