1. Does your own family background reflect traditional or emerging family patterns? How do you think your upbringing will affect your ability to teach students from different family situations?
2. How can you prepare to work effectively with a variety of parents and caregivers?
3. Why do you think it is so difficult for the schools to overcome the effects of poverty on the academic achievement for poor children?
4. What are the challenges in teaching poor children?
5. Are you interested in teaching children from poverty situations? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever been afraid to go to school? Why?
7. Were you aware of the problem of school violence and vandalism before you read this chapter? Will it be a major factor in your decision regarding whether or where to teach?
8. Do you agree that equality of educational opportunity should be defined by its effects rather than by its provisions? Why or why not?
9. Which form of school choice appeals most to you? Why?
10. Do you support the use of school vouchers for students to attend private or parochial schools? Why or why not?