The impact of poverty in education

“A large number of students coming to school from poverty live in a chronic state of stress, with symptoms mimicking those of ADHD,” said Eric Jensen, an author and researcher who has consulted with secondary systems nationwide on strategies to educate students from impoverished communities. “So they get labeled as discipline problems, when really, they are living under chronic stress.”

PD Transfer

Whether you attended my June or July sessions this summer, or ANY other professional development in the last two months, this article is for you. This issue speaks to the power of one or two persons who can make an amazing difference in a school. Yes, that’s all it took to start good things at this high poverty school.

Dicover How Poverty Changes a Child’s Brain and Ability to Learn

Change requires visionary school leaders

Building brain capacity among these at-risk kids requires more parental involvement, well-trained teachers and systemic change in schools, according to Jensen. Schools need strong leaders, or those who have a higher vision about how to help their students using high-yield strategies. Leaders can foster the necessary collective action for change by providing an energized effort in building cognitive capacity in children already behind grade level. In fact, Jensen thinks that to close the achievement gap for disadvantaged students, educators need to make 2+ years of progress for every one year a poor child is in school. If not, he says, “schools are failing.”

Can You Change Mindsets?

The Science of Mindsets

A mindset is a way of thinking about something. As Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck (2008) explains, people (broadly) think in two ways: either you “have it” or “you don’t.”

In the area of intelligence and competency, you may have more of a fixed MINDSET (stuck in place) or a growth mindset (capable of changing).

Those with a fixed mindset believe intelligence and competency are a rigid unchangeable quality. Those with a growth mindset believe that intelligence and competency can be developed over time as the brain changes and grows.

Mindsets can be defined in many areas.

Adopt Mindsets That Break Through the Poverty Barrier

In Eric Jensen’s latest book, you’ll discover practical and research-based strategies to ensure all students, regardless of circumstance, are college and career ready. This thorough resource details the necessary but difficult work that teachers must do to establish the foundational changes essential to positively impact students in poverty. Organized tools and resources are provided to […]

How Poverty Impacts Education

Education reform has been a hot topic in recent years, and leaders across the political spectrum have championed measures such as increased testing and results-based evaluation of teachers and school districts. But one of the most pervasive problems affecting public schools is rarely discussed as an education issue at all. With the recent news that […]

12 Steps to a Better Life…

Why 8.5% is a Great, Gutsy, and Gaudy Goal. Most people think a BIG goal is to improve XYZ in their life by 20% or even 50%. Today, you will read how your 8.5% goal can change everything else in your life for the better this year. Getting Started In short, the 8.5% times 12 […]

Reduce the Wintertime Blues

Want a Secret on How to Reduce the Wintertime Blues? When the daylight hours get shorter, there’s a tendency to become less active. Sometimes we get more stressed, maybe we put on some weight and even get a bit cranky. But there’s a simple antidote to the “Wintertime Blues”. The Research on How to Remove […]

How to Get the Brains of Your Students to Change

I am on a mission to help more educators become extraordinary this year. In this article, you will get an insight into how our brain works. Stay a learner for a moment and we can help you achieve the best professional year of your life. Today, we will lock down one of the most core […]

The Most Dangerous ‘Moat’ in 800 years

Why You Might Be Very Concerned About America’s  Economy… (and What You Can Do to Protect Yourself) The true story of the most dangerous “moat” threat in 800 years  Eric Jensen here. As you know, I did my dissertation on poverty and have become quite interested in the economics of poverty. I am writing you […]

Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind

Too many of our most vulnerable students are tuning out and dropping out because of our failure to engage them. It’s time to set the bar higher. Until we make school the best part of every student’s day, we will struggle with attendance, achievement, and graduation rates.

Why Your Secret Bias Matters in the Classroom

How to Have the Best Year of Your Professional Life The word “explicit” means overt, obvious, known and spoken. Implicit means implied, insinuated, tacit and not said. Our biases have been known to show up in our classrooms in study after study. Surprisingly, most teachers claim they are NOT biased. This month, you’ll see how […]

Sure-Fire Ways to Ramp Up Student Achievement ASAP

My goal is to help you become extraordinary this year. Every single strategy listed below is a teaching “factor” that ranks in the Top 20 of ALL contributors towards student achievement (sources listed at the end of this newsletter). Below, you’ll want to turn these “teaching factors” into reality. Take just one of these and […]

Annual Updated Health Issue:

Seven Changes You Can Make to Save Your Life Our issue this month has seven changes you can make to save your life or extend it! You, or a family member, may be concerned about the “big two” killers (cancer and Alzheimer’s). This month we focus on cancer and the July issue will again be […]

Time for Your Mental Autopsy

If you’re like me, you’re so busy, and the idea of stopping for reflection is a tough one. It is especially hard when the topic is on work habits, mindsets and strategies. Plus, the word “autopsy” triggers thoughts of something that died. Actually, you should be “killing” off weak or wrong ideas. But, why do […]