Being a poor student in school

As much as people don't believe it, income does effect how well a student performs in school. This is my story.

I grew up in the small, rural town of Sumter, South Carolina. I lived with my Mother, half siblings and my mother's husband. He was my step father but I never considered him fatherly. Though he had a well paying job fixing aircraft for the air force, he would spend his paycheck on frivolous expenditures. Some examples of his spending would be: a white truck which was considered necessary since he needed transportation but he wanted a truck that defined who he was so the truck cost more, a boat for luxury though he never used it and lastly, during his mid-life crisis, he bought a motorcycle which just sat in the garage. Our family finances were no longer stable and we fell into debt. My mother took whatever job she could get yet it still didn't help. We received more bills than actual letters. At the time, I didn't understand what currency was for or how it was obtained. I didn't understand that because of debt, we were considered "poor.” This hindered how well I was able to do in school, affecting my schoolwork. My classmates had well put together, typed out, above grade level vocabulary enriched essays and papers whereas mine were handwritten and average. Their projects looked as if it came out of a science fiction movie with advanced, fascinating topics while my poster board was covered in marker and colored pencil with topics I only had the supplies for. The teacher would grade on organization, creativity and presentation and, sadly, I wasn't up to par. I was a smart kid, I just wasn't financially supported. At the time I didn't know you could tell the school about your financial issues so I suffered in silence.

Coming from a poor family didn't only effect my grades but my self-esteem. As soon as you enter elementary school, people start judging you. Even though students are taught that they shouldn't "judge a book by it's cover", they did. In elementary school, wearing odd, loose hand me downs was overlooked. This was a place where kids would wear anything and everything to school because it was fun or cute. Teachers didn't mind. Why should they? It's just elementary school. In middle school is when the teasing started. Pre-teens started to become obsessed with brand names and bullied others for not wearing a certain brand. Being from an indebt poor family, I never had brand new clothes unless I was lucky enough to find them at the second hand store or Goodwill. Even when shopping at Goodwill, I'd find cute shirts and pants and dresses that expressed myself but that didn't matter because I didn't have a plain, bland Tee shirt that said "Aero" or had a small little picture of an eagle on it. My clothes were much more creative but as a growing child, I soon had to replace them. People kept teasing me, calling me poor and stating how I will never be pretty or rich or good enough. How I was stupid (I was smart but I just didn't have the resources). How their parents have more money than mine. Most of these things were true but I just didn't want others to label me for it. I didn't have many friends at school. It could be because anyone who talked to me was afraid of being bullied or the fact that my self-esteem was so low, I would shy away from human contact. I wouldn't smile. I wouldn't laugh. The only good thing about school was the free lunch I got but even that made me free guilty...

By the time I entered High School, my mother had divorced my stepfather. Money was still tight but we were able to make ends meet. Unlike in elementary school, social workers and counselors took notice of how certain students acted and willingly helped them. Upon meeting my guidance counselor, she asked me if there would be any problems I might face. I told her about my family's money issue and how I couldn't get a job at the time (not 16 at the time). She nodded and said that there were many out reach programs in High School and that if I needed technological help, I could use the library anytime (something I wasn't able to do in middle school). With these new resources and programs I was able further my knowledge and even entered college courses in my senior year of high school.

Out of all of this, I must say that Elementary and Middle schools should have better out reach programs and help those who are financially challenged. That teachers and school officials should explain to students, even at a young age, that if there is a problem, they can talk to them. No matter what it is. Also, that teachers and officials should stop bullying if they see it happening.