Steve Murphy is the Pre Employment Operations Manager at City College Plymouth, and in this video he explains how students that come from environments of economic deprivation can face many barriers to them progressing both in and out of college, and how different their approach to learning can be.
It’s important to understand these barriers, and give students the opportunity to break out of their circles of economic deprivation, and Steve is a firm believer in teachers being that difference.
Firstly, Steve explains that complete equality in how a student is treated and taught is crucial, and how important it is to give all students the same opportunities, and prevent any subconscious bias.
Secondly, make sure that students have everything they need to partake equally at school, this includes making sure they have all the bursaries, school uniform support and food support they need to get off to a good and equal start. Understand that at any moment in time, college could be the most stable environment in some student’s lives, and that as a teacher, you are there to support and motivate those students overcome their barriers.
Steve also recommends looking into the additional teaching support available to some students; such as smaller class sizes, or one to one learning. Don’t let your students’ progression and motivation slow down over time, let them access additional support to continue their learning, and overcome barriers.
