I interviewed a friend of mine that is a 7th and 8th grade teacher at a middle school in a rural area Northeast of Salem. She estimated the average, gross, annual income for a family in her district to be around $40,000. Using this information I created the following spreadsheet to determine a budget for a family who owns their house (making $40,000) and a family who is renting a house or an apartment (making $30,000):
It is important to note that I did not figure in any expenses related to children activities (such as sports, dance, music, etc.), clothing expenses, medical expenses (co-pays, emergency room trips), savings, or various "surprise" issues such as needing to call a plumber, replacing tires on the car, etc. This exercise reinforced to me that as a teacher you have to constantly keep all aspects of your student's family in mind. Economics play a large role in the relationships a student may have with other students and also the way a student will respond to me as a teacher.
Looks like these families are cutting things pretty close. Probably no such things as savings. This situation could result in a stressful family environment and MS and HS students needing to financially contribute. These things could certainly influence the time they have available for HW as well as their state of mind in your class. I agree that the economic lens can influence your students and relationships. Is there anything you can do as a teacher or is that really out of your hands?
ReplyDeleteMore spread sheets - I love you girls! :)
ReplyDeleteAs Steve said, these families seem to be pretty tight on money, and that can be so, so stressful for MS and HS students - not just the feeling like they need to contribute, but the social pressures that exist in those environments to be "trendy" and "up to date" on all the latest styles and gadgets. Being aware is certainly important for teachers - but what can we do, aside from be aware? I know we have thrown around the idea of buying basic supplies for all of our students, but that can be perceived as officious or condescending...a conundrum, to be sure!
I think as a teacher the best thing to do is promote equality and respect in the classroom - and like Katie said, supply things to ALL the kids if you require they have something that is not listed in the school's supply list - like a journal. My science teacher has a tub of colored pencils and pins for each table that the kids can use. This works great, too.
ReplyDeleteOne thing my friend, whom I interviewed, said she does is always have a box of healthy snacks for the kids to eat if they are hungry. She said she got tired of giving them her lunch.
Totally love spreadsheets!!! I feel blessed to not be cutting it this close. As Katie talked about, the social pressures are tremendous for students at this age. Cell phones, IPods. It is hard enough for them to fit in without these extra worries. How will this affect students ability to engage in school. Even if they aren't hungry or can afford to buy supplies, the social pressures may be too much. How do we identify these problems and what can we do if the student just is embarrassed to not have clothes like those of her peers?
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