Role Models and Emotional Resources Chapter 5 Understanding Poverty Ruby Payne

Systems System: group in which individuals have rules, roles, and relationships Functional system: meets needs of members Dysfunctional system: does not meet needs of members

Systems Example of dysfunctional system: Young person must look after aging, ill, parents, depriving her of opportunity to be a child Her need to be a child is not met—she becomes dysfunctional Improper role models—or lack of role models---adds to dysfunction

Emotional development Dependence: need others, i.e. parents Independence: self-sufficient Interdependent: work with other adults

Dysfunctional development Child asked to assume role of adult at early age Hinders emotional development As adult, needs to be child (dependent) and adult (independent) at same time This fluctuation between stages causes dysfunction---”co-dependency”

Role models Child needs appropriate “role model” to go through sequential emotional development stages Improper “role model” availability leads to lack of building of “emotional resources”

Replenishing “emotional resources” Support groups Establish long-term relationships with adults who provide appropriate role model Teach goal-setting

Where does the school fit it? Need to establish schedules, instructional arrangements that allow student to stay with same teacher for 2 or 3 years Must be mutually agreed upon Teachers and administrators become much more important as role models Development of “emotional resources” crucial to student success Build self-esteem Sense of purpose Allow them to “be a child” now—did not have chance before

Where does the school fit in? Support groups—after school homework help Appropriate discipline strategies ---discussed in Chapter 7 Increasing student’s achievement by appropriate instruction—Chapter 8

Where does teacher fit it? Realize how important a strong adult role model is to this student---and provide it