In Race and Culture in the Classroom, high school teacher Mary Dilg closely observes what happens when a teacher works with the issues of race and culture in the classroom. Dilg, an English teacher, describes and analyzes the significant challenges and joys at the heart of multicultural education. She describes and looks at the cultural dynamics of an urban high school. Lots of case studies from her classes are used and then analyzed.
The author gives very concrete, useable ideas for how to address race and culture issues within the classroom. She examines ways for her students to examine their racial identity in her classroom.
She addresses just how many challenges there are in practicing cross-cultural teaching. She points out that a multicultural approach to education is infinitely more complex than commonly acknowledged.
I chose this book because I wanted to get beyond the theory discussed in the class for this course. This book took that information and put it into application and practice. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in continuing to explore what we have begun in ED 419.
Here are five questions I would like to ask:
1. What are some ways to model for our students active engagement with
race and cultural issues?
2. If students are learning de facto segregation in their homes, how
can they be expected to come to school and integrate?
3. How big a part do you think the inaccurate renditions of history
have in keeping students (indeed all people) unable to understand each
other? How do they contribute to historically related thinking and
behavior? (reference Ch. 1).
4. Will the tension and awkwardness that occur when race and culture
issues are addressed in the classroom ever be eased or go away?
5. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the challenges I face in trying
to find solutions. What advice do you have for me, a preservice teacher?
Submitted by Susan Lee.