Review on Frontline Segment "Poor Kids"

Review on “Poor Kids” My experience watching the video clip called “Poor Kids” was both empowering and eye opening. According to the Frontline segment, 16 million children are affected by child poverty in the United States. This segment greatly affected me emotionally, and helped me to better understand that children are very diverse economically and as teachers it is imperative that we are aware of their differences. One thing that all the children who struggled with poverty had in common was the obvious negative impact it had on their lives emotionally. One 14 year old boy dreams of playing football but states that he has nothing going for him because he was unable to play due to expenses. He says his life is almost over and he needs to start playing football or the dream will start to fade away. Another girl has to cope with leaving her dog at a shelter for a new home because they are unable to afford the pet. Lastly, one girl has to deal with important sentimental objects of hers that were thrown out at the storage unit because they could no longer afford it; All equally sad stories, which greatly impacts each of these children’s’ lives. It is important as teachers to be patient, curious, and self-aware. There is a lot that may be going on at a child’s home life that might directly affect their ability to succeed in school. There may be sadness in a child’s voice and behind their eyes that may sometimes go unnoticed. As teachers we need to be aware and interested in learning about their lives so we can help them to succeed. Hearing a child say “I don’t care if I’m happy, the good part is that my mom’s happy” shows sadness in her words. Stereotypes rely on the easiest way to understand somebody. Often stereotypes are passed down through our family’s beliefs. Society sometimes has a negative impact about families dealing with poverty, which has a great affect on the children’s social lives. This can impact them both in an out of school. The nutrition club is offered in one child’s school to supply them with food to last them through the weekend. The students leave the class in front of all the other students to receive their food. Although this is imperative that the child receives the food, it is also singling them out in front of the rest of the class causing an environment that may make them feel embarrassed. Children also get made fun of because of the way they look because they are not able to afford better clothes. Poverty impacts these children’s lives greatly both emotionally, socially, and cognitively. It is important that teachers are aware of all the struggles they may be dealing with on a daily basis. As a physical education teacher, I think it is especially important to be aware of the impact of poverty on the lives of my students because it may impact their ability level directly. Students talk about eating a lot of pizza because it’s less expensive, and they never get a chance to eat vegetables. One child also talks about loving football but never having a chance to play because it’s too expensive. Children may differ in their levels because of the resources that are available to them.