Questions for Dr. Payne

Questions for Dr. Payne
In the book you discuss how discipline in poverty is not about change, but about penance and forgiveness. As educators, what can we do to encourage a change in behavior? Is there something we can do with the student? How can we involve the family to encourage change?
I liked the chart on pages 79 and 80. You list the behaviors related to poverty and a possible intervention. What would be your intervention suggestion for a student of poverty that does not do homework or take any school work seriously?

Impact on Professional Practice

Impact on Professional Practice
One of my favorite ideas from the book is the idea of telling stories in the different registers. I think it is important to remember these registers when teaching writing to students. Students will write stories as they would tell it. This could make their writing feel disjointed and messy. As a teacher hopefully by being aware of different registers will help me as I instruct students with writing.
I loved the chart on page 81 in the discipline section of Payne’s text. It asks the student to fill out their name, what they did, what did they want, list four other things they could have done and what they will do next time. Payne discusses how students of poverty have difficulty coming up with other choices they could have made. They don’t see other choices than the one they made. The chart of page 81 forces students to consider other options and choices. I think it is a great way to involve students in the discipline process. I could definitely see using this in my classroom with all my students, not just students of poverty.

Generational poverty is one of the key ideas highlighted in Payne’s book. The behaviors associated with generational poverty are very important for us to remember as educators. For example, students who come from generational poverty often are disorganized, don’t do homework, or partially complete assignments, can’t get started and dislike authority. Most teachers can picture a student or former student that fits some of those characteristics. Changing these behaviors can be an extremely difficult task. I think that it is important for us to remember as teachers that we have to build a positive relationship with these students if we want to see behavior change. These relationships will take time to build, but valuable in the long run.

Key Understandings

A Framework for Understanding Poverty
By Ruby Payne

Previously when I had thought of poverty I had only considered the financial aspect. Payne’s text looks at all the different ways people can be impoverished. Poverty extends to emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, role models, knowledge of hidden rules as well as financial poverty. After reading chapter one I realized that most people in poverty are lacking more than just money. The scenarios in chapter one all show people that are in poverty in more than one way. I think as educators it is important to remember that students of poverty may be lacking in resources other than just financial resources.


Another thing I found interesting that I would share with a colleague were the check lists that asked, “Could you survive in poverty? Could you survive in middle class? Could you survive in Wealth?” I was so surprised that I could not check very many boxes for poverty or wealth. Before I looked at the check list I assumed that being in the middle class I would have enough life skills to survive in poverty, middle class or wealth. After looking at the check lists I realize how different the survival skills are for each class.


One of the most interesting things Payne’s text discussed was the hidden rules of the middle class. Growing up in the middle class I take for granted that students know some of the middle class norms. It is important to remember that all of our students come from different back grounds and we must account for that with our unwritten rules and expectations.