homeless students
What can we do to help homeless students be successful?
Rebecca,
Not sure I can respond to this question because there are some many variable involved in providing support to and for such students. We work with each student on an individual basis and try to find shelter while they work on completing their schooling. Sometimes it works and sometimes no matter what we do we lose the student.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I wish we could do a more active approach to this problem. Instead we give them a list of resources and say "good luck." Many schools with high rentention rates have housing for students and take the rent right out of the tutition. Wish we could do this at Brown.
Couch surfing is not the most ideal means of housing for a student, but it is better than nothing. Couchsurfing.com has a great means of reviewing other's interactions with hosts and guests and the means of verification leaves total strangers comfortable enough to let total strangers stay with them. I have made facebook groups for my students that allow them to organize with little direction from me to help eachother. I have a group that helps single mothers find things they need for cheaper, a group that operates like craigslist, and a page called "Job Watch" for people to post job opportunities.
Jason,
You are providing a number of different supports to and for your students. These supports can mean the difference between completing school or dropping out. Good job of helping your students to help themselves.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I recently encountered my first homeless student. She has been struggling with attendance and performance in my class. I appreciate the support ideas presented in this discussion. I now have a better grip on the subject and some new ideas for supporting my student. I really like the Facebook support idea that the students can implement and help each other. Very helpful to me.
Shauna,
Great to hear about the information you have received. I hope this student is able to find a home before long and is successful in her schooling to the point she can be successful in her chosen career field.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
This issue falls under Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. When student needs are not met, It adds to a students barrier that can prevent their success.
I suggest to students to resolve their barrier first and offer suggestions and assistance. It would be impossible for anyone to focus on school when they don't have a place to stay.
For our campus we have a handy resource list that has numbers of shelters that can help people in need. We also had the food bank come by and give students care packages during the holiday season. This helps students not to be so stress and able to complete their studies.
James,
Key point. These outside influences often shape the educational outcome of students. If they do not have a place to live remaining in school may not be that important to them. We can't solve all their external problems but we can listen and refer them to sources that can be of help. As a result the students will respect us and how we are trying to help them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Down here in the Valley, we incounter a lot of homeless students, as instructor I refer them to state programs that help them get housing and help with their utilities.
We can refer the student to various agencies that might be able to assist them with housing, and remind them that even though their situation is not a plesant one at the moment, things will get better, encourange them to continue with their education in their chosen field of study, which will eventually take them out of the situation they are in. In our campus we have dealt with students who have been homeless, I try to help them by offering to assist with laundering their clothing, and assisting with something to eat, although none have accutally accepted the offer of washing their cloths, they are very appreciative, it makes them feel that we really care about them as human beings, and not just as students.
Christy,
This is such a great resource for your students. They should be thankful that their college is trying to provide the support to meet life issues so they can concentrate on their studies.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Luz,
You are providing such a great service. You are showing them that you are a caring instructor and that you want to support their learning success by referring them to a shelter so they can stay in school and create a future for themselves.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Lucia,
Knowing that they have your support is so important to the success of students. You are trying to help them with their lives outside of class so they can be successful inside of class. This is the human side of being an educator that is critical to and for student success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Thank you for your insightful response. I could not agree more. Thank you.
One thing we can do is generally be open to the fact that there may be issues beyond the classroom. A coworker of mine said that she caught a student stealing food from the staff refrigerator. She reprimanded him. However, I mentioned that this could have occured because he was unable to get enough food at home, if he has a home at all.
Christopher,
This is such an important point to remember as we work with students, especially those that might be at risk of dropping out. Their lives outside of class can really impact their abilities to remain engaged and focused on their studies.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Working with homeless students can be difficult, and just as Gary mentioned there are many factors that play into each individual situation. Some just as others have said, no matter what you do to assist, we will still lose some students. Although I am working with a student now that is homeless, he has a high level of dedication to his education. Despite his situation, he is willing to work as hard as he can because he knows this is only temporary, and that he is working toward a better life for himself. Because I know his struggles of staying sober and trying to find work, I encourage him and provide him positive feedback when he completes certain milestones or earns a high grade on an assignment or quiz. This consistent affirmation from his 'authority figures' is what he needs to feed that motivation and let him know he's doing the right thing for his life no matter how tough things might be right now.
Christine,
Keep up your effort because this student knows that you care about him and his success. Situations like this are tough but as you say knowing that they have an authority figure backing them and willing to help as much as is possible goes a long way in keeping them in school and forward focused.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
