Education: Learning to Rise above Poverty 2
Teachers can make a difference in the lives of students who live in poverty. Poverty affects intellectual functioning and academic achievement, and teachers must consider this in their practices. The instructional approach taken in the classroom can make the difference in the lives of these students. The most effective approach is the social-emotional approach in which social skills are modeled and implemented in the classroom at all times. One reason for the lack of its implementation is No Child Left Behind and the results of this legislation. Current teaching practices revolve around accountability and test scores, while they should be based on theory, research, and approaches, such as the social-emotional approach.