Socioeconomic Differences In The Classroom Essay

The socioeconomic differences in the classroom can be drastic. It is possible to have students that are provided for and well-fed in the same classroom as that has students that are homeless and wanting of food. Knowing how to reach students, academically, that are from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background, at the same time you are reaching students from middle or upper class environment, is a challenge many teachers from urban and other areas must face. According to the American Psychological Association students who come from a low socioeconomic status or SES are more likely “develop academic skills more slowly compared to children from higher SES groups,” indicating that those from low-SES backgrounds will enter school academically …show more content…
Unfortunately, it is common for schools with a large number of socioeconomically disadvantaged students to have low quality teachers as well, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA notes that “of high school math teachers in low income school districts 27 percent majored in mathematics in college as compared to 43 percent of teachers who did so in more affluent school districts” (Education and Socioeconomic Status, 2015). If teachers in low income districts are less likely to have a degree in mathematics, mathematic pedagogical knowledge may be lacking, impacting students who may already be behind in math. Students from low-SES enter the education system behind in their academics, and then will more than likely receive less effective teaching than students from higher SES levels. A significant challenge for educators with students from a low-SES background could be understanding how to differentiate instruction for varying levels of students, lack of resources, or lack of time to differentiate the classroom