Goals of the action guide
When it comes to fighting deep poverty, teachers of psychology are at the forefront of not only addressing the issue with adolescents and emerging adults, but also in creating a learning environment in which people from all backgrounds are welcomed and empowered. The structure of a classroom and its policies can ultimately help to break down the barriers that many students from low income or economically marginalized backgrounds face. These systemic barriers, such as food insecurity, the cost of public transportation and underrepresentation can hinder a student’s ability to fully participate in the classroom. In order to ensure an inclusive learning environment and make students more aware of the role that poverty plays in their academic world, APA’s Deep Poverty Initiative Working Group created the Teachers of Psychology Action Guide (PDF, 77KB)opens in new window as a part of a toolkit. The guide includes specific action steps that educators can use to achieve the goals of the APA Deep Poverty Initiative.
The Teachers of Psychology Action Guide encourages educators to take four main actions to address socioeconomic status (SES):
- Revise the course syllabi to add SES inclusive language.
- Practice allyship towards socioeconomically marginalized students.
- Expand the classroom into the community.
- Motivate other educators to join them in addressing SES disparities.
Addressing SES in the course syllabi
The guide provides actionable steps for how educators can modify their classroom policies and learning materials in their syllabi or class information sheets. One such step they can take is to include a diversity and inclusion statement that addresses differences in SES. The guide also suggests that educators use their syllabi to provide resources and support for students dealing with structural factors that are undermining their academic abilities. For example, the syllabi can include resources for students if they are suffering from food insecurity as well as a more flexible absentee policy to accommodate those who may be struggling with the costs of transportation or childcare services. High school teachers can also use their platform to help economically marginalized students become more aware of school and community resources that may help them and their families.
The action guide also provides steps to address explicit and implicit biases within learning materials. Teachers of psychology are encouraged to review their curriculum and examine their own biases surrounding the discussion of poverty. The action guide calls for redesigning syllabi so that learning materials are free of stereotypes and harmful viewpoints and so that students are exposed to works that are representative of different socioeconomic backgrounds. In concurrence with the action guide, APA recently adopted the Guidelines for Psychological Practices for People with Low Income and Economic Marginalization (PDF, 479KB)opens in new window which encourages psychologists to address their own biases and increase their understanding of social class issues through training and education. These steps will help deepen the discussion of poverty inside and outside the classroom and create a more inclusive and representative learning environment.
Practice allyship towards students living in deep poverty
The guide provides advice on how to open the lines of communication with students in order to foster a more understanding relationship. By opening the lines of communication, educators will be able to become familiar with the needs of students and may also help to find ways to alleviate the burden if students’ needs are not being met. For example, the guide suggests providing alternatives to purchasing textbooks, working with administrators to create a food pantry and low-cost parking, and helping students become more familiar with school resources, whether that be on a college campus or in a high school.
Expand the classroom into the community
Although addressing deep poverty in the curriculum is a vital first step, the conversation must move beyond the four walls of the classroom. The guide explains how expanding the learning experience beyond the classroom can help students to more fully understand the implications of deep poverty and how it affects their community. This can be done through community-based assignments. The guide also suggests partnering with community organizations to have students participate in service-learning projects. By adding this outside perspective, students will be more aware of how deep poverty affects every aspect of the world around them and will be more prepared to help solve problems within their community.
Motivate other educators to join them in addressing deep poverty
Although teachers of psychology can redesign their classrooms and approaches to create a more inclusive environment, it will take a team effort to address issues at the school level. The guide suggests encouraging other faculty to take actionable steps in order to enact change on a wider scale. By using the guide as a platform to expand the conversation around deep poverty, educators will be able to continuously work to achieve the goals of APA’s Deep Poverty Initiative.
About the author
Sara Baron is an intern in the APA Office on Socioeconomic Status. She is a junior at the George Washington University where she is currently pursuing a double major in psychology and political science within the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. While living in Washington, D.C., Sara has worked and interned with various nonprofit organizations including the Truth Initiative, the AnBryce Foundation and Polaris Project. She has also worked as a campaign aide for New Jersey’s Monmouth County Democrats, as an intern for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and for New York Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright. Throughout these experiences, she has developed her academic interest for studying the ways psychology can be used to combat social issues.
