Note: This article is part of the Back-to-School Financial Wellness series. Also, check out Educators, Put Personal Finance $ on Your Back-to-School List and It’s Always the Right Time to Teach Kids and Teens about Money.
No one wants to be poor.
Yet, unfortunate circumstances in life can sometimes put people on the path of poverty.
By contrast, when we think of wealth, we often visualize money or lifestyles of the rich and famous. Mansions. Fancy cars. Exquisite vacations.
However, being wealthy is actually much more than just acquiring assets and loads of cash.
Wealth means abundance. Having what you need with a tremendous supply and not any lack.
Health is wealth.
Gratitude is wealth.
Strong and positive relationships are wealth.
Having sufficiency in the areas of life which mean the most to you and access to what we need so we can provide for ourselves and our loved ones.
While being born into a rich family certainly can be a head start, it’s not a deal breaker if generational wealth was not passed down as a birthright.
Truly living with satisfaction and fulfillment exceeds any amount of money we could ever write out on a dotted line.
Rejecting the Pedagogy of Poverty
We are constantly learning – albeit consciously or unconsciously.
Learning to acquire wealth in various areas of our lives is either happening or not.
And, money is one of those resources we are actively engaged with or not. Money is a means to an end. It’s not the end all, be all, but it is an undeniable tool in life’s classroom.
As we think about educating ourselves and the next generation, financial literacy is critical towards creating more equitable outcomes for all to access the path to a wealthy, fulfilled life.
And, intentional efforts are required to dismantle systemic racism ingrained in our society today. In the field of formal education, liberating and empowering strategies are urgent.
In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire proposed a critical consciousness shift to a more progressive style of teaching and learning in 1968. Freire, a Brazilian educator and philosopher, advocated for what were considered radical ideas at the time:
- Lectures and forms of rote learning are futile
- Dialogue and reflection promote deeper learning
- Generative themes about the real-world must be explored
- Educators are facilitators of learning, not experts
Fast forward to the 21st century, these concepts are not only accepted, but they are broadly promoted in education today. Long gone are the days of trite worksheets, simple memorization, and sit-and-get instruction. We want to develop critical-thinkers who want to experience the full expression of their liberation.
Freire was certainly ahead of his time and propelled us to not only critique the teaching and learning of his time, but also envision a more equitable and successful model for the future. He wanted to liberate the poor and disenfranchised through the power of intellect and speak truth to power.
He was an anti-racist educator for the ages.
Embracing the Pedagogy of Wealth
So, instead of a pedagogy which promotes poverty and degradation, we must pursue how to help learners unlock their power, potential, and purpose.
In Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad urges us to reassess the strategies communities of color have historically acquired and used information for empowerment and confidence as agents of change. Her research on Black Antebellum literary societies provokes transformative ideologies grounded in authentic cultural relevance and excellence. Her framework underscores the importance of identity, skills, intellect, and criticality:
“Youth need opportunities in school to explore multiple facets of selfhood, but also to learn about the identities of other who may differ. If they are going to enjoy a quality of life and live alongside other people, they must deeply know themselves and the histories of truths of other diverse people. Knowing about the cultures of other people teaches them how to respect, love, and live in harmony with others who don’t look or know the world as they do. Students should not have to wait until college or adulthood to discover self for the first time. They need spaces in K-12 classrooms to make sense of who they are and who they are not ….” (Page 67)
Wealth, in all its forms, will follow as we teach how to value oneself and value others, along with the values of hard work and persistence which often pay dividends.
Let’s accelerate how we understand and teach the concept of wealth. The appreciation will be endless.