INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
AND PRACTICES OF TEACHERS
WHO WORK WITH
STUDENTS EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS
Presenters
Kimberly Pickles, Principal
WJCC Public Schools
Doctoral Candidate: The College of William and
Mary
Stephanie Leek, School Social Worker
WJCC Public Schools
Objectives/Goals
Participants will be exposed to the perspectives
of classroom teachers regarding the challenges
they face educating students experiencing
homelessness
•Participants will be able to identify and
describe four areas related to supporting
homeless students in the classroom
•
Objectives/Goals Continued
Participants will identify ways that teachers can
change their instructional process to meet the
learning and emotional needs of students who
are homeless
•Participants will be provided with district-level
strategies utilized to support school-based staff
•
Pedagogical Practices of Teachers
of Homeless Students
Qualitative Research Pilot Study
•College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA
•
Purpose: To examine the pedagogical practices of
teachers who have instructed homeless students. To
explore the needs and strategies that teachers can
use to differentiate and accommodate their
instruction to maximize achievement for these
students.
•
Research Question
What are the pedagogical practices of teachers
who have had students who are homeless?
Specifically, once a teacher learns that s/he has
a student who has been identified as a student
who is currently homeless, what ways does s/he
change their instructional process to meet the
learning and emotional needs of the student?
Research
“According to state education agencies, the most
frequently reported educational needs of homeless
children are as follows: remediation/tutoring; school
materials and clothes; support services such as
counselors; after school/extended day/summer
programs to provide basic needs for food and shelter
and recreation; transportation; educational program
continuity and stability; and sensitivity and awareness
training for school personnel and students” (Rafferty,
1998, p.50)
Research
“Teachers of highly mobile students must develop the
skills to make them feel welcome while quickly weaving
them into classroom routines” (Holgersson-Shorter,
2010, p.33)
4 Steps to Support Students
1. “Heightening their awareness for the dynamics of the lives of children and
families who are homeless” (Swick, 2000; Powers-Costello and Swick, 2011)
2. “Engaging in experiences that deepen their sensitivity to the contextual
elements that are pervasive in being homeless” (Powers-Costello and Swick,
2008; Sleeter, 1993; Swick, 1996; Powers-Costellow and Swick, 2011)
3. “Developing an action plan that provides some cohesive direction to their
work” (Powers-Costello and swick, 2011).
4. “Helping teachers become active in building relations with students, parents,
colleagues, and community that promote school success” (Swick, 2000;
Powers-Costello and Swick, 2011).
Method


Collective ethnographic case studies
Research Design of advocacy/participatory
research


Group of individuals that are faced with the social
issues of the day and in which an action agenda for
reform within the schools would change the lives of
the homeless children in the classroom.
Critical Theory

Examines the changes and interactions related to
the improvement of the educational impact of
students who experience homelessness
Participants

Three Elementary School Teachers
 5th
grade reading teacher “Jane”
 25+
 5th
grade math teacher “Mary”
 10
 1st
years teaching experience
grade teacher (all subjects) “Helen”
8

years teaching experience
years teaching experience
Suburban School District
Participants

Participants have worked with a student
or students that have experienced
homelessness while in their classrooms
 Living
in a women’s shelter with mother
and within the zone of the shelter
 Doubled up with friends and then moved
to hotel (in zone and then out of zone)
 Started in a home, doubled up out of city
and stayed school of origin
Interviews





Structured Interview Questions; Open Ended
Face to face
Focused on identifying the pedagogical
practices of teachers who instruct homeless
students
Focused on how they adjusted their instruction
for students experiencing homelessness
Recommendations to improved academic
success
Findings

Four categories/themes
 Choices
made by the parent to be able to
provide for their child(ren) or the lack of the
choices that they have available
 Perceptions of the classroom teacher
 Relationship development between the teacher
and the child and the teacher and the parent
for positive learning experience
 Available/recommended supports within the
school and classroom
Findings Con’t

Choices
 Lack
of ability to make choices
 “Parents
don’t normally come and that is just either
because they are working during the day and they
don’t have a means to get to the school or they are
at home taking care of the other kids. I do make
sure that I am sending home weekly communication
and would say that some are good about
communicating back and some are not. I would like
to think sometimes they have bigger things to worry
about.” -“Mary”
Findings Con’t

Choices

Home support is key


“I think that home support is a key thing and that you see
that the parents are just struggling to get by. It could be
the parents had no choice or the parents just aren’t
giving the kids the attention.” – “Jane”
Don’t hold parent’s choices against the child

“Parents of homeless kids seem to focus more on their
own problems which is probably understandable and the
kids seem to fall to the wayside because school’s
important, but not that important” – “Jane”
Findings Con’t

Choices
 Be
aware many parents have made difficult
choices and are doing the best they can so their
children have a good educational opportunity
 “I
don’t necessarily think that the parents intend to
not be supportive, it’s just that they are so busy with
everything else they have, whether it is just trying to
find a job or trying to find a home or trying to be
the parent, that sometimes school just comes last.” –
“Helen”
Findings Con’t

Perceptions

Preconceived ideas may present the opposite

“He was very bright, which surprised me, because I
thought, you know, a lot of times you want to think that
they are not academically there. But he was also very
bright. His big thing for me was that he was very
worldly.” –”Mary”
Keep in mind the child may be embarrassed by
their situation and may not have an opportunity to
act like a kid.
 Be open minded and not let stereotypes guide their
idea of a homeless child.

Findings Con’t

Relationship Development
 Promote
a positive learning experience for the
child
 Put in the time necessary to develop a
relationship
 Take the time, build the relationship, develop the
trust and understanding for the student and
family
Findings Con’t

Relationship Development
 “I
like it to be a trusting place where kids can
come to feel safe… kids come in and other
children need to accept children for who they
are and where they are as far as learning. You
know a lot of these kids come from situations
where this is their only safe place to be and you
don’t know what they are going home to, so I
want them to feel secure and safe.” – “Jane”
Findings Con’t

Supports
 Extra
instructional materials
 Services for remediation/extra hour or two of
consistency
 Free Breakfast and Lunch programs
 Field trips to support learning culturally
 Outreach programs invited into the school
 Human need items (clothes, coats, food)
 Counseling and health supports
 In-services for educators
Conclusions
These children have many needs beyond a
typical student
•Teachers need to be aware of background
circumstances and knowledge of the difficulties
and choices the family is facing
•Need to be aware of their preconceived
perceptions; Have an open mind
•Treat each situation individually
•
Conclusions
Develop relationships, build trust, safety, and
security within the classroom
•Additional supports are always needed
•
Williamsburg – James City County
Demographics
City of Williamsburg



Population: 14, 068
20.3% living below
the poverty level
14.5% unemployment
James City County



Population: 67,009
7% living below the
poverty level
7% unemployment
Available Resources



Avalon Shelter
Transitional housing program
Faith Based Community
 Supports
the United Way Community Resource Center
 GWOM
 Shelter
program
WJCC Public Schools



Population: 11,030 (2011-2012)
15 schools – 9 Elementary, 3 middle, 3 High
Homeless identification trends:







2005/2006 – 86
2006/2007 – 109
2007/2008 – 223
2008/2009 – 106
2009/2010 – 217
2010/2011 – 353
2011/2012 - 428
Available Resources



Project HOPE
School Social Work staff
Erase the Needs Center
Division Wide Interventions

Awareness and Education program
 Training
program for all school staff/employees
 Strategies
appropriate to the group, i.e. teachers,
administrators, registrars, bus drivers, custodians
 Resource
and Guidance manual – Connecting the Pieces:
Access, Stability, Success
 Outreach materials specific to school division
Division Wide Interventions, Con’t

Homeless Education Coordinator
 Case
management services for high risk preschool
students and families
 Needs assessment of preschool staff - results provided
to staff and used to guide activities
 Available for onsite consultation for staff and
administration
 Provide continued training on M-V and strategies for
classrooms and interacting with families
 Link with school age programs
Stonehouse Elementary School



Located in James City County
Population: 652
26.84% free or reduced lunch
 21.01%
free
 5.83% reduced
Stonehouse Interventions




School Social Worker providing trainings and sharing
with teachers
Transportation vouchers provided by the PTA
SCA members volunteering in the community
Sea Star Power Pack program
Staff donations
 Interactions with different community groups and individuals
 Raising awareness with local churches, organizations,
Boy/Girl Scouts, and within the school
 A meaningful way for students to help

Thank You
Kim Pickles
Principal, Stonehouse
Elementary School
WJCC Public Schools
picklesk@wjcc.k12.va.us
757-566-4300
Stephanie Leek
School Social Worker
WJCC Public Schools
leeks@wjcc.k12.va.us
757-634-9325