Making a Difference for Teens Experiencing

Homelessness

Sheryl Nussbaum-BeachGuidance Statistics Specialist

Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Adjunct professorCollege of William and Mary

What I wish my Teachers had known…

Ashley O. – 18 year old senior Honor student at a math and science

magnet Recipient of Richard Maddox

Scholarship of $40K Will attend Longwood and become a

teacher Homeless now and most of life

Who are We?

How many of you teach homeless of at-risk children in a classroom?

How many pre-service teachers? How many service providers to the

homeless? Who else? Why believe me?

A Wise Man Once Said…

That what you are in life has not so much to do with what you have accomplished… but the obstacles you overcame in doing so.

And so begins my story….

The Cycle

Parents trapped by poverty usually raise children who also become trapped by poverty.

Highly Transient

Teachers need to hit the ground running. Often mobility means no significant

relationship with an adult. Build relationships – yours may be the

only significant, stable relationship with an adult that student ever has.

Unsympathetic Crticisim

Emotional Trauma = Low Self-Esteem Crave attention and the need to belong Desperate for “good girl/boy” and approval Give them a reason to work hard for intrinsic

rewards. If they came to you from the desert—needing

water– would you withhold it from them to help them learn?

Motivation to Learn

Severely damaged self-image causes shut down at criticism.

Can’t deal with criticism as a way to self-improvement.

Learn to isolate the behavior from the person and look for opportunities to give specific praise. • Government story

Motivation to Learn

Build self-confidence and positive self-concept

Self-esteem and Self-control are closely related

Establish relationships Prepare for the next transition Use a 4 to 1 strategy

Bias Against Homeless So many misconceptions Lazy Lots of free time Get a job if they wanted one Never got asked to spend the night Shelter Rat Make it a crime to be homeless

• Camping• Congregating• Sleeping beach

NCH- Website

“It is estimated that a fifth of 16-24 year olds will experience homelessness at some point in their lives.”

Unaccompanied Youth

Living in runaway shelters Living in abandoned buildings, on the

street, or in other inadequate accommodations.

Couch surfing with friends Denied housing by parents School age Unwed Mothers

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy You are the voice framing at-risk teens abilities. You are

the expert. We are often teaching these teens less than they are

capable of learning. Rules are more important than breakthroughs (since

circumstance often prevents being able to comply with rules– reinforces negative self-image)

Back to basics… have to master this before you can move forward…

Teachers give up– if you approach a problem as unsolvable 9 out of 10 times it will be.

Water Downed Expectations

“What hurts us more, is you teach us less.”

Haycock (2001) says…“…we take the students who have less to

begin with and then systematically give them less in school.”

And then we call it best practice…or differentiation.

Teaching Strategies that Work Best for Homeless Kids

You are a living textbook Do like Dewey When you have kids of high poverty in

your classroom you are not just teaching content anymore– accept it.

Marva Collins says… “Teacher inabilities are as prevalent as learning disabilities.” Sheryl adds “… and sometimes in direct proportion.”

Hidden Homeless

Ashley hid her homelessness because she didn’t want to be different

I hid mine because of fear of what my Mom would do if I told.

Students in temporary situations are hard to detect and therefore hard to reach

Possible Things to look for…

Persistent fatigue- (Jimmy’s story)

Frequent absencesDirty or repeated clothing Inability to complete homeworkHoarding foodSudden changes in behaviorTell too much

At Risk

16/17 year olds who leave home after the breakdown of family relationships.

Teens experiencing martial breakup or split with boyfriend/girlfriend.

Teenage substance abusers

What I do with At-risk Teens

Moral Warehouse Othermindedness Self-government Self-esteem (blossoming) Choose friends carefully Hard work gets noticed

Involving homeless parents or at-risk adults:

Teacher attitudes Welcoming school—have a plan Meaningful involvement

So how do we overcome the barriers?

Needs of the At-risk Parent

Ruby Payne- Hidden Rules

•Like vs. Learn

•In your face vs. policy and issues

•Food

•Did you get enough?

•Did you like it?

•Beautiful presentation

Here are some of the things at-risk parents need you to help them understand…

Help me understand “dress for success” Help me with interpersonal skills Give me some marriage/parenting tips-

to break the cycle… modeling Family-focused programs with a possible

two generation approach to education

Here are some things at-risk parents need for you to understand

That our family roles are lost and distorted due to my circumstances and often family traditions you take for granted are nonexistent.

Need someone to not misunderstand our survival decisions… someone who could detach from judgments.

Need someone to understand… I love my kids. I want them to succeed.

Recommendations

Acknowledge students’ growth wherever they start. Ask if it is a poverty issue that is holding them back. Praise success.

Reflect on your own bias. Recognize poverty as a diversity issue and not a defect.

State the obvious. Even if you think everyone knows.

Be approachable. Don’t assume students will come to you for help. Call them by their first name.

Recommendations

Diversify your curriculum and make it relevant to more than just your middle class students. Include experiences of the poor in your examples.

Use concrete more than abstract. If your students can’t learn your subject–

it is your problem and your responsibility.

Recommendations Know that not everyone shares middle class

expectations. Help connect teens with services– recommend them for

scholarships—get them in AP classes. Use policies to serve people and not to punish and

exclude them. Rethink rules. Encourage further education more than low-wage jobs.

Help at-risk teens to see possibilities. Understand that the poor may be intimidated by school.

Change their perceptions. Uncover secret codes– teach them how to dress, talk,

and speak in middle class environments.

Man is so made that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish. -- Jean de la Fontaine