View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:31 pm



Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 
 Poverty, healthcare and education 
Author Message
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 28
From readings and the statistics that Dr. Turner brought to class, I see the correlation between poverty, healthcare and education. The countries with a centralized healthcare system had lower infant mortality rates than the U.S. I believe there should be a major change in the healthcare field. Also, we know if children are hungry or worried about their family situation they are less likely to learn in school. I wonder what we can do as teachers to help these children. I would like to provide healthy snacks for my students, but do not know if I could afford to buy for everyone. Any suggestions? I realize there has to be a line between teacher and student, and I worry that I will care too much.

_________________
Janet Phillips


Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:00 pm
Profile
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 40
Post 
You can buy cheese or peanut butter crackers in bulk at Sam's to provide healthy snacks for your students. Just make sure they don't have milk or peanut allergies. It is very easy to overspend for your students. I have been known to do that on occasion, but you kind of want to spoil them. Especially those who are in the poverty level. But unfortunately we cannot save them all.

_________________
Machel Connolly


Thu Jun 02, 2005 10:07 pm
Profile YIM
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 25
Post 
I teach EC at the high school and there are some of my students at the poverty level. One of my classroom rules states that you cannot visit the snack machine during classtime. Like every other rule there are exceptions, I allow the students I know who are at or below poverty level and don't get to eat breakfast at home to go to the snack and drink machines. Am I right in doing this? I also tell them to eat it before they return to class.


Fri Jun 03, 2005 10:37 am
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 24
Post 
That fear of caring too much is a valid one, but I think all teachers suffer from that "problem." I know the teachers I have met seem to.
I did my Youth Advocacy Project on this topic and came to the conclusion that the best way to help parents and students in low income situations is to alert them to the abundant resources and organizations that can help. It is also important to help them to NOT be ashamed to ask for help. If you can make them see that to set aside pride and ask for help could possibly break the cycle of intergenerational poverty you would have done so much for that student.

_________________
Jennifer Thomas


Fri Jun 03, 2005 1:40 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 25
Post 
i do not think a teacher can care too much about his or her students. A teacher in a class will start to care and see their students as family after being with them every day for a semester or a year so i feel that it is just human nature to care about the people in this case students around you.



Joshua i do not think what you are doing is unfair because the students you let go need the extra help while the others do not. i think that even if your students knew about it than they might fight you on it but who is to say that they are not going to the snake machine and eating them a snake on there way back as well. It is like a if i do not see it then it never happened kind of game.

_________________
Melissa Freeman


Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:16 am
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 24
Post 
I know elementary school is different than middle or high school, but at the beginning of the year, the teacher asked each child to bring in one bag of snacks. Periodically she asked throughout the year, but only maybe three times.
I know sometimes my daughter forgets to ask for lunch money and she will go all day without eating.

_________________
Annette Bostain


Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:25 pm
Profile
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 7:28 am
Posts: 31
Post 
We all need fuel if we are going to get through the day - successfully. Students of all ages need "snack" time - even high school students. (Josh, I think it would be great if all students were allowed to get a snack.) I know my day goes a lot better if I get to eat a little something when I get hungry. I do not know what to do about making sure all students have something if they get hungry – I like the cheese cracker idea – from Sam’s!! Maybe if we start out allotting a little from our checks when we first get paid – you know, pretend we are getting less than we actually are and use the extra money for snacks for the students – maybe that would make it easier on us – money wise and student behavior wise. (I know for a fact some students are little “devilsâ€


Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:45 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 24
Post 
Hey Janet,

Don't teachers get a little money at some time during the year to spend in their classroom as they see fit? I may be totally off base, but it seems as if I heard that somewhere. Anyway, maybe it could be used to purchase inexpensive snacks for emergencies. Maybe we could write companies asking for donations (or coupons) to the classroom "pantry." It would be hard for me to know that a student was hungry and not do anything about it.

One more thought... do the middle schools offer breakfast like the elementary schools?

_________________
Kristi Jones


Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:16 am
Profile
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 41
Post 
yes Kristi, and so do the high schools, we have a lot of kids who only come to school at 8am so they can eat breakfast (we have a flexible schedule).

Josh, I would also argue that an established snack break should be established for all of the students, in theory. I am in an alternative high school setting where it sometimes seems the rules/requirements for every other child are different. We try to keep as much consistency as possible; it seems to make things operate more smoothly. But if it works in your class moor and with your students, then I wouldn't change it.


Thu Jun 09, 2005 11:15 am
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 22
Post 
Janet, I actually expericened something first hand that I had to deal with my first year teaching and my second.

The first year I was teaching I kept a closet that contained snacks for the kids. I did not feed students snacks everyday. I keep the closet for kids who "needed" something to eat because they could not wait until 12:30 for lunch. Not every kid took advantage of it, but every now and then I would have students ask me for a snack. It wasn't always the same students either. It cost me a little more than I was willing to spend so the next year I let students bring in snacks that they could eat during class. I did not set a certian time for "snacks" they could eat while I did my lessons as long as it did not interfere with teaching. Often the kids would share. This seemed to work better and I kept my food closet more of a secret because often times teachers would come and ask for something. Which was OK I didn't mind, I just couldn't afford it. Also, it is true that teachers get some money as the beginning of school each year but there are so many things I buy for my classroom little is left to by snacks. It is really a trial and error kind of thing. By the way I teach Middle School and I know from my own daughter's experience that once they leave elementary school snack time is cut out.

_________________
Heather Smart


Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:28 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 24
Post 
I have a teenager who gets really grumpy if she gets hungry. And like Donna said, sometimes I get hungry too and just a cracker can make a difference. Heather said sometimes she even had teachers come in and ask for a snack. With all this, I'm wondering why people feel it is better to have fast growing teenagers go without food all day except for lunch.
My daughter gets to highschool at 7:30 in the morning. Her lunch is not until 1:10. That is 5 and 1/2 hours without anything-and she had PE first period. I could't go that long without at least a snack. Sometimes I think people are oblivious to meeting basic human needs and only concentrate on their main objective.

_________________
Annette Bostain


Fri Jun 10, 2005 8:15 am
Profile
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 30
What a wonderful teacher you will make!! Our hearts should always lead us! I too believe that there must be a change and soon in the United States healthcare system - it is ridiculous that a country as wealthy and power as we are let so many children, infants, and elderly people die! What a waste!! Money is only money and it will come and go - you can't place the value of human lives on the same level as money. Perhaps you could get local business such as walmart, dollar general, or ingles to donate foodstuffs for the kids to snack on. Ingles is a great supporter of the community - which is of course one of the reasons why I shop there. Keep your heart in it - you can't care too much about the kids.

_________________
Charity Bailey


Sat Jun 11, 2005 12:58 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 12 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.