Meth and the Classroom

I once watched the police go into my neighbor's home. I could hear the yelling, crying, and pleading through the walls. I watched the mother and her friend leave in handcuffs and my friend and her sister were carried out. I was five.  

I was too young to truly understand what had happened. We had another boy in my kindergarten class. He lived in the same building as I did and we did NOT get along! Most days he would decide he didn't want to be there anymore and just get up and go home. If the teacher tried to stop him he would threaten her and cuss. Eventually, she stopped trying. Or maybe he just quit coming. I'm not sure. My mother used to talk about her or refer to her as "that woman". I'm not sure what all she did, but I whenever I see a picture of a strung out drug addict, I think of her. 

It is important I know as much as possible about each child's home life as I can. If the child is in 4th or 5th grade when their parents become users, they are more likely to become caretakers for younger siblings, meaning that they will get less sleep and may sacrifice whatever food they have for their siblings. With worrying about siblings, food, and lack of sleep, learning will be the least of their concerns. They will probably be much more irritable, if they even come to school at all. They may become bullies and take lunch money or food from other kids. They may try and steal from the cafeteria, classmates' book bags, or from a neighborhood store. Older children are less likely to come forth with such problems and because they understand the stigma or have been threatened or are ashamed. 

Children of users are more likely to have poor hygiene and less likely to have clean clothes subjecting them to teasing from their peers. Also, if a child is exposed to the drug and it gets into their system, they may have no idea what's happening to them, causing a great deal of stress, especially when they begin to crash. If such an episode happens in the classroom, we owe it to our children offer some explanation. Chances are their may be another at-risk child in the classroom.  

Poverty and Homelessness in America

Did you know that the most prosperous developed country has twice as many homeless children as any other developed country? Did you know that country is America? 

Homelessness is on the rise and homeless families are rapidly becoming the norm. 

This poses several problems for America's youth. 

Eldest children of homeless and poverty afflicted families find themselves forced to grow up and take on the role of caregiver. This can mean they are losing sleep and missing meals as sacrifices for their siblings. They often work, clean, launder, and cook, leaving little time for homework and adding stress. While one girl may be thinking about which pants would look best with her new top, this girl is thinking about her empty stomach, and wondering how to fill her little siblings' plates. Because healthy food is more expensive than fatty, processed foods, health problems are common among poor and homeless children. Emotional and mental health also deteriorates as children battle feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and abandonment. 

As a teacher, I will have children who cannot focus because the rumble in their stomach is distracting, or because their mother never came home last night, or they had spent the weekend in a homeless shelter, if they were so lucky. 

I may have a new student who has been relocated for the third time that year. 

How do I address these issues? 

Establishing a relationship with my students and their families is essential to understanding their behavior. For example, in a 1st grade classroom I noticed one of the students was extremely needy. I later learned that she was the middle child in a family of six. Another child was rarely bathed and had a learning disability. His mother was incarcerated, his father was absent, and he lived with his physically handicapped grandmother. 

As a teacher, it is important I know of organizations within my community that help poor families. Perhaps an organization exists that would pair an employee or volunteer with that family to help ensure the child is bathed, fed, and helped with homework every night. Save the Children helps find organizations in the community that help poor families. Understanding rules and procedures for filing reports of suspected abuse/neglect is also important, as well as not jumping to conclusions.