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    • « 5 Reasons Kids Drop Out of School | Home | Creating a Positive School Climate »

    What I’ve learned…

    By nadege7 | April 19, 2009

    think what surprised me the most when comparing my list with the reasons from this lesson is that kids are dropping out of school to have kids! It’s crazy to think how times have changed since I was in school. I seriously cannot think of anyone I went to school with that got pregnant and dropped out, and now after reading this lesson, they make it sound like it’s so common.

    Topics: Uncategorized |

    One Response to “What I’ve learned…”

    1. ck-night Says:
      April 20th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

      I chose to look at the article on ‘Understanding and Working with Students and Adults from Poverty’. I found out some interesting facts regarding learning styles of those raised in poverty. For one, relationships are a huge deal and motivate learing. Among the wealthy, their lifestyle consist of political, social, and financial means. Among those living in poverty, their lives center around survival, entertainment, and relationships.

      Also, there is a big gap in language. Many children from middle class families learn the formal and traditional styles of language from school and their family. Those living in poverty use a more casual form of language, consisting of a 400-500 word vocabulary, broken sentences, and non-verbal gestures.

      The biggest surprise was that there are “hidden rules” that the middle class use in schools and businesses that are different from those coming from poverty. These rules are not taught either, leaving children at a lower level academically and socially.

      These are all so important and relevant to what I want in couseling. Understanding where these children and adults come from can help me work to better their lives. Knowing what’s important in their “world” will be an advantage to overcoming some obstacles people living poverty face.

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