Prompt 3: Questions for Dr. Payne
If you had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Payne over coffee, what are two open-ended questions you would likely ask her regarding the framework?
1) When put in a situation where you need to talk to a parent or guardian and there is an obvious language register difference, how do you deal with the situation? In what way do you articulate the key points of the conversation while being direct and not offending the parent at the same time?
2) When being a person not from poverty and a teacher to those that are, how do you get the students to accept you without dropping language registers or relinquishing resources?
Payne, R.K. (2005). A framework for understanding poverty. (4th ed.) The Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc.
I believe that I would ask Dr. Payne the same questions if given the chance to sit down and discuss the text. It is so hard to get students that come from different backgrounds to trust or even accept you. I truly believe that in order to be a successful teacher a strong bond must be developed between the student, parent, and the teacher. It is very difficult for me to even begin to understand what these students face on a daily basis. I personally have students that live in trailers that do not even have running water. I guess it is hard to expect a child that cannot even take a shower or use the restroom in their own house to be totally focused on multiplication facts at 8 in the morning. The fact is that we do not truly understand what these kids go through so how do we build relationships or gain their trust? I believe that just by listening to these students and treating them with respect we will be able to help these students achieve at higher levels. I also believe that as educators we need to be open to new ideas and strategies that will help us build stronger bonds with all of our students. I would be very interested to hear Dr. Payne’s response to your questions and eager to utilize any new strategies that he may suggest.
ReplyDeleteYou have very valid questions for Dr.Payne. So much of an educator's job is communicating clearly and effectively to a variety of people of different ages, levels, and economic levels. Whether it's communicating with students from diverse backgrounds and homes or talking with parents of various social/economic degrees, we must understand the communication styles, vocabulary, and strategies for fully attend to communicating. One area that I frequently struggle with my academic expectations for students in situations where my students are responsible for much of the emotional, or in some cases, some parental responsibilities in their families. While I realize that these difficult situations are often a result of their families current struggles, it is hard to translate the need for greater academic attention due to the burden that students in poverty face each day. However, I also realize that I am one of the voices of education in their life, and without communicated goals or suggestions, my students may not invest in their education. Overall, excellent questions for discussion!
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