How to Teach Students Who Have a Hard Home Life

School is just one facet of a student’s life. Support students who have a hard home life with these helpful ideas.

How to Teach Students Who Have a Hard Home Life

Examples of Students with Challenging Circumstances

Some students face challenges outside of school.

Getting to know your students helps you discover if they are dealing with any of these difficult circumstances.

Financial Instability

Students whose families face financial hardship may have limited access to clothes, food, or healthcare.

They may experience homelessness or near-homelessness, where the family moves frequently.

Difficult Family Situation

This category encompasses a wide range of challenges, from parents who are separating or divorcing to witnessing or experiencing domestic violence.

A student may also live with a parent who is neglectful or abusive, or they may have a family member with substance abuse issues.

Health Issues

The student or a family member may struggle with a chronic illness or mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or trauma.

Extra Responsibilities

Many times a student must take enormous responsibilities, such as caregiving for younger siblings or an aged relative.

If they are old enough, they may work significant hours outside the home to contribute to family finances.

Low Support

Students may feel isolated and alone, especially if they lack the support of extended family or a broader community.

If they are from an immigrant family, they may face language barriers and cultural isolation.

Family Legal Issues

Students whose parents or family members are facing incarceration or the threat of deportation are under significant stress.

How to Teach Students Who Have a Hard Home Life

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How a Hard Home Life Impacts Students at School

Students with a hard home life struggle at school for different reasons.

If they are working or caring for a family member, they have little time for homework or sleep.

Students in difficult circumstances may have trouble concentrating at school.

Those with limited resources and those under stress may skip meals, adding to the challenge of focusing well at school.

Students who have a hard home life may experience various emotions, from anger to sadness to apparent apathy.

Social/Emotional Helps for Students with a Hard Home Life

Follow these tips to help students who have a hard home life.

Involve Others

Students need a village, not just one person.

Students who have a hard home life often need more support than you can provide.

Of course, if you suspect abuse or neglect, you must report it to get the proper agencies involved. This is non-negotiable.

For other matters, loop in your school psychologist, administration, and the student’s family and social worker (if applicable) so you can all support the student.

Supporting the student should be a team effort.

Have Multiple Ways for Parents to Contact You

For parents who work long hours or have limited resources, they may not be able to reach you during school hours or by cell phone.

Provide different ways for parents/guardians to contact you: email, cell phone, school number, and in writing (write a note to parents and provide a space for a response).

In return, ask for multiple ways to reach parents/guardians.

Create a Safe Space

Of course, you want to create a supportive classroom learning environment, but you need to think beyond that.

Your classroom should be a safe space for students where they feel respected and valued.

Follow a predictable routine (this is comforting).

Be consistent with your classroom rules.

Don’t Overreact or Judge

Get to know your students as people. Typically, students don’t tell you the “big stuff” in their lives right away.

Warm up to that level of trust by learning their likes and dislikes and asking questions like, “What did you do this weekend?”

Learn to listen actively. (Teach your students to do this too, when you go over conflict resolution.)

Don’t overreact or rush to judgment when students tell you something difficult. Stay calm. Listen, and then respond.

How to Teach Students Who Have a Hard Home Life

Notice Changes

Students may not offer up the fact that they have a hard home life.

You need to be observant, especially if there are changes in the student.

Are they tired or stressed? Have their academics suddenly dropped?

Find a quiet time to ask them about what you observe. They may open up at your prompting.

Be an Encourager

Consider this: You may be one of the only positive voices in the student’s life.

Be intentional in your encouragement.

What gifts or talents do you see in the student? Tell them!

Do you notice a student’s increased effort or progress in an area? Make sure you let them know you notice.

Be a supporter and encourager in their life.

Teach Growth Mindset

Show students that success is about effort and grit.

Teach all your students to cultivate a growth mindset.

Practical Helps for Students Who Have a Hard Home Life

Sometimes, a little practical help can go a long way in helping students who face challenging circumstances.

Institute a No Homework Policy

Do you really need to assign homework to achieve learning goals? Some studies say homework is an unnecessary burden.

Consider instituting a no homework policy.

Students with extra responsibilities or unstable home environments may not have the time or space to complete homework.

If a no homework policy is not possible, keep due dates flexible and provide additional support for completing assignments.

Read Aloud

Reading aloud to students of all ages has academic benefits, such as fluency modeling, listening comprehension, and increased engagement.

However, for students who have a hard home life, this read-aloud time offers them some downtime.

They can relax and listen. This is a restful time for them, physically and emotionally.

Don’t Ask for Classroom Supplies

Budgets are tight, I get it.

But if you ask students to bring in classroom or party supplies, some students will feel embarrassed when they can’t provide any.

Find less conspicuous ways to ask for help with supplies (like an online classroom wishlist you send home in a parent newsletter).

That way, supplies can be delivered directly to the school.

As always, make giving optional, not mandatory.

Keep a Clothes Closet

If you have a closet in your room, stock it with clean clothes (you can pick these up at thrift stores).

Sweatshirts, T-shirts, leggings, sweatpants…if a student needs an item for the day, loan or give it out.

Stock Filling Snacks

For hungry students, keep water bottles, granola bars, and cracker packs on hand.

You can buy large packages at big box stores to keep costs down.

Let your students who have a hard home life know that they can quietly ask you for some food and you will provide it.

How to Teach Students Who Have a Hard Home Life

Stock Hygiene Items

Some students don’t have access to hygiene supplies, which impacts them socially and emotionally.

Stock up on toothbrushes and travel-size deodorant and toothpaste.

Keep a giant pack of baby wipes so students can grab a few on their way to the bathroom (to use in place of a shower).

Female students often need feminine supplies, which are quite expensive.

Buy a box of maxi pads in bulk and let female students know where they are.

Buy School Supplies on Sale

Watch the back-to-school sales and grab a bunch of notebooks, crayons, pencils, pens, folders, and paper on sale.

Keep these extra school supplies on hand to discreetly distribute to students who can’t afford to buy their own.

How to Afford Practical Helps

You earn a teacher’s salary. Are you expected to pay for food, clothes, and hygiene items for students?

While you may feel moved to do so, you can also ask for help meeting these needs.

Provide Resources to the Family

If you know a need, put families in touch with support organizations and community resources that provide assistance.

Title I Schools also have specific resources for low-income families.

Contact Community Organizations

You can contact community organizations to inform them about your school’s needs.

Consider contacting local non-profits and charities as well as religious and civic organizations.

They may bring resources straight to your school.

Businesses may also consider a donation to the school to provide students with much-needed items.

Raise Awareness Among Colleagues

Enlist your fellow staff members to help you.

If you are a classroom teacher, you can ask other staff members if they are willing to provide some supplies for the students in your class.

Your administration and school counselor may have access to special funds and contacts to help your students.

The PTA may also be able to raise funds to help with the costs of supporting students who have difficult home lives.

Crowdfund

Use social media and sites like GoFundMe.com or DonorsChoose.org to petition for funds.

Make sure you protect the privacy of students and make your requests general in nature.

Teaching Students Who Have a Hard Home Life

As a teacher, you help your students on their academic journey.

But some students face obstacles that make their academic journey particularly difficult.

If you have students with a hard home life, follow these tips to help meet their physical and emotional needs.

You are in a unique position to be a force for good in their lives.

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