Poverty and Anxiety & Depression

       There was a study done in Australia that followed 2609 mothers and children. They found the mothers while they were pregnant and followed up with the children 14 and 21 years later.  There is significant data that shows that children that come from poverty have higher levels of anxiety and depression. http://ajph.aphapublications.org Sadly as teachers, we know that it doesn't usually take 14 or 21 years for signs of anxiety and depression to rear their ugly heads.  Anxiety may show itself in many different forms. A child may be withdrawn or they may have a random outburst,  Depression can also have similar side effects, regrettably, the root cause may be much deeper. Poverty can has direct correlations to problems that can cause problems with brain development. Problems with brain development can cause depression. An incredibly informative and interesting site about these relations is http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_398.pdf  Though in some cases medication may be recommended, I am of the school of thought that all other options should be exhausted first.  There are so many things that we, as teachers,  can do to calm anxiety in the classroom. Anxiety is an easier side effect to fight that hunger or sleeplessness. We can visit this more in depth at a later time. For now, it is important to be aware of what is going on in our classrooms.

Effects of Poverty-Sleeplessness

     Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am not implying that the richest kid on the block may struggle with insomnia, but research shows that children from poor homes are more vulnerable to sleepless nights. http://education.auburn.edu/news/2010/may/sleep.html
     A child who is not sleeping at home will want to sleep in class.  Even if they are managing to stay awake, the effects of a restless night impact the child's overall well being.  Dr. Marc Weissbluth has a great discription of the impact of sleep and children. "Sleep is the power source that keeps your mind alert and calm. Every night and at every nap, sleep recharges the brain's battery. Sleeping well increases brainpower just as weight lifting builds stronger muscles, because sleeping well increases your attention span and allows you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time. Then you are at your personal best." http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/good-sound-sleep-for-children
       Children of varying ages will require varying amounts of sleep.  If you are in a preschool setting you can use white noise and soothing music during nap time. Unfortunately, outside of naptime for young children we, as teachers do not have much control over how much sleep a child gets at home. At a later time I will address what we can do to help mental alertness in our classroom.

Poverty's effect-Hunger

      I have worked in classrooms around the world, and I can say from first hand experience that the implications of a child coming from an impoverished home reaches deep into the classroom and effects their ability to learn.  I have not found any research that would support that children from poor families are any less intelligent or have different IQs than middle class or wealthy families.  What impacts these children the most are factors that prevent them from paying attention once the get to school.
     Hunger is a major distraction in the classroom.  A child from a very poor family may not have food at home. Depending on the age they may not have a guardian who is taking the time to fix meals for the children.  With reduced and free lunch programs we are able to help fight some of the hunger Monday through Friday.  I work with a local "back pack project" that fills kids back packs with easy to cook meals and snacks to take home with them on the weekend. Working in Kenya and Tanzania I had grown almost numb to the fact that children go without food for days at a time. When I found out that it was also going on in Missouri, my heart just cried all over again for these children.
     Other than being told by the child (or less likely their parent) there are many signs that a child is not getting proper nutrition.  If a child is consistently tired or gets frustrated on a regular basis they may simply be hungry.  Hunger may also be displayed on the opposite end of the spectrum. The child may become violent or angry with teachers and other students.  Here is a wonderful site designed by teachers for teachers that can help not only identify hunger, but also has many plans of action and testimonials from teachers about fighting hunger in the classroom. http://www.strength.org/teachers/

What is Poverty?

       Poverty is not something that is going away. Poverty is not something that is foreign to most teachers.  Being in education, we see that children from poverty stricken homes are in almost every school. Can we fix it? No. Can we address it head on so that the impact is minimal in the classroom?  Yes.  First, we must have a greater understanding of what poverty is.  Everything is relative. Being poor in a First World country is not neccessarily the same as being poor in a developing country. However, there are some basic concepts that effect all.
       The dictionary discribes poverty as "the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor." A more vivid picture comes directly from the site http://www.fightpoverty.mmbrico.com/poverty "Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom. Poverty is a call to action - for the poor and the wealthy alike - a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities. Poverty is the state of being without, often associated with need, hardship and lack of resources across a wide range of circumstances." 
      We cannot and should not judge those who come from an impoverished background. Unless we take quality time to learn about the parents as individuals, we, as teachers, cannot assume that it is any fault of their own.  Some of the hardest working people I have ever met are also some of the poorest. Unfortunately, no matter what their story is, the fact remains that children who come from poverty stricken homes will be impacted in the classroom sooner or later.