Customer Reviews

Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do about It

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Eric Jensen did it again - provided a fully-researched topic that educators need so desperately. Not only is the research relevant for our struggling schools today, but the strategies and action steps in every chapter are easy to apply. Once applied, teachers can really make a difference in a poverty-stricken student's life. So many students in poverty and their teachers have given up - whether because of cognitive lags or behavioral issues - it doesn't need to be this way. Embracing the Mind-Set of Change (Chapter 3) is my favorite chapter and one that all educators should be required to read. We educators are in the business of changing brains for the better. Poor children can experience academic, social and emotional success daily! Thank you Eric for the incredible strategies that can be incorporated easily and inexpensively in the classroom and school-wide.

In Chapter 4, Eric summarizes what high-poverty, high-achieving schools have in common. He synthesizes the most important strategies to give you the top 5 school-level factors that will make a difference. He does this same thing in Chapter 5 for the classroom. I love the SHARE Factors - brilliant!

I am an educator, trainer of educators, and a mother of school-age twins. I work with poverty-stricken schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and some rural schools in Illinois and Texas. I'm passionate about this information, and I am extremely excited to share it with teachers and students around the nation.

This book is not just for teachers who reach the low-SES students, but for all teachers who want to make a difference in their students' lives.

Brain research is somewhat new and fascinating. Eric Jenssen made it understandable for someone who has no interest nor aptitude in the sciences. As a person who grew up in poverty, I could relate to much of what he said. Because of this book, I am going to change the way I do some things in the classroom. I was running things in much too an authoritative style, but that's not surprising, considering I was brought up in an authoritative household. While the first couple of chapters are kind of depressing, because it tells of the deficits children of poverty will have, the hopeful parts come next. There are things we can do to help these kids be successful. I'm going to make a presentation to my principal about this book and I'm hoping we'll do a study on it. Too many of our staff members don't seem to know how to deal with these kids and tend to marginalize them. Times have changed and they can't continue to do this. I am going to be these children's advocate. I couldn't do that without this book. :)

I am reading this book as part of a project for the district I work in and just a few pages into it, I realized what a great book it was going to be. This author has a real handle on both students and schools that face the issue of poverty. He gives realistic and easy ways to be sure every group of children is receiving the very best education.

If you are any educator of any age student, this book is for you. Even in the most affluent schools, there are students that are facing their own isolation. Don't miss out on an amazing resource.

As usual, Eric Jensen's book is incredibly thorough when it comes to describing the neauropsyiology of students who grow up in generational poverty. It's so fascinating to hear our these students' brains are literally rewired by poverty and it explains much about how difficult it is to encourage resiliance and set high standards of achievment. NCLB tells us all students need to reach high standards, but this book finally showed me why it is so much harder for some students than others.
Where Jensen's books fall short is what to DO about it. This book made me question some of my teaching practices, but did little to "fill the void" with better practices. It did give examples from other schools, but in these short vignettes, it was hard to tell what they really did that was different.

This has been a very insightful book on poverty and how it effects children. I never realized before reading this book all of the factors of poverty. Well worth the money.

As veteran first grade teacher in an area that is transforming into a high poverty area I found this book informative and filled with practical information and strategies to apply in my classroom.

This book has truly opened my mind and heart to students of poverty. I thought I was well versed in this area, and now with Jensen's research, my depth of knowledge has been greatly enhanced. As a teacher of teachers through graduate classes, I find this information invaluable. If we are to stop leaving kids behind educators must step up to the plate and arm themselves with the in-depth practicality provided in Jensen's work. This is the best resource on teaching low SES students available today. I would encourage all educators to read and reread this timely book.

A very well written and concise read of the issues students, parents, teachers and administrators need to consider when working with poverty related individuals. Good background referenced research about why poverty students are different than non-poverty students and includes good examples and advice on how teachers and schools can effectively modify their methods to best meet the needs of the poverty mind.

Well researched book about teaching children of poverty but also pertains to other disenfranchised students.

We're not all exactly the same. "Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do About It" analyzes the effects of poverty on education and states how educators can play a hand in improving the potential of these students. From the emotional and social challenges these students will face, Eric Jensen gives educators a complete and comprehensive look into the challenges of poverty-stricken students. "Teaching with Poverty in Mind" is a solid read for the teacher who wants to understand the challenges their students may be facing in their day to day lives.