Final Analytical Paper 1

Final Analytical Paper

Ashley McMillen

EDU 200-002

Professor Laura

11 May 2021
Final Analytical Paper 2

Analytical Paper

Introduction

I am going to firstly explain my opinion on how poverty affects students going to

Racine or Kenosha county, then I am going to explain the article about how Biden

is going to expand the summer food program that will help up to 34 million

children in school. Next, I will be explaining the poverty signs in racine or

Kenosha and the effects it has on students attending local schools. Lastly , I will

be exploring how teachers can fully support their students to be academically and

personally successful in the classroom.

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Poverty is affecting many students not just locally but also worldwide;

however I am going to focus on the Kenosha and Racine area. Since Covid-19

affected our towns and cities parents would send their children to school and then

go to work however since Covid happened many parents are struggling to find

someone to watch their kids. Childcare is an added expense that some parents

cannot afford which leads to kids being left at home at a young age. Not only are

parents struggling to find childcare, but they are also struggling to buy food for

their family.

To continue, Biden plans to expand the summer food program for 34

million school children, this means families will still have access to free meals

from the school. “Besides the food aid, the relief package allowed parents to

receive roughly $250 a month starting in July for each child between the ages of 6

and 7” (Press, 2021). Not only will parents have access to more food for their

family but also may be eligible for the relief package, this could greatly help

many families out during this tough time.

To continue, poverty is greatly affecting the close cities we live by

including Racine and Kenosha. Families everyday are struggling to find jobs and

childcare for their children. With students not being able to go to school , they are

forced to learn online. Not only is teaching online very difficult for the students

but also the families and the parents of the students. Communication with parents
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is essential during this pandemic because we are not able to actually see how the

students are doing because they are at home learning.

In relation I watched a Ted Talk about students in poverty, which talked

about how students are feeling when being raised in a low income household.

(Ted talk 2018, May 30). The video mentioned how much more stress a student

has dealing with poverty, as a teacher we should offer as much help and support

we can which can include bringing in snacks for students who did not eat

breakfast. In my future classroom I am going to make sure I have plenty of snacks

they can have for breakfast because sadly many students do not have breakfast in

the morning. Having a well-balanced diet helps students have the energy they

need for exams and also activities in class.

In connection, it is important to know the culture of your students which

can help you understand how the student learns. El-Mekki states how teacher prep

courses can help teachers that are not as familiar with different cultures. “But

being a great teacher is hard, even in non-pandemic times (EL-Mekki 2021). As I

become a teacher, I am going to make sure I am aware of the different cultures of

my students because if you don't know it could be considered disrespectful.

Along with Poverty there are many other aspects that can cause a student

stress which can include the pandemic. Many families as I stated above are

struggling with making ends meet which can put a lot of stress on the students.

Many students are very smart but just have not been able to show how much they

have learned online. A way teacher can help students who are struggling is to
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make office hours available to all students and also be there for them emotionally

and academically.

In conclusion income can be a very sensitive topic, Beck states “The $797

million allocated for Milwaukee amounts to $11,242 per student — the second-

highest distribution of COVID-19 relief funding. This founding could help many

families with affording basic care for their children. The pandemic has definitely

made learning harder for students and as I become a teacher, I will have the skills

I need to teach online. Learning about your students is an essential part of being a

teacher, which I will also learn as I start teaching in my future classroom.

Reference

Press, JOSH BOAKAssociated. “Biden Expanding Summer Food Program for 34M

Schoolchildren.” Kenosha News, 26 Apr. 2021,

www.kenoshanews.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/biden-expanding-summer-food-

program-for-34m-schoolchildren/article_3944bfaa-1f9b-5f6f-b540-9d5f49fdb848.html.

El-Mekki, S. (2021, April 07). Far too many educators aren't prepared to teach black and

brown students (opinion). Retrieved May 03, 2021, from

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-far-too-many-educators-arent-

prepared-to-teach-black-and-brown-students/2021/04
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Beck, M. (2021, April 07). Wisconsin schools receive $2.2 billion in federal relief funding,

Milwaukee to get $797 million. Retrieved from

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/06/milwaukee-schools-get-797-

million-wisconsins-2-2-billion-relief/7106234002/