s, boredom, and the inability to see much connection between school learning and their outside lives. Typically, at-risk students have low self-esteem. "At-risk students are those students that tend to have low self-esteem, insecurity about their abilities, and negative attitudes toward school" (Hootstein, 1999, p. 100). Their lack of self-esteem usually leads to acting out in school. "The most powerful determinants of dropping out are low expectations and low grades combined with disciplinary problems, truancy being the most common offense" ( SIRS). All learners are at-risk at various times of their lives (Baruth and Manning, 1996). "Learners, as they pass through the various developmental stages face a number of tasks and challenges that can result in at-risk conditions: forming new friendships, developing unfamiliar physical skills, growing toward independence, and developing appropriate sex roles" (Baruth & Manning, 1996, p. 240). It is important that educators are aware of these transitions and the implications they have on children. The child who has low self-esteem because they do not make friends easily may exhibit at-risk behaviors in order to compensate for their feelings of inadequacy. Identifying factors that place children at-risk are important for educators to know and understand so a child is not always deemed as "bad". Educators should not blame the child for their immediate actions. Baruth and Manning (1996) asserted that blaming the student rather than pinpointing the cause of their actions can result in more acute at-risk consequences. For example, asking a child "Why don't your parents work to provide a decent standard of living? is the type of action that blames the child for something they cannot control. This type of perspective does not convey the feelings of empathy and caring that all students need in order to achieve (Baruth & Manning, 1996). Hootstein (1996) reported that teachers should offer ...
