Teaching with Poverty in Mind
by Eric Jensen
District Leadership Team
December 14, 2010
• Learning Goals:
– TLW gain an overview and general understanding
of the information from the book
– TLW understand the different types of stress
– TLW understand the emotional responses and
capital students bring to school
– TLW understand the importance of enrichment for
students in poverty
– TLW understand about “CHAMP”
Types of Poverty
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Situational Poverty
Generational Poverty
Absolute Poverty
Relative Poverty
Urban Poverty
Rural Poverty
Types of Stress
• Acute Stress
• Chronic Stress
– Children from poverty
experience significantly
greater chronic stress
than their more affluent
counterparts.
What Stress Does to Memory
• Stress and Memory
Emotional Keyboard
Emotions Hardwired
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Sadness
Joy
Disgust
Anger
Surprise
Fear
Emotions Taught
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Humility
Forgiveness
Empathy
Optimism
Compassion
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Sympathy
Patience
Shame
Cooperation
Gratitude
Back to the Keyboard Analogy
• Chopsticks
• Chopsticks II
Embracing the Mind of Change
“The reason things stay the same
is because we've been the same.
For things to change, we must
change!"
– Eric Jensen
We must change the ENVIRONMENT where our students
are spending the most time.
The Brain’s Operating System
Components of
an Academic Operating System
Commodore 64
- Very little processing power
Remedy?
- Create faster (super) computers
with more processing power
Activities schools can use to help students
improve their academic operating systems
･ Physical activity
(increases the production of new brain cells...and is highly correlated with
learning, mood, and memory)
･ Playing chess
(increases students' capabilities in reading and math by increasing attention,
motivation, processing, and sequencing skills)
･ The arts
(improves attention, sequencing, processing, and cognitive skills)
･ Completing tasks administered by computer-aided
instructional programs
(improves memory and attention skills)
Music
Enhances self-discipline, wide brain function,
and verbal memory
･ Improves performances in mathematics (geometry)
･ Develops focused attention (enhancing memory)
･ Enhances students’ long-term will and effort (power of
persistence)
“It’s up to us to upgrade childrens’
operating systems – or prepare to
see a downgrade in their
performance."
– Eric Jensen
VIDEO CLIP
What can schools do to mitigate the effects of
poverty on students’ brains?
Develop an enrichment
counter attack.
Change the brain’s operating system.
ARTS
Arts
Students taking theater and drama scored
higher on the SAT than those with no arts
instruction.
High arts participation makes a more significant
difference to low-income students than to
high-income students.
Arts build your students’ academic operating
systems as well as or better than anything else
your school offers.
Athletics
Athletics
In a study of 353,000 5th graders, 322, 000 7th
graders, and 279,000 9th graders, higher
fitness levels were associated with higher
academic achievement.
Athletics improves self-concept and reduces
stress and aggression.
Advanced Placement Courses
WHS receives '2010 College Readiness' honor
from Texas ACT Council
Advanced Placement
As a contributing factor of college success,
participation in AP courses outrank grade point
average, class rank, and SAT scores.
A focus on college preparation in the context of a
rigorous high school curriculum demystifies the
college-going experience.
Poor and minority students need educators and
counselors who will provide support and
encouragement for enrollment in rigorous
classes.
CHAMPS
1. Create foldable with CHAMPS information
2. With a partner, discuss which of the CHAMPS
subskills is most important? Which of the
subskills are evident in WISD? How do you
know?
3. Be prepared to share one response, insight,
or question with the whole group.
Overcoming poverty
http://gentx.org/get-inspired/stories/