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Liberating Teaching and Learning: Turn it Upside Down and Watch African American (All Learners) SOAR!
A SIMPLE STEP-BY-STEP-EMPOWERING GUIDE FOR TEACHERS and learners to help each other transform the classroom and unlock the brilliance, creativity, and intelligence of African Americans and all learners. Education for African Americans is in a crisis. In the European American classroom, African American learners aren't free to be themselves, learn about their history and culture, explore their interests. They struggle, and when hey don't succeed. low expectations and undue punishment stifle their educational experience. In this conversational, action-oriented guide, teachers and students learn how to work together to radically restructure their classrooms. With a willingness to coplan, teach, and learn from each other using the history, culture, interests, strengths, and experiences of African Americans, a nurturing environment is created for unchallenged and unmotivated students to become engaged high achievers. When you use what works to help African American learners find success, you'll help all learners find success. Turn teaching and learning upside down, watch students soar, and teaching becomes easier.
143 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 29, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 16, 2025
Read this for a class.
The writing is simple and straightforward, making it easy to understand. The author is repetitive in her message, driving the point home. Some may say the writing is too simple or repetitive, and while I wouldn't disagree, I would say that it makes what could be a "touchy" subject for some people easier to digest. It is a good read for any educator, new or experienced, especially those working with K-12 students. Schools were not created for children of color, therefore we need to make changes to uplift these children. When children of color rise up, so do those around them.
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care".
The writing is simple and straightforward, making it easy to understand. The author is repetitive in her message, driving the point home. Some may say the writing is too simple or repetitive, and while I wouldn't disagree, I would say that it makes what could be a "touchy" subject for some people easier to digest. It is a good read for any educator, new or experienced, especially those working with K-12 students. Schools were not created for children of color, therefore we need to make changes to uplift these children. When children of color rise up, so do those around them.
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care".
October 1, 2020
Liberating Teaching and Learning: Turn it Upside Down and Watch African Americans (All Learners) SOAR focuses on the need for educational reform. Readers receive a brief history of education, indicating that current classrooms and educational systems benefit European American learners rather than African American and Latin American learners. Research suggests a large number of African American students find themselves placed in special education classrooms due to a lack of understanding of learning style and cultural differences.
Dr. Chitman Haysbert calls for a revolution in classroom restructuring through the utilization of “liberating teaching and learning,” or LTL, and “cooperative learning,” or CL. Through this dual strategy, the author claims that curriculum and instruction will allow African American learners to thrive in the classroom. Besides, the author argues that when African American learners succeed in the classroom, all learners will thrive, but that this does not work the other way around.
I would recommend this book to educators as well as students who are looking to work together to ensure engaging, student-centered learning for all. I would strongly recommend this book to those pursuing a degree in education, as they will benefit from the information explored in this book. Educators who have taught for several years would also benefit from reading this book because they may not be fully aware of the inherent disadvantage African Americans and Latin Americans have in the current educational system.
Dr. Chitman Haysbert calls for a revolution in classroom restructuring through the utilization of “liberating teaching and learning,” or LTL, and “cooperative learning,” or CL. Through this dual strategy, the author claims that curriculum and instruction will allow African American learners to thrive in the classroom. Besides, the author argues that when African American learners succeed in the classroom, all learners will thrive, but that this does not work the other way around.
I would recommend this book to educators as well as students who are looking to work together to ensure engaging, student-centered learning for all. I would strongly recommend this book to those pursuing a degree in education, as they will benefit from the information explored in this book. Educators who have taught for several years would also benefit from reading this book because they may not be fully aware of the inherent disadvantage African Americans and Latin Americans have in the current educational system.
June 8, 2023
There is much good in Dr. Chitman Haysbert's work that merits reading. Her description of African American (AA) students is helpful and she is right that our schools are European-American-centered and therefore AA students are punished/pushed into special ed for not fitting in. The chapters on "Cultural Characteristics of Many American Americans" and "Culture of the Home, School, and Place of Worship" were insightful.
However, the development of our education system wasn't to prevent AA from thriving as much as it was passed down from the 14th century in Europe for European males. If the United States had been a majority-Chinese nation in the 19th century we would be learning with Confucian styles which would clash with EA and AA students. It doesn't change the outcomes but anyone addressing the issue shouldn't assume the worst of one culture.
Liberating Teaching and Learning (LTL) is very similar-if not identical-to holistic, student-centered pedagogy. This has been shown to help all races, not only AA students.
Latino learners are referenced in random places but at no point does Dr. Chitman Haysbert attempt to describe their culture. It seems they are a, "Oh yeah, them, too," addition.
If you've never read or learned about AA culture and how it clashes/changes a classroom this is a helpful, quick introduction (180 pages of large-ish text). But if you're familiar with student-centered learning and AA culture I would search out more scholarly reads (some of which are found in the reference section at the end).
However, the development of our education system wasn't to prevent AA from thriving as much as it was passed down from the 14th century in Europe for European males. If the United States had been a majority-Chinese nation in the 19th century we would be learning with Confucian styles which would clash with EA and AA students. It doesn't change the outcomes but anyone addressing the issue shouldn't assume the worst of one culture.
Liberating Teaching and Learning (LTL) is very similar-if not identical-to holistic, student-centered pedagogy. This has been shown to help all races, not only AA students.
Latino learners are referenced in random places but at no point does Dr. Chitman Haysbert attempt to describe their culture. It seems they are a, "Oh yeah, them, too," addition.
If you've never read or learned about AA culture and how it clashes/changes a classroom this is a helpful, quick introduction (180 pages of large-ish text). But if you're familiar with student-centered learning and AA culture I would search out more scholarly reads (some of which are found in the reference section at the end).
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews