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Implications for Teaching
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- Students may not hand work in or may submit work that is only partially complete due to outside stressors
- Students may not purchase textbook(s) due to prohibitive cost and size of debt
- Students may feel disrespected by nonverbal signals from a teacher and sense the intent is to judge them rather than offer support.
- The actions and attitudes that a student may learn to survive and thrive in a low-income community are in many cases counterproductive to the skills required to succeed in school. For example, laughter may be used to lessen conflict in a student's community, but when a student laughs in school after being disciplined, such behaviour is considered disrespectful and angers teachers and administrators. (Payne, 2008)
Durham College
Nicki Patel (Manager of Student Academic Learning Services) and Chris Rocha (Director of Financial Aid and Student Awards) discuss their experiences working with financially challenged students and offer recommendations to faculty about how they can help students overcome these challenges.
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Recommendations
1. Reduce the cost or need to purchase a text by selecting texts that are either open source, customized through the publisher to include only the chapters necessary or by providing at least one copy to both SALS and the library.
2. Avoid punitive measures (marks-wise) for students who are not able to buy the textbook.
3. Ensure that content is clearly outlined and that lecture material is posted on DC Connect, so that students who cannot attend class for whatever reason can still get the notes.
4. Provide a reasonable amount of time for the completion of all assignments to accommodate students that may have missed a "critical" information class to be able to catch up and still complete the work.
5. Be aware of how busy computer labs are during the day and if student access is allowed outside of the 8am-6pm time frame when you determine how much time you give them to complete an assignment that requires their use.
6. Rather than forcing a student to print an assignment and hand it in at a specified time and location, create a drop box folder in DC Connect and have them submit it electronically.
7. Provide multiple opportunities for students to work in groups and establish helpful alliances
8. Set up ‘study groups’ at the beginning of the course, to assist students who have difficulty connecting with others
9. Communicate openly about finances at the start of the semester and brief students about Durham College resources; include links on course homepage (First Generation Student Dept., DC Financial Aid, and Student Academic Learning Services)
10. Intervene as early as possible with students who are struggling with material and/or not handing items in; construct supportive plans/contracts with at-risk students to assist in their progress
11. Create links with other teachers in program of study and discuss student progress regularly to facilitate early intervention
12. Create cross-curriculum projects wherever possible to lighten workload of students and encourage holistic work (encompassing more elements) of a higher quality
13. Try a direct, one-to-one teaching method, where time allows, with students having difficulty (assist by clarifying what they absolutely need to know versus leaving them on their own)
14. Set up a “Food Locker” at the school, where the lock combination is changed for each student who applies for it and uses it, to address the needs of students struggling financially and unable to provide themselves with proper nutrition (the end users of this service remain anonymous)
15. Post financial education and orientation seminars to class webpages to help students avoid financial pitfalls they may encounter in college
16. Build a relationship/environment of mutual respect, where the teacher insists on a high quality of work and also offers support when needed. The teacher may model respectful behaviours that are noticed by students in the following ways:
17. Goal setting: “Goal setting is a critical aspect of agency because it allows individuals to construct outcome expectations. This provides direction, coherence and meaning to life, elements often lacking in low SES students, and can also enable these students to transcend the dictates of their environment.” (“Teachnology,” 2012). Create assignments that have built-in check-points that will allow students to work towards specific goals. The same can be done with upcoming tests. Create summary questions that must be completed prior to specific dates to help students prepare for the upcoming assessment, and make responses available online so that it is accessible for all students.
2. Avoid punitive measures (marks-wise) for students who are not able to buy the textbook.
3. Ensure that content is clearly outlined and that lecture material is posted on DC Connect, so that students who cannot attend class for whatever reason can still get the notes.
4. Provide a reasonable amount of time for the completion of all assignments to accommodate students that may have missed a "critical" information class to be able to catch up and still complete the work.
5. Be aware of how busy computer labs are during the day and if student access is allowed outside of the 8am-6pm time frame when you determine how much time you give them to complete an assignment that requires their use.
6. Rather than forcing a student to print an assignment and hand it in at a specified time and location, create a drop box folder in DC Connect and have them submit it electronically.
7. Provide multiple opportunities for students to work in groups and establish helpful alliances
8. Set up ‘study groups’ at the beginning of the course, to assist students who have difficulty connecting with others
9. Communicate openly about finances at the start of the semester and brief students about Durham College resources; include links on course homepage (First Generation Student Dept., DC Financial Aid, and Student Academic Learning Services)
10. Intervene as early as possible with students who are struggling with material and/or not handing items in; construct supportive plans/contracts with at-risk students to assist in their progress
11. Create links with other teachers in program of study and discuss student progress regularly to facilitate early intervention
12. Create cross-curriculum projects wherever possible to lighten workload of students and encourage holistic work (encompassing more elements) of a higher quality
13. Try a direct, one-to-one teaching method, where time allows, with students having difficulty (assist by clarifying what they absolutely need to know versus leaving them on their own)
14. Set up a “Food Locker” at the school, where the lock combination is changed for each student who applies for it and uses it, to address the needs of students struggling financially and unable to provide themselves with proper nutrition (the end users of this service remain anonymous)
15. Post financial education and orientation seminars to class webpages to help students avoid financial pitfalls they may encounter in college
16. Build a relationship/environment of mutual respect, where the teacher insists on a high quality of work and also offers support when needed. The teacher may model respectful behaviours that are noticed by students in the following ways:
- The teacher calls me by name
- The teacher answers my questions
- The teacher talks to me respectfully
- The teacher notices me and says ‘hi’
- The teacher helps me when I need help (CDC, 2011)
17. Goal setting: “Goal setting is a critical aspect of agency because it allows individuals to construct outcome expectations. This provides direction, coherence and meaning to life, elements often lacking in low SES students, and can also enable these students to transcend the dictates of their environment.” (“Teachnology,” 2012). Create assignments that have built-in check-points that will allow students to work towards specific goals. The same can be done with upcoming tests. Create summary questions that must be completed prior to specific dates to help students prepare for the upcoming assessment, and make responses available online so that it is accessible for all students.