Full Description
"Teach! Change! Empower! takes the concepts of diversity and change—which are often complex, abstract, confusing, and not salient to many teachers who struggle with the meaning of these concepts in actual classroom practices—and uses them as a framework for something that is very real to teachers: the achievement gap."
—Barbara Heuberger Rose, Associate Professor
Miami University
"Readers are challenged to think about themselves and their role in addressing achievement gaps in a non-blaming manner. Carl Grant does an outstanding job of incorporating the work of a number of researchers."
—Maria Whittemore, Minority Achievement Coordinator
Frederick County Public Schools, MD
Narrow the achievement gap by affirming diversity and engaging in a process of personal change!
The achievement gap illustrates restricted life chances and choices for many students, and only by addressing these inequities can we enable all learners to reach their fullest potential. Teach! Change! Empower! provides a powerful, step-by-step process for making the changes necessary to close the achievement gaps in your school!
This innovative resource offers a wealth of strategies and action plans to help teachers reflect on their own beliefs about diversity and power and turn those reflections into actions. Educators can put into practice ideas that challenge the status quo, including:
Culturally relevant curriculum and environments for students
Caring with a social-political consciousness within a culture of learning
Cooperative professional development for teachers, administrators, and staff
Democratic student involvement
Initiate change in your classroom that fosters lifelong learning in yourself, your students, and your school!
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Getting the Most out of the Book
Part 1. The Harder Work of Teaching
1. The Achievement Gap
What is the Achievement Gap and Why Must It Be Eliminated?
The Multiplicity and Intersectionality of Gaps
Effects of the Academic Achievement Gap
Action Plan 1: Revisiting the Struggle for Closing the Achievement Gap with Fresh Eyes
2. Diversity and Power
Diversity
Affirming Diversity
All Teachers Need to Learn about Diversity
Power in the Context of Change
Where is Power in Your School?
Action Plan 2: Affirming Diversity in Your Classroom & Power Structures in Society
3. Caring With Socio-Political Consciousness
Becoming Socially Critical
Fostering a Caring Community Among Students
Action Plan 3: Caring with Socio-Political Consciousness
4. Acknowledging the Change/Transition: Step One
Mobility and Change: A New and Different Time
Multiple Teacher Roles & Change
Changing the Markers of Achievement
Action Plan 4: Goals for Change
5. Reacting to Change/Transition: Step Two
Strong Feeling and Mixed Emotions
Searching to Connect With Student Knowledge and Experiences
Nervous Reactions to Racism and Other "Ism"s
Reactions are Influenced by Context and Settings
New Teachers Need Help
Action Plan 5: Reacting to the Change - Confronting Our Biases and Conditioning
6. Investigating the Change/Transition: Self Investigation - Step Three
Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS)
Knowledge of Self: Self-Understanding and Self-Acceptance
Multicultural Personality for Affirming Diversity
Teacher Personal Dispositions Toward Diversity
Knowledge About the School Community
Attitudes and Dispositions of Teachers Who Work to Close the Achievement Gaps
Reflection 6.4
Action Plan 6: Self-Investigation
7. Investigating the Change/Transition: Program Investigation
The Achievement Reform Movement
Action Plan 7: Program Investigation
8. Implementing Change: Step Four
Knowledge Base for Closing the Achievement Gaps
Knowledge of Curricular Content: A Strong Subject Matter Base
Knowledge About Teaching: Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Pedagogical Skills for Closing the Achievement Gaps
Teacher Pedagogical Skills Survey
Reflective Skills
Action Plan 8: Teacher Knowledge About Content and Pedagogy
Part 3. Change/Solutions in Practice
9. Cultural Competence
Culturally Relevant Curriculum
Reflection 9.3
Action Plan 9: Cultural Competence and Culturally Relevant Teaching
10. Change/Solution in Practice: Four Examples
Conclusion
References
Index
