Poverty

Have you been impacted by poverty? Personally? Professionally? How can you, personally, make a difference in the life of a  child who lives in poverty? What would you want others to understand about the impact of poverty on children and learning?


As a professional, I am impacted by poverty each and every day. From the moment I walk outside to greet my children, until the bell rings at the end of the day. They are constantly telling me stories that remind me of their struggles. However, they are never telling me these stories out of pity, and most of the time, they are still smiling. The other morning, my student came to school with toothpaste down his face and shirt. He walked in and immediately wanted to explain. He said he was so sorry, but he couldn't see in the dark, and their lights are turned off. Another boy chimed in and said that's okay, they don't have the money for toothpaste, so he cannot brush his teeth right now. My heart was warmed at the fact that the little boy wasn't ashamed, however he wanted to be open and honest with the reasoning for his shirt. I love when they relate to each other with so much understanding and it is so easy to see how much they care about each other.

I used this to make a difference in their lives. I know how important it is to have clean teeth. When student's have a tooth ache, they cannot learn. A sore mouth is SUCH a distraction. Also, an infection is very painful and can lead to further issues. It hit me that brushing my teeth multiple times a day is SUCH a privilege. This was a privilege that my children deserved. With that being said, my mother helped provide them all with toothbrushes at home, and toothbrushes at school. Every Monday, students are able to brush their teeth at school as a reward, and it is one of their favorite days!

What you need to understand is that you can't change if they have electricity at home. You cannot change that they do not have adequate transportation or bed bugs, but you can go deeper and figure out what that means. They don't have a car? Help them with a bus pass, reusable grocery bags, comfortable shoes. Sometimes you have to think about the bigger picture and what the lack of resources mean for them.


All my love,

Jacey