Temporarily Housed Students

 

*This image was taken from Simple Psychology and depicts Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The idea is that the bottom level of the hierarchy must be met before a person can structurally build upon the upper levels (Mcleod, 2020).


As a future educator, one of my goals for my classroom is to help every student succeed. Part of this success to me would be helping my students be able to graduate. Do I know that this will not always be able to be a guarantee for me, yes. This fact does not deter my determination nor the faith I have in my future students. Every student will be affected by their environment, and the only environment I can control around my students is my classroom. I want to ensure an environment for my students to feel safe in and know someone is on their side rooting for them. Having housing insecurities can be a huge stressor, and I want to make sure that my students know someone is on their side and there to help them. 


Temporary housing can affect grades and schooling. There is a lot of physical and mental exhaustion that comes with housing insecurity. Housing insecurity can look different for each individual, but they share the commonality of housing being an added stress to their life. In a song by Phil Collins titled Another Day In Paradise, the lyrics talk about a girl who is homeless (Collins, 2010). One of the verses in the song says “She's got blisters on the soles of her feet She can't walk but she's trying,” bringing up this idea that when you have no place to sleep, you end up walking trying to find a safe, warm spot to rest, which are few and far. This idea is reinforced in The Homestretch, when you are homeless you can end up walking all night long to avoid trouble (De Mare, Kelly, Taber, 2014). The immense amount of stress of having no safe place to rest is unfathomable to me, but then students add on the exhaustion of a sleepless night. It would be completely understandable for these students to come in overly exhausted, and having trouble concentrating. If you can't concentrate during class, you are going to struggle with the classwork and homework. Homeless students can find themselves in a vicious cycle of being left behind, and not being able to catch up. If I'm being honest, I have a lot of difficulty with his subject because it is hard to come up with solutions or a plan of action when there is not much i feel like I can do. 


As mentioned in The Homestretch, unstable living conditions can be lonely, and force students to grow up quickly (De Mare, Kelly, Taber, 2014). It is important to be able to identify if a student is temporarily housed. Some notable qualities may include poor hygiene, lack of participation, social isolation, being overly “mature” for their age, being overly exhausted, being frequently absent, and more (Mc-Kinney Vento Homeless Education, 2021). Students with insecure living conditions will often go through life without basic necessities and have to be their own parents. In some psychology classes, we learn about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It is pictured above, and as you can see at the very base of the pyramid is physiological needs: food, shelter, and sleep (Mcleod, 2020). If the needs of the base of the pyramid are not being met, the top of the pyramid will be leaps and bounds away. A theory that I believe can relate to many life situations is that you need a strong, stable base to build upon. Homeless youth need a stable foundation. Realistically, there is no possible way to get a stable home for every homeless student, but you and I can help find resources for your student. “If you suspect that a student is living in temporary housing, contact your district’s McKinney Vento liaison about the next steps. If you are not sure who your liaison is, call NYS TEACHS at 800-388-2014” (Mc-Kinney Vento Homeless Education, 2021). As an educator, I would keep some personal hygiene products and snacks in my classroom for students in need. It is one small act to hopefully aid my students in their journey to success.


I remember having a book read to me when I was in elementary school titled Fly Away Home. The book talks about a boy and his father who live in the airport and try to stay incognito (Bunting, Himler, 1993). It reminded me that spotting your homeless students may not be easy. They will try to hide their situations and avoid the stigmas surrounding housing insecurity. This will be another delicate subject that I advise teachers to approach with compassion and patience. 


References


Bunting, E., & Himler, R. (1993, March 22). Fly Away Home (Reissue). Clarion Books.

Collins, Phil. (2010, May 10). Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise (Official Music Video) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt2mbGP6vFI 


De Mare, A., Kelly, K., & Taber, K. (Producers), & De Mare, A., & Kelly, K. (Directors). (2014). The Homestretch [Streaming video]. United States: Bullfrog Films.


Mc-Kinney Vento Homeless Education. (2021). New York State Education Department. http://www.nysed.gov/essa/mckinney-vento-homeless-education


Mcleod, S. (2020, December 29). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html 

Comments

  1. EDU 2650 02 Blog - Gabriella RaiaNovember 1, 2022 at 6:16 PM

    Hi Taylor!
    The blog post following the module called "Poverty/Homelessness" published by Dr. Craig has left students to dive deep into the severities of this topic. As a future educator, my biggest fear is having a student in my classroom having at home struggles, being homeless is and struggling to support themselves in general. It is inevitable that it will happen and I just have to be prepared for it. I can also agree with you that being a future educator, making sure all students succeed is a huge priority. I love how you included the image of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs because it shows the levels of of what one needs to be healthy and successful. All students should have access to the things they need to be healthy, focus, attend to succeed in school. Something that I was told growing up is "Where you live shapes how you live." I have believed in this ever since I was told it and I have been proven as I live through meeting new people, changing schools and adapting to the town that I live in. As I read through your blog post, you mentioned the film called "The Homestretch" that was included in the module for this week. The film was impactful for future educators to see that poverty/homelessness is real and can happen to students. The struggles of this topic are severe and reaching out to those who need to help is essential to success of these individuals. Tying in the book "Fly Away Home" from when you were in elementary school and to this module goes to show that it made an impact on your live and others too. I haven't read or even heard of the book but I believe that it will be a great read for individuals aspiring to be teachers in their future. The topic of poverty/homelessness is serious and it is more common than one may think and help is there for the people who want/need it. I am excited for your next blog post and I am sure it will be just as detailed as this one! Your future is full of so much potential and it is bright as you aspire to be a teacher.

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