As It Relates To Keeping Students Connected To Their School: Understanding Poverty

Understanding Poverty:
as it relates to keeping students

connected to their school
As presented for:
Teaching and Working in a Diverse World: The Impact of Poverty
October 22, 2009
University of Maine
Farmington
Debrajean Scheibel, Educational Consultant, Maine Department of Education

Using the studies and related works of
Dr. Ruby Payne’s
Understanding the Framework of Poverty
and
Building Bridges Out of Poverty
Classcism
• MPM
Workshop Objective
• Develop a personal and professional
awareness of poverty through Dr. Ruby
Payne’s “Framework for Understanding
Poverty”
• Add R Rules: A guide for teens to identify

and build resources that promote
leadership and school completion
Poverty: Key Points
Poverty is relative: similar
circumstances; poverty or wealth
exists in relationship to known
quantities or expectations
Poverty occurs in all races and
countries: the % of the population
that is poor is subject to definition
and circumstance
Poverty is the extent to which an
individual does without internal and
external resources
• Financial: External - no $ for goods and
services
• Mental: Internal and external – mental
abilities and acquired skills (the R Rules)
to deal with daily life
• Emotional: Internal – unable to choose or
control emotional responses that engage
in self-destructive behaviors
external resources
• Spiritual: Internal – believing in a divine
purpose and guidance
• Physical: Internal and External – physical
health and guidance
• Support Systems: External – Friends,
family and backup resources for times of
need
external resources
• Relationships/Role Models: External –
Frequent access to appropriate adults who
nurture the child and do not engage in
self-destructive behavior
• Knowledge of Hidden Rules: Internal –
Knows the unspoken cues and habits of a
group
Key Point
Poverty is
relative.
Poverty: Key Points
Generational poverty (poverty for two

generations or longer)
Situational poverty (shorter and is caused

by circumstance, i.e., death, illness,
divorce, etc.)
Key Point
Generational
poverty and
situational poverty
are different.
Poverty: Key Points
• Hidden rules: the unspoken cues and habits of a
group Even though income of the individual may
rise significantly, many of the patterns of
thought, social interaction, cognitive strategies,
etc., remain
• Schools and businesses operate from middle-

class norms and use the hidden rules of middle-
class which are not taught in schools or
businesses
Poverty: Key Points
We must understand the hidden rules of

our students and teach them the rules that
will make them successful at school and at
work
Hidden Rules
Among “classes” how the “ the world” is

defined is the biggest difference
Possessions Food
Clothing People
Time Money
POSSESSIONS
POVERTY
People
MIDDLE CLASS
Things
WEALTH
One-of-a-kind objects, legacies, pedigrees
CLOTHING
POVERTY
Clothing valued for individual style and
expression of personality
MIDDLE CLASS
Clothing values for its quality and acceptance into
norm of middle class
Label important
WEALTH
Clothing valued for its artistic sense and
expression
Designer important
TIME
POVERTY
Present most important
Decisions made for the moment based on
feelings or survival
MIDDLE CLASS
Future most important
Decisions made against future
ramifications
WEALTH
Traditions and history most important
Decisions made partially on basis of
tradition/decorum
FOOD
POVERTY
Key question:
Did you have enough?
Quantity important
MIDDLE CLASS
Key question:
Did you like it?
Quality important
WEALTH
Key question:
Was it presented well?
Presentation important
FAMILY
STRUCTURE
POVERTY
Tends to be matriarchal
MIDDLE CLASS
Tends to be patriarchal
WEALTH
Depends on who has the money
Language Register
Understand how language register,

story structure, and language
experience influence cognitive
development.
LANGUAGE
POVERTY
Casual register: Language is about survival
MIDDLE CLASS
Formal register: Language is about negotiation
WEALTH
Formal register: Language is about networking
REGISTERS OF LANGUAGE
FROZEN
FORMAL
CONSULTATIVE
CASUAL
INTIMATE
Registers: FROZEN
FORMAL
CONSULTATIVE
CASUAL
INTIMATE
Discourse Patterns:
FORMAL CASUAL
Let’s get down to Let’s visit.

business.
23
©2008 by aha! Process, Inc. www.ahaprocess.com
Gender Roles
Male: Lover Provider

Fighter Flight
Female: Caretaker Disciplinarian

Keeper of the soul Martyr
“… Human
relationship is a
sledgehammer that
obliterates every
societal difference.”
–Robert Sapolsky
Life is like a card game …
Everyone gets a set of cards …
While you can’t control the cards you get …
You can decide how to play them …
Patterns, Realities, Rules,

Resources, and Relationships
©2008 by aha! Process, Inc. www.ahaprocess.com 26
Generate a list of strategies that you believe
connected you to your school and learning
Resource Considerations:
• Mental
• Financial
• Spiritual
• Relationships
• Physical
• Emotional
• Language
Effective Strategies for Dropout
Prevention
Basic Core Strategies:
• Mentoring/Tutoring
• Service Learning
• Alternative Schooling
• After School Opportunities
Prevention
Early Interventions:
• Early Childhood Education

• Family Engagement
• Early Literacy Development
Prevention
Making the Most of Instruction
• Professional Development
• Active Learning
• Educational Technology
• Individualized Instruction
Prevention
Making the Most of the Wider Community
• Systemic Renewal
• School-Community Collaboration
• Career and Technical Education
• Safe Schools
A Guide for Identifying & Building
Resources
R–R=R+R
Rules – Relationships =
Resentment + Rebellion
A Guide for Identifying & Building
Resources
R+R+R=R+R+R
Rules + Rigor + Relationships =

Resources + Results + Respect
Creating Relationships
(Payne)
The role of the educator is not to save the

student, but rather to offer a support
system, role models, and opportunities to
learn, which will increase the likelihood of
the student’s success.
“No significant learning occurs
without a significant
relationship” - Dr. James Comer
Contact Information
Debrajean Scheibel
Educational Consulatant, MDOE
debrajean.scheibel@maine.gov
EL-DEB, INC.
debrajean.scheibel@gmail.com

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