A Framework For Understanding Poverty

A Framework for Understanding Poverty: 10 Actions to Educate Students

Provides tools for educators working with children from varied economic realities. It gives practical strategies for improving relationships with and the learning opportunities of students.

There is a focus on communication that brings new understandings of the language and communication styles we need to use to build meaningful and respectful relationships with students and parents.

In an educational setting, both teaching and learning can be challenging. For students to achieve, educators must understand their ‘hidden rules’. Rules that because they are hidden, prove to be a major stumbling block for students from vulnerable economic backgrounds.

Education has moved to embrace the impacts of trauma and teachers now have a deeper understanding of the science of learning. This work broadens peoples understanding of what underpins many important initiatives. New understandings provided by the work augment these directions in current education.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty has been embraced by schools and school networks across Australia as a way to bring about collaboration and shared understanding within their unique communities.

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Program Information

Teachers who participate in this training will:

Use concrete instructional strategies to help students from poverty
Understand hidden rules of economic class and effects on behaviours and mindsets
Develop stronger relationships with students to impact behavior
Reduce discipline referrals

Program Options

One Day Workshop

Presents “ten actions to educate” for classroom teachers to practice to improve learning and help students to connect, each action gives practical strategies that classroom teachers can use. These “actions” make learning accessible and are a boon to classroom practice.
Advises school leaders and teachers on how to be well informed on the economic reality of the community in which they work.
Opens up discussions because of a deeper understanding of what is meant by resources and resourceful behaviours. This strength based approach invites educators to discuss the resources that each child brings.
Learn practical strategies for improving relationships with, and the learning opportunities of, students who are socially and/or financially vulnerable.

The workbook A Framework for Understanding Poverty serves as a training manual in the seminars and includes chapters on relationship building within school communities.

Train the Trainer

Participants are permitted to present Framework for Understanding Poverty through a limited license agreement for users employed by a Permitted Institution only.
“Permitted Institutions” includes only the individual school campus, or other institution/agency that is the trainer’s principal employer at the time of Certification or for which they principally act as an independent contractor at the time of Certification.

This training is open ONLY to people who have recently completed a whole day workshop

Program Facilitators

Kath Herbert

Kath is a national consultant for Dr Ruby Paynes’ workshops “Frameworks for Understanding Poverty” and “Bridges Out of Poverty”. Since 2002 she has delivered the work with an Australian perspective. Delivering this training has involved Kath in several community development projects Australia wide. Her role is now an advisory one, she connects with AHA Process in USA to ensure that Australian workshops stay abreast of new developments in the work. Kath is available for keynote addresses and provides accreditation and recertification workshops.

Kath has experience working in several areas of community and education sectors. Providing programs that connect people to new learning opportunities with a strong practical focus is her main purpose.

She has worked with the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in both large city colleges and small country schools. Kath has held many responsibility positions in administration, curriculum development and student welfare, in primary and secondary settings.

With the Education Faculty of Deakin University and Primary Health Network she has delivered several research based programs. In adult and community education she has worked with long term unemployed, jobless young people, and disability employment services.

She has experience on remote indigenous communities, in Queensland’s Gulf Country and Western Australia, recruiting and training teachers to deliver adult literacy and numeracy. She specializes in providing alternative learning opportunities that provide accessibility for vulnerable participants.

“I am passionate about this work because it brings a “mind shift” of new understanding. I know that the strategies and tools provided give practical methods to use that are effective. It brings better communication and connection with the economically vulnerable in our communities.”

Kerry East

Kerry East is a Frameworks for Understanding Poverty, Bridges Out of Poverty, and Getting Ahead Training Associate based in our Auckland, New Zealand office. She works across New Zealand and Australia with schools and community agencies to build their capacity to ensure better outcomes for minoritised and marginalised learners and economically vulnerable communities.

Kerry has garnered a wealth of knowledge that comes from working in multicultural communities with high percentages of Māori and Pacific Islanders, nurturing all cultures whilst remaining true to mana whenua (the indigenous people (Māori) who have historic and territorial rights over the land) and the obligations of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The treaty of Waitangi) through culturally responsive pedagogies and practices.

Passionate about Education, as a classroom practitioner, Kerry championed the introduction of digital technologies as a vehicle for promoting innovation and creativity for her students across all curriculum areas. Prior to this, Kerry was the founder of her own small business in Papakura. Here she honed her skills in finances, leadership and communication. Her capability to connect and interact with people ensured her business model was one of success.

Annette Moes

Annette Moes is a passionate educator who believes that students and young people and their circumstances need to be at the centre of planning and decision making for schools, government departments and agencies.

Annette has extensive experience as a classroom teacher having taught students aged from 3-18 years in a variety of settings including mainstream, distance education and alternative education centres. Further into her career, she had various roles in educational leadership, inter-agency and corporate roles.

In her career, spanning over 30 years, all was spent in rural and remote locations or low socio-economic locations. This has given her a keen and practical understanding of effective day-to-day practices and leadership responsibilities required to counteract the effects of poverty.

Annette has personal knowledge of this content having a parent who grew up in poverty and a family member with disabilities. She has lived and breathed much of what is covered in the workshops.

Annette is married and has 3 adult sons.

Derek Hayman

Derek is a leading edge educator and presenter, with a Master’s Degree in International Community Development. He has extensive experience working in primary health prevention, having delivered respectful relationships education programs in schools, early childhood settings and the community sector. He also has experience supporting schools with strategies and processes aimed to improve student’s attendance and engagement as well as supporting the implementation of School Wide Positive Behaviour Support. His passion for both education and community has led him to develop expertise in project management, primary prevention, stakeholder and community engagement and development. Derek is currently working in the Victorian Government school system and he also provides Frameworks for Understanding Poverty workshops.

A Framework For Understanding Poverty