Eric Jensen's Teaching With Poverty In Mind

Final Paper Literature Review Jensen, Eric (2009) Teaching with Poverty in Mind As an educator, I have become fascinated with the area of brain research and how it affects our students. Therefore, my final paper, once again, is based on a book that focuses in this area, while deeply exploring the poverty that surrounds so many of our students. Drawing from his vast reservoir of literature on brain research, experience, and real life success stories, Jensen offers a wonderful resource on teaching children of poverty. The question he posits is If life experiences can change poor kids for the worse, cant life experiences also change them for the better This book focuses on the relationship between academic achievement and low socio-economic status (SES). Jensen presents six
One of my favorite stories from Jensens book is of a teacher who asks students to write a theme about their dreams. One student writes of being a ranch owner and horse trainer and the teacher gave his theme back with an F. She tells him to write about something he can actually achieve, and she will consider changing the F to a passing grade whereupon the student tells the teacher to keep her F and he will keep his dream. The student turns out to be the person we know today as the Horse Whisperer, Monty Roberts who owns a huge thoroughbred ranch, has written five bestselling books, was focus of a major motion picture starring Robert Redford, and has trained horses for the Queen of England. Fortunately, this student was able to overcome the environment in which he was raised and educated in, but how many of our students can really reach this level of success on their own. If teachers can just realize the possibilities for all their students and teach with those expectations in mind, we can make a real difference in all the lives of our students. Anyway, isnt that the goal References Shank, Jennifer. (2010 September 30) Review of Teaching with Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen.