What does money really have to do with it?
When it comes to money, it plays a big role within the education system. Unfortunately, students are judged by their teachers and peers based on their economic status. A classroom should be a safe space for students to not worry about coming from less fortunate conditions. Students look up to the teacher, they watch what you do and listen to what you say. So, I think it’s unprofessional and very wrong for teachers to be stereotyping and treating students differently on something they have no control over. In the article The Myth of the Culture of Poverty, it talks about how “believing that poor people are different from those with higher incomes is dangerous and wrong”. Schools located in a high-income area have more resources, cleaner conditions, and a higher quality learning environment. These schools are likely better funded, which increases the quality of schools and classrooms and provides students with more resources. In the NPR Podcast, Demetrio Rodriguez, from San Antonio, speaks about wanting equal school funding for students. His children went to a school with very little resources where they had limited teachers who were certified, the majority of staff were unqualified to work in a school. This is not okay. As everything in our world changes and advances every day, the school budgets should increase as well. No matter who you are, where you come from, everyone deserves the same education as the person next to them. We shouldn’t be trying to “fix poor people”, but instead fix the way the education system supports everyone (The Myth of the Culture of Poverty).
Hi Kristen! I really enjoyed reading your blog. I love how you mentioned that a classroom should be a safe space for students. I personally think that teaching is a very hard job, specially because sometimes you fall into the stereotypes or have personal biases without even realizing it. Which I think its very disappointing because this is limiting many students. It is stopping them from having all the opportunities that they need. Something that really caught my eye from your blog was your last sentence from The Myth of the Culture, "We shouldnt be trying to fix poor people, but instead fix the way the education systems suuports everyone". I definely agree with this! Money shouldn't be the problem but what measures should be taken to fix the system should. Education and opportunities should be offered to everyone not just those with money. How do you think this problem can be fixed?
ReplyDeleteHi Mariela! Thanks for your comment! I agree that teaching is a very hard job and is not by any means easy as some may like to say. There is a lot that teachers have to be aware of and informed about when taking on this job. Reading the different articles throughout this module makes me wonder what people are actively doing to try and fix it. I believe we all have a voice and a choice to use it. If we don't speak out about certain things, we will never see a change. I think bringing more awareness is one of the first things we could do.
DeleteHi Kristen, I really loved reading your blog! You had a very different take on the question than the other peoples blogs I've read and I thought that was super interesting. Something I noticed is that you interpreted this week's module as money in different economic classes within schools rather than within the state, which is certainly an issue in quite a few schools. I couldn't agree more that we shouldn't be trying to fix people, we should be fixing the way the education system supports them. I believe that the solution to this should start at the state level that provides the fundings for the school in these areas. We need to be able to provide equal opportunities for all students around the state so that they can thrive in any social class. What do you plan to do to fix this problem, at least in your classroom? What would you suggest the people in your community do to advocate for these issues? What is going to be the most efficient way to solve these problems?
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! Thanks for your comment! I agree, it should first be fixed at a state level by providing the same resources to schools in all different areas. We fall short when it comes to funding each student. My mom is a teacher so I know how much she provides for her students and classroom all on her own, but it shouldn't have to be like that. I think it's important for us to be aware that we are going to be teachers one day who are wanting more money for our classroom, students, and schools. If we join the battle now, then hopefully we will see a change in our future.
DeleteHey Kirsten! I really enjoyed your blog, and I loved how much information was within your blog. I also love how many quotes you were able to provide from the articles that we learned. And sadly, like you said money does have a huge role in schooling and in the education system. This is something that I knew was an issue, but I never really thought much about the issue until learning and reading about it. I think you’re going to be a great teacher just by the way that you think it’s terrible that teachers are stereotyping students based on just money. My question to you is if you see another teacher stereotyping a student based on money, how are you going to go about this with the teacher and also with the student? Again, I loved reading your post and I gained information from reading and learning from your blog. Great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Kirstin! I think your blog post this week is awesome and very thoughtful! Money can be such a difficult topic for many people and it is not fair that children have to experience disadvantages because of the income of where they live. I love what you said about with everything changing in the world, the school budgets should change as well. I could not agree more. What are some ways that we as teachers could support the students who are in a lower funded school district? I think that we can do a lot with what we have until change is made. Obviously I know that teachers are severely underpaid and should not have to buy things out of pocket for their students however, I believe that their experience could be enriched by other things such as having a teacher they can confide in and feel safe with. Another question is, how can teachers advocate for these students that are not receiving fair or equal resources?
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ReplyDeleteHey Kirsten. I really enjoyed reading your blog post and agree with what you had to say. I think it is very unfair for the students to get poor education because they go to school in a low income area. I feel bad for the schools that have poor conditions and broken materials while the richer areas have nicer campuses, better technology and books, and well qualified teachers. My question for you is Would you do something if you were placed in a low income school with terrible work and supply conditions? The other thing that is sad, is the teachers in the low income areas are very underpaid so they do not care to put in the best effort to teach and educate the students. So again the students are getting unfair treatment. I think something should seriously be done about all areas getting the same funding because it will make better education systems and more successful students. This is an on-going issue and we have to do something to help it. Great blog post Kirsten.
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