Diversity 3

Those students from low income families have a difficult time in school because their families are having a difficult time at home. It is tough to pay all of the bils and live comfotably if the income is not sufficient. The parents are, most likely, stressed or aggrevated, which is not a safe or comfortable environment for a child. These students likely receive little help on their schoolwork, while those students from higher income families probably have parents who have the time to help with homework and studying. Sonia Nieto and Patty Bode state in their book "Affirming Diversity" that, "the (achievement) gap between African American students and Hispanic students compared to white students remains very large" (10). This is true in my district because the African American and Arabic families live mostly in low income housing. These students are not as fortunate as many of the White students who have comfortable home lives. As a teacher, I try to give little homework and, instead, give classwork so that those less fortunate students have my assistance if needed.