In this article, the author recounts how school taught him that he was poor. For him, third grade was the year in which he learned in school that he was poor. The author's story reminds everyone that all children do not experience school in the same way. Their social class (in the case described in this article), as well as their race, gender, family make-up and other social differences influence how they perceive school and may leave a negative and indelible mark on their memories of school, not to mention their engagement with learning. The author presents some questions to consider how, working both individually and collaboratively with others, one can mitigate these differences.