Poverty Discussion II

“So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism, and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.”

– Malala Yousafzai

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On March 22, 2021 (my sophomore year), I attended a discussion on poverty with other Teaching Fellows. This event was led by Dr. Whitney White and it built on the first poverty discussion we had together during my freshman year. We discussed how poverty and homelessness sometimes looks differently than we would expect, and we brainstormed the effect poverty has on a child’s education. Finally, we discussed ways that we, as teachers, can assist students that are experiencing poverty (one of those ways being mandatory reporting). My main takeaway from this discussion is that all people experiencing poverty do not fit into one box, and that we have to handle every circumstance a little bit differently. These discussions are important for all educators, and future educators to have, and I particularly enjoy learning about this topic since I plan to teach at a Title 1 school after graduation.