600 teachers in Bluffton offered tips on poverty

from The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

By Becky Manley

BLUFFTON – Educators can help students begin their escape from poverty, but first teachers must bridge the vast communication gulf that exists between people from different economic backgrounds.

That communication gulf affects everything, from how people talk to what they value in life.

That message was delivered to about 600 educators Thursday by Ruby K. Payne, an educator, speaker and author on poverty.

Payne’s appearance was part of Bluffton’s initiative to be more inclusive.

The effort, led by Mayor Ted Ellis, targets diversity issues – including social, class and age issues – in the community.

So far, those efforts have included adult Spanish classes, a workshop designed to help people understand what it’s like to be on welfare and Payne’s appearance.

Payne first distinguished between the types of poverty, saying situational poverty, which can occur after a death or divorce, is temporary and involves a different set of rules from those people trapped in generational poverty.

Impoverished people focus on survival, relationships and entertainment, whereas middle-class people value work, achievement and material security, Payne said.

The conflicts in schools happen because the educational system has its roots in the middle class, so Payne said misunderstandings develop when teachers work with impoverished students.

Using anecdotes from her own career as well as those shared with her by other educators, Payne explained the different rules and language used by people from different economic classes.

One story dealt with a teacher who gave $200 to a parent for clothing for two students, only to learn later the money was spent on a VCR – an electronic luxury the family had never enjoyed.

Poverty is painful, and entertainment takes away that pain and will always take precedence over other items, Payne said.

Sometimes impoverished students use harsh or even offensive language, but the statements they are making may be their way of showing they like a teacher, Payne said.

That harshness again has its roots in poverty, a situation that demands toughness, so compliments can be seen as a tool to soften and weaken someone, she said.

Economic classes also perceive food differently, with people in poverty being primarily concerned about whether the food they prepare satisfies hunger. Middle-class cooks are concerned about whether the food tastes good or its calorie content, whereas wealthy people value aesthetics and presentation when it comes to their meals, she said.

Payne’s presentation was lively, with her providing a generous helping of humor and frequent opportunities for audience members to briefly discuss topics with their seat neighbors.

Afterward, Norwell High School business teacher Debbie Darnell said Payne’s presentation left her with new strategies she can apply in the classroom.

Ellis said the morning presentation was attended by about 400 people, with some coming as far away as Indianapolis. Ellis said he had more than one revelation, or “aha” moment, during the speech.

“I wonder how I’ve lived as long as I have without realizing some of this.”