Differences in Schools

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Home : 2002 : December : 7

Differences in Schools
By Guilty but Happy

I think the average child from a poor neighborhood is just as well-behaved as the average child from a middle-class, educated background. The problem is more that kids with MAJOR behavioral problems are more likely to come
out of a poor neighborhood. Many of these challenging kids come from very hard home situations and are quite angry. Also they are not given proper support or outlets to express their anger. And while all of this sounds liberal and sympathetic on paper, it's hard to feel sympathetic for a child when he's screaming expletives in your face. Depending on the level of support you are given

at your school, teaching these kinds of students in an inner city school can be very draining.

This is the kind of environment I taught in last year. This year I have kids from more affluent, educated families. (Surprisingly enough, I still teach at the same school, but my school is very diverse.) I do have to agree with what Sue D. said. It's so much easier to work with kids who come from families like these. Parents work with you, getting the kids tutoring and helping them at home. They'll do ANY job you want them to in or out of the classroom, and they'll donate any supplies you ask for. Although you still have kids who struggle, you can make successful interventions because the parents work with you on them.

This year I feel very guilty because I am not doing my part to help kids who are really needy. However, I have to admit that this year I really feel like I'm doing good things in my classroom. Last year I felt like I couldn't have much success with the kids I had. Many were 2-3 grade levels behind, and several had serious behavior problems. All the advice on classroom management and teaching methods seemed to be based on smarter, better behaved students.

I think it's just easier to feel more successful teaching in a classroom where kids have supportive parents. (And yes, I do get my fair share of off-the-wall parental "suggestions.") As I say, it's easy to give a lot to kids when they (and their families) give a lot, too.