LITMIR.BIZ

      Introduction

      Behavior is a form of communication providing clues about what is missing in a young person’s life.

       —JOHN SEITA

      Jacob is a fourth-grade student in an urban school district. After losing his mom three years earlier, Jacob, his older brother, and younger sister now live in a single-parent home. Their father works two jobs to take care of the family, but he doesn’t earn enough wages to pay all the family’s living expenses. Jacob’s aunt often cares for him and his siblings along with her three younger children. Some days, Jacob’s aunt asks the older children to watch the younger children. Jacob’s role as caregiver means he often makes his brother, sister, and cousins breakfast, helps them get dressed, organizes their lunches and backpacks, and walks them to their classrooms. Jacob is sometimes late to his own class or absent on these mornings.

      Jacob and his siblings have witnessed varying degrees of violence and drug use in the community. His dad’s work demands make it hard to have routines, like a set bedtime or homework time. Jacob and his siblings sometimes don’t have meals at home. Jacob is often hungry but feels ashamed to ask for extra food at school, while watching other students waste theirs.

      Despite these traumas, Jacob likes school. Jacob enjoys numbers and logic puzzles and has experienced success in mathematics. He has good peer relationships and generally fits in well in classes. When he is attentive, his teachers remark that he is a good contributor and can be seen smiling. When he is not, his teachers become concerned about the impact of Jacob’s inattentiveness on his learning and of his disruptions on others’ learning. When Jacob becomes frustrated, he lashes out verbally, and occasionally, physically. Staff recognize that detentions and other negative consequences that have been assigned are having little impact but don’t know of other strategies. They want a consistent approach for all students, and not separate rules for Jacob. Jacob’s father is busy and has a difficult time committing to school appointments, but when his father has met with staff, he has expressed his respect and support for a good education. He wants a better life for Jacob and his other children.

      Jacob wishes his teachers knew that school is important to him. His realities outside of school make it challenging for him to always manage, monitor, and regulate his behaviors. He’s often hungry and tired. He tries to push through these feelings, but it doesn’t always work. His absences and tardies are increasingly contributing to difficulties.

      Jacob’s situation is, unfortunately, not unique. There are many, many students in the North American school system facing familial and financial challenges just like Jacob’s—and students with needs that are slightly less dramatic are even more common. In fact, over half of U.S. students live in poverty (Suitts, 2015). Jacob’s story provides critically important context for the causes—loss of a parent, economic

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