Unskilled and unmotivated LEGAL Immigrants in life of low wage labor (English, American)

[Weekend Traveler]

I teach a variety of welfare to work type EVENING classes in a program designed for the unfortunate and the struggling. Many if not most of the students are immigrants. Most have worked a collection of dead end low skilled minimum wage type jobs for years until they enrolled in a program designed to teach them job skills so they could learn a trade or skill that will allow them to move ahead.

There are to types of students in this program:

One, the underclass American Born student. They are more likely to be late to class, look terribly bored, play with their cell phone, walk in and out of class for long bathroom breaks and when they ask questions it usually just relates to their specific issue instead of everyone.

Two: The immigrant from a third world country. They are usually very polite, and defer to the instructor. They look straight ahead and give the impression that they are interested in what the instructor has to say. But when we ask a question or get them involved in group discussion they tend to go mute. They are incredibly passive. Their English is good but they just do not make use of what is being taught.

Can education ever really help the underclass in America?

[Threestep]

They do make use of what you teach BUT in their way.
Please consider the US education system - from daycare on it is team - team - team and this runs through to corporate culture. Let's not discuss reality here:>) Other cultures do not do this. Every corporate cheer leading event I had to attend was torture pure for me. Personal feelings, ideas, thoughts - that stays at home. It may get shared with a spouse or a senior male. Learn to think in your students mode.