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Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There, Second Edition: Understanding Diversity, Opportunity Gaps, and Teaching in Today's Classrooms
2021 PROSE Award Finalist, Education Practice and Theory Category
In the thoroughly revised second edition of Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There, H. Richard Milner IV addresses the knowledge and insights required on the part of teachers and school leaders to serve students of color. Milner focuses on a crucial issue in teacher training and professional the need to prepare teachers for the racially diverse student populations in their classrooms.
The book, anchored in real world experiences, centers on case studies that exemplify the challenges, pitfalls, and opportunities facing teachers in diverse classrooms. The case studies—of teachers in urban and suburban settings—are presented amid current discussions about race and teaching. In addition, the second edition includes a new chapter dedicated to opportunity gaps in education and an expanded discussion of how Opportunity Centered Teaching can address these gaps.
Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There strives to help educators in the fight for social justice, equity, inclusion, and transformation for all students. It is a book urgently needed in today’s increasingly diverse classrooms.
In the thoroughly revised second edition of Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There, H. Richard Milner IV addresses the knowledge and insights required on the part of teachers and school leaders to serve students of color. Milner focuses on a crucial issue in teacher training and professional the need to prepare teachers for the racially diverse student populations in their classrooms.
The book, anchored in real world experiences, centers on case studies that exemplify the challenges, pitfalls, and opportunities facing teachers in diverse classrooms. The case studies—of teachers in urban and suburban settings—are presented amid current discussions about race and teaching. In addition, the second edition includes a new chapter dedicated to opportunity gaps in education and an expanded discussion of how Opportunity Centered Teaching can address these gaps.
Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There strives to help educators in the fight for social justice, equity, inclusion, and transformation for all students. It is a book urgently needed in today’s increasingly diverse classrooms.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 18, 2021
7 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 5, 2023
. This book's goal was to address how teachers can grow themselves and their understanding of opportunity gaps in the American school system. This book was overall a good read and was very easy to understand. I think that is because of the use of many great literary devices being used throughout the book. One example of a literary device was the usage of voice. The author of this book used many different stories and accounts of different teachers to get their point across. For example the author used an account of a teacher who completely ignored race and the troubles that the teacher faced by doing so. Another literary device that this book used was the usage of round characters. The author didn’t simply tell a story of what someone experienced. The author showed where the teacher began and the ways in which the teacher felt and changed throughout their experience. This usage connects directly to the author’s main theme of realizing where you are progressing yourself. Lastly, another usage of literary devices was that of irony. Many of the characters in the book experience irony and it created a large impact on how a person can see themselves. A teacher in the book would think that they were so advanced in understanding that they would be shocked to discover that that was the reason they were in the wrong. This type of story telling greatly impacted the overall message of the book.
The element that I think worked best in this book was voice. The author did not just throw statistics at the reader, but gave the reader something memorable to consider through actual stories that took place. The author tackled many topics by giving examples such as a teacher being called racist for completely ignoring race all together. The teacher thought that ignoring race was a way to show that he did not care about the race of a student, but the author explains that race is in fact a factor of everyday life and ignoring it will cause more harm than good. I overall think that this form of writing is extremely effective because it makes the author’s conclusions much more plausible and memorable. However, what I did not like about the book was that sometimes the author would include too many examples that seemed unnecessary. All of the examples were great, but overusing the voice literary device can dilute the actual content that the author was trying to get across.
What made me want to read the book was actually just the title itself. The book is extremely welcoming because it says that it’s okay to be where you are, but here are some ways to grow. This book made me want to try and find areas of weakness within myself and figure out how I could improve upon them, but it’s also okay if that takes some time. The author of this book wrote many different books with many of them addressing the ways in which race affects classroom culture and environment. For example another one of his books was called Race(ing) to Class. I have not read this book or any of his other books, but judging from the book that I did read and the titles of others he wrote I would assume that Milner is extremely focused on how race can affect classroom interactions and management.
Overall this book was a great read and was extremely welcoming when it came to understanding where you are. This book addressed many different ideologies that I have considered and changed the way that I think about things. For example I am also a person who somewhat ignores race because I respect everyone and judge them based on their character. This book showed me that race can’t be ignored and a teacher’s job is to consider race when it comes to managing a classroom. I would highly recommend this book to any teacher whether they be new teachers or experienced ones. This book shows that there is room for growth for every teacher. I would however recommend this book heavily to new teachers because of the many different classroom culture and management topics that it discusses.
The element that I think worked best in this book was voice. The author did not just throw statistics at the reader, but gave the reader something memorable to consider through actual stories that took place. The author tackled many topics by giving examples such as a teacher being called racist for completely ignoring race all together. The teacher thought that ignoring race was a way to show that he did not care about the race of a student, but the author explains that race is in fact a factor of everyday life and ignoring it will cause more harm than good. I overall think that this form of writing is extremely effective because it makes the author’s conclusions much more plausible and memorable. However, what I did not like about the book was that sometimes the author would include too many examples that seemed unnecessary. All of the examples were great, but overusing the voice literary device can dilute the actual content that the author was trying to get across.
What made me want to read the book was actually just the title itself. The book is extremely welcoming because it says that it’s okay to be where you are, but here are some ways to grow. This book made me want to try and find areas of weakness within myself and figure out how I could improve upon them, but it’s also okay if that takes some time. The author of this book wrote many different books with many of them addressing the ways in which race affects classroom culture and environment. For example another one of his books was called Race(ing) to Class. I have not read this book or any of his other books, but judging from the book that I did read and the titles of others he wrote I would assume that Milner is extremely focused on how race can affect classroom interactions and management.
Overall this book was a great read and was extremely welcoming when it came to understanding where you are. This book addressed many different ideologies that I have considered and changed the way that I think about things. For example I am also a person who somewhat ignores race because I respect everyone and judge them based on their character. This book showed me that race can’t be ignored and a teacher’s job is to consider race when it comes to managing a classroom. I would highly recommend this book to any teacher whether they be new teachers or experienced ones. This book shows that there is room for growth for every teacher. I would however recommend this book heavily to new teachers because of the many different classroom culture and management topics that it discusses.
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May 5, 2023Review of Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There: Understanding Diversity, Opportunity Gaps, and Teaching in Today’s Classrooms
"Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There: Understanding Diversity, Opportunity Gaps, and Teaching in Today's Classrooms" by H. Richard Milner IV is a powerful book that tackles issues of diversity and inequality in education. Milner, a renowned scholar in the field of education, draws on his personal experiences as well as extensive research to provide practical guidance for teachers on how to create more equitable classrooms.
The book begins by highlighting the need for teachers to recognize and understand the diversity of their students, including their cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Milner then delves into the various opportunity gaps that exist in education, such as those related to race, socioeconomic status, and language, and offers concrete strategies for teachers to address these gaps. Throughout the book, Milner emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with students and families, creating a positive and inclusive classroom culture, and continuously reflecting on and improving one's teaching practices. Overall, "Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There" is a thought-provoking and insightful read for educators who are committed to creating more equitable and inclusive learning environments for their students.
One important takeaway from the book is the importance of developing cultural competence. Cultural competence is the ability to understand, appreciate, and effectively interact with people from different cultures. Educators need to develop cultural competence to effectively teach and support all students, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or cultural background. Another important lesson from the book is the importance of building strong relationships with students. Strong relationships between teachers and students are crucial to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Educators need to take the time to get to know their students and understand their experiences, strengths, and challenges.
The book offers excellent insight into different perspectives and points of view. For example, in Chapter 3: Black Teacher, Suburban White School the point of view of Dr. Johnson is used. Dr. Johnson discusses what it was like to be an African American teacher, teaching at a majority white school while also being the only African American teacher within the building. Dr. Johnson is just one of many former teachers whose perspectives and points of view are used throughout the book.
The content of the book was professionally researched by the author. Milner left no stone unturned when completing research for the book. With that being said, I do have a few issues with the book. It can be a little hard to read at times, meaning that he can ramble on about something that could have been said in a mere sentence or two. I find myself rereading several sections of the book over and over again trying to comprehend what is being said. There are also several times when Milner gets off topic as well as he does not go chronologically.
Overall, Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There is a well-researched and thought-provoking book that sheds new light on diversity, opportunity gaps, and teaching in the classroom today. Milner’s argument is persuasive, and he supports it with a wide range of evidence from primary and secondary sources. I would describe this book as an excellently researched book but not as an excellently written book. However, I still found it very enjoyable to read.
"Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There: Understanding Diversity, Opportunity Gaps, and Teaching in Today's Classrooms" by H. Richard Milner IV is a powerful book that tackles issues of diversity and inequality in education. Milner, a renowned scholar in the field of education, draws on his personal experiences as well as extensive research to provide practical guidance for teachers on how to create more equitable classrooms.
The book begins by highlighting the need for teachers to recognize and understand the diversity of their students, including their cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Milner then delves into the various opportunity gaps that exist in education, such as those related to race, socioeconomic status, and language, and offers concrete strategies for teachers to address these gaps. Throughout the book, Milner emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with students and families, creating a positive and inclusive classroom culture, and continuously reflecting on and improving one's teaching practices. Overall, "Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There" is a thought-provoking and insightful read for educators who are committed to creating more equitable and inclusive learning environments for their students.
One important takeaway from the book is the importance of developing cultural competence. Cultural competence is the ability to understand, appreciate, and effectively interact with people from different cultures. Educators need to develop cultural competence to effectively teach and support all students, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or cultural background. Another important lesson from the book is the importance of building strong relationships with students. Strong relationships between teachers and students are crucial to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Educators need to take the time to get to know their students and understand their experiences, strengths, and challenges.
The book offers excellent insight into different perspectives and points of view. For example, in Chapter 3: Black Teacher, Suburban White School the point of view of Dr. Johnson is used. Dr. Johnson discusses what it was like to be an African American teacher, teaching at a majority white school while also being the only African American teacher within the building. Dr. Johnson is just one of many former teachers whose perspectives and points of view are used throughout the book.
The content of the book was professionally researched by the author. Milner left no stone unturned when completing research for the book. With that being said, I do have a few issues with the book. It can be a little hard to read at times, meaning that he can ramble on about something that could have been said in a mere sentence or two. I find myself rereading several sections of the book over and over again trying to comprehend what is being said. There are also several times when Milner gets off topic as well as he does not go chronologically.
Overall, Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There is a well-researched and thought-provoking book that sheds new light on diversity, opportunity gaps, and teaching in the classroom today. Milner’s argument is persuasive, and he supports it with a wide range of evidence from primary and secondary sources. I would describe this book as an excellently researched book but not as an excellently written book. However, I still found it very enjoyable to read.
July 17, 2024
brilliant highly recommend for teachers and coaches
November 13, 2024
really comprehensive knowledge on how to address the setbacks that students have no control over and how to maintain an equitable classroom!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews