I don’t quite know what to think about Ruby Payne. I had never heard her name until about six months ago, and now I hear about her all the time. I wonder what her motives are? The article by Anita Bohn says that she portrays poor people as “milking the system”. I think it’s a shame to put all poor people in the same boat and say something like this. When I hear people say something like this, I try to just remind them that no matter what the motives of the parents, children should not be accused of anything like this. They have no control over what their parents do - good or bad. We need to try and figure out solutions to the problems that poor children have. We waste time and energy, and just make people angry when we try and start blaming. I agree with Bohn that “the poor do not have realistic opportunities to escape from poverty”. I do know that there aren’t any quick fixes. Our nation has got to find some real solutions. We as individuals have to start treating these poor children like they were our own. Maybe teachers like me, who teach in affluent schools can start by trying to develop some empathy in our students, so that when they grow up, they won’t be so self-centered.
Ruby Payne
Posted by: dbabb | March 14, 2008 |Responses - Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
I love your idea about trying to help develop empathy in our students! I think that is so important and not done nearly enough. We’ve talked a lot in this program about how most people are just kind of out to help themselves and do what they need to do to get ahead. It makes me kind of sad to think about how egocentric we’ve all become. I do believe that being focused and having personal goals is important, but at what cost? People have to realize that you can’t really get anywhere completely on your own. But if you step on everyone on your way to the top, who will help you if you fall? WE SHOULD ALL WORK TO BE MORE EMPATHETIC! Great point Diana!
By: coreyrieke on March 15, 2008
at 3:13 pm
Hey Diana,
I couldn’t agree more with you and I have noticed that there is not a lot of empathy or even awareness in our children these days. It is amazing what comes out of the mouths of my students about people who are different from them. When we talk about problems facing many children today it is as if they had no idea or think that I am making it up. It seems that many children, teachers and people I know live in a bubble. I challenge myself to pop that bubble and help the kids brainstorm on what we can do to contribute to the solution. We have to change from everyman for himself to a more collaborative atmosphere!
By: koubs1 on March 16, 2008
at 3:34 pm
