Generational Poverty

Our kids all have hidden rules that we may not know about. Some of our students are the daddy in their homes and are used to the little ones respecting their authority. Some are encouraged to fight like the boys in Rita’s story. Others have secrets or hidden shame that they are forbidden to expose. It’s important to differentiate between school rules, Mamma’s rules, and rules for other places.

We have Tanya’s all over our communities. Kids who are raised in homes that aren’t fit for animals, much less people. Kids who have been parentized from a young age or have had unjust expectations placed on them. Kids who have learned to respect people out of fear not because they are truly kindhearted and worthy of respect. They will never know there is another way to live if we don’t show them.

Think about the families who came to the math workshop in my classroom. They were invested in the success of their children. So many of these kids don’t have parents who are willing to do anything extra for their academic success, therefore limiting the access of the children.

As teachers, we must never assume our students have been given access to self-care resources. We don’t know the home situations or practices in the homes. We must pay attention and pray for our students regularly, that God would give us the proper insight and access to the resources these kids need. We might be their only advocate.

We live in a sad generation of people. Not only is it sad educationally speaking, but also from a spiritual perspective. Homes like this little girl’s don’t have Jesus. They aren’t being taught the truths of God or about the hope he offers. And they aren’t being taught the right ways of scripture regarding marriage, families, and children.

I had no frame of mind for that type of logic, but I quickly realized she was right. Hand to mouth. No pride in their personhood. No work ethic. A generation of people living off the government and teaching their kids to do the same. A completely new type of generational poverty.