White teachers, diverse classrooms: a guide to building inclusive schools, promoting high expectations, and eliminating racism

Abstract

For African Americans, school is often not a place to learn but a place of low expectations and failure. In urban schools with concentrations of poverty, often fewer than half the ninth graders leave with a high school diploma. Black and White teachers here provide an insightful approach to inclusive and equitable teaching and illustrate its transformative power to bring about success. This book encourages reflection and self-examination, calls for understanding how students can achieve and expecting the most from them. It demonstrates what's involved in terms of recognizing often-unconscious biases, confronting institutional racism where it occurs, surmounting stereotyping, adopting culturally relevant teaching, connecting with parents and the community, and integrating diversity in all activities. This book is replete with examples of practice and telling insights that will engage teachers in practice or in service. It should have a place in every classroom in colleges of education. Its empowering message applies not just to teachers of Black students, but illuminates teaching in every racially diverse setting.