With an emphasis on pragmatic approaches that can be accomplished in the classroom, this almanac of teaching solutions provides inner-city educators with 100 all-new strategies to daily challenges. As turnover rates remain excessively high among teachers in urban schools the type of firsthand experience offered by this helpful manual continues to be an essential source of training. The advice and expertise presented is fully supported by real-life examples rather than intangible theory, and the details directly tackle issues of race and class while offering a legitimate criticism of the American school system that poses many of the problems that teachers face.

“This remarkable book is a testament to teachers who not only respect and advocate for children on a daily basis but who are the necessary guardians of the spirit. Every citizen who cares about the future of our children ought to read this.”—Eric Carle, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other classic works for children “Kozol’s love for his students is as joyful and genuine as his critiques of the system are severe. He doesn’t pull punches.”—The Washington Post In these affectionate letters to Francesca, a first grade teacher at an inner-city school in Boston, Jonathan Kozol vividly describes his repeated visits to her classroom while, under Francesca’s likably irreverent questioning, he also reveals his own most personal stories of the years that he has spent in public schools. Letters to a Young Teacher reignites a number of the controversial issues Jonathan has powerfully addressed in his bestselling The Shame of the Nation and On Being a Teacher: the mania of high-stakes testing that turns many classrooms into test-prep factories where spontaneity and critical intelligence are no longer valued, the invasion of our public schools by predatory private corporations, and the inequalities of urban schools that are once again almost as segregated as they were a century ago. But most of all, these letters are rich with the happiness of teaching children, the curiosity and jubilant excitement children bring into the classroom at an early age, and their ability to overcome their insecurities when they are in the hands of an adoring and hard-working teacher.

Creating Culturally Affirming and Meaningful Assignments offers principles, strategies, and examples to aid in the development of inclusive college coursework in which all students feel seen and valued. This resource prepares instructors to proactively consider ways to honor and engage with students’ varied identities and lived experiences through assignments. Chapters cover the course design process, methods on getting to know your students, assignment options beyond the exam, and more. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter serve as a springboard for faculty and leadership conversations on equitable and inclusive teaching practices, while the appendix features 20 example assignments sourced from various higher education disciplines. An accessible, practical read, this guidebook is for any higher education instructor who wants to reimagine their assignments to center and celebrate students’ varied cultural backgrounds and experiences.

Caribbean Discourse in Inclusive Education Volume II “Responding to Learner Diversity and Learner Difficulties” shares selected critical reflections and recommendations on the way educational communities respond to student diversity and difficulties learning. These contexts include the Caribbean, the Diaspora, and beyond. Authors explore issues and strategies for realizing and sustaining the agenda of education for all within primarily, but not limited to, the Caribbean. While the authors are aware of the ongoing debate between the terms ‘education for all’ and ‘inclusive education’, we use these terms interchangeably. We hold the position that inclusive education is about commitment to removing barriers to optimum learning for all learners regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, gender, geography, race, religion, sexual orientation or other differences. ‘Responding to Learner Diversity and Difficulties’ extend the discourse to include stakeholders committed to sharing their experiences and strategies for overcoming barriers to inclusive education. This second volume presents research that examines how teachers can respond to students with disabilities and difficulties learning, teach challenging curriculum content in mathematics and literacy, build citizenship through student voice, improve teacher practice via co-teaching and critical reflection, promote inclusive practice through leadership and advocacy. It can be used as a core text or companion reader for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, lecturers, practitioners, researchers and policy makers.

All Black males are born with dreams and aspirations. However, Black male dreams are often deferred when they leave the classroom at the end of the day. Mindful Teaching Practices for Black Male Achievement was created to be a survival guide for new teachers, with short and to-the-point content and structured reflective exercises for professional development as well as learning communities. This resource contains both research-based and classroom-based content that includes practical resources including: -Expository real-world vignettes to ground each chapter and to set the tone for reflective practice. -Reflective exercises for individual or group collaboration that facilitate positive internal shifts. -Prolepsis approaches that help the reader plan for future success utilizing personal goal setting. -Extended activities that build on and support positive educational outcomes with Black males in a way that affirms Black male identity are found in the toolkit. Also in the toolkit, the reader will find sample letter templates to advocate for Black males, intervention plans, student efficacy surveys, and user-friendly best-practices for closing achievement gaps for Black males by grade level.

A new, interactive approach to storytime, The Whole Book Approach was developed in conjunction with the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and expert author Megan Dowd Lambert's graduate work in children's literature at Simmons College, offering a practical guide for reshaping storytime and getting kids to think with their eyes. Traditional storytime often offers a passive experience for kids, but the Whole Book approach asks the youngest of readers to ponder all aspects of a picture book and to use their critical thinking skills. Using classic examples, Megan asks kids to think about why the trim size of Ludwig Bemelman's Madeline is so generous, or why the typeset in David Wiesner's Caldecott winner,The Three Pigs, appears to twist around the page, or why books like Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express and Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar are printed landscape instead of portrait. The dynamic discussions that result from this shared reading style range from the profound to the hilarious and will inspire adults to make children's responses to text, art, and design an essential part of storytime.

This critical analysis looks at the disproportionate number of African American males in special education. Arguing that the problem is race and gender driven, questions covered include Why does Europe send more females to special education? Why does America lead the world in giving children Ritalin? Is there a relationship between sugar, Ritalin, and cocaine? and Is there a relationship between special education and prison? More than 100 strategies to help teachers and parents keep black boys in the regular classroom, such as revising teacher expectations, increasing parental involvement, changing teaching styles from a left-brain abstract approach to a right-brain hands-on approach, redoing the curriculum, understanding the impact of mass media, and fostering healthy eating habits.