Ruby Payne’s book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, is highly popular among teachers and administration around the country. Her book was written to shed light on the characteristics of poverty-stricken students and to explain how their beliefs and home life greatly affect their learning and behavior in a school environment. Though Payne mentions that her book is made to make a positive impact on students by offering solutions to teacher and staff, many people believe that Payne’s book supports negative stereotypes and deems the poor as incompetent of developing appropriate social and learning skills. The authors of Poverty and Payne: Supporting Teachers to Work with Children of Poverty, explain that it takes self-awareness and communication with other teachers to ensure that these students are provided the skills that will help them succeed in school. The book and article have different solutions on how to close the gap between the poor and a successful learning experience.
Both the article Poverty and Payne written by Mistilina Sato and Timothy J. Lensmire and Understanding the Framework for Understanding Poverty both show great concern four our youth that experience the negative results of poverty on a daily basis. Both believe that poverty hinders a student’s learning experience. Though they have similar concerns, their solutions to helping poverty-stricken students are quite different. While Ruby Payne offers characteristics of students that come from poverty and provides teachers and staff with skills and advice on how to assist these students, the article clearly states that it is up to the teachers to have a good cultural identity of themselves before attempting to reach out to their students that come from poverty. The article accuses Payne of negatively stereotyping people that come from low income homes and lacks to mention these people’s positive actions and decisions.
I have found advice and solutions from both the book and article that I will use in my career. Before starting my career, I plan to become comfortable with my own-self and culture. As a teacher, I will always keep in mind that not all students come from middle class homes and will do attempt to get a better understanding of where my students come from by doing my research and visiting neighborhoods where my children live so I can experience what they do every day. I will keep in mind of my student’s personal situations when I am planning projects because not all students have the resources to complete certain tasks.  The most important element that I have found evident in both readings is that forming a close and meaningful relationship with your students is essential. Without forming a solid relationship, you cannot gain trust and respect from the student. This element is what I believe to be the most important and will strive throughout my career to develop strong and positive relationships with my students that will inspire them to strive for the best.