Author Description

"Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Clashes and Confrontations is important, moral, relevant, and eminently readable. The concept of culturally relevant pedagogy is illuminated beautifully and clearly through chapters that alternate between thought-provoking academic discussions and heart-wrenching accounts of life in school. The questions this book raises, the awareness it fosters, will move us toward understanding ourselves as well as our students in ways that truly count."--ReLeah Cossett Lent, coauthor of Adolescents on the Edge: Stories and Lessons to Transform Learning. "Culturally Relevant Pedagogy reveals many unexpected difficulties educators may face when attempting to create a culturally relevant classroom and curriculum. As educators, the importance of addressing cultural needs in our classrooms is often emphasized, but oftentimes it doesn't seem to work quite like we expect. Through the sharing of personal experiences and reflections of educators testing the theories behind culturally relevant pedagogy, this book provokes reflection on the process of creating and implementing more culturally relevant classrooms."--Jennifer N. Ollis, English teacher. The authors in this edited volume reflect on their experiences with culturally relevant pedagogy--as students, as teachers, as researchers--and how these experiences were often at odds with their backgrounds and/or expectations. Each of the authors speaks to the complexity and difficulty in attempting to address students' cultures, create learning experiences relevant to their lives and interests, and enact pedagogies that promote academic achievement while honoring students. At the same time, every author shows the clashes and confrontations that can arise between and among students, teachers, parents, administrators, and educational policies. --Book Jacket.