About the Book

As I explore diversity in the classroom, I have chosen to read We Can't Teach What We Don't Know: White Teachers, Multiracial School by Gary R. Howard. This book is written from the perspective of a white teacher in a multiracial school. Howard divulges what a good teacher looks like and how to embrace cultural diversity. He draws on his own experiences as he spent many years in multiracial schools. Howard's book can help us to understand race and social justice in education.

I chose to read this book because I found the title intriguing - We Can't Teach What We Don't Know. It seems obvious that we can't teach things that we don't know, so I was very interested in seeing what Howard had to say about this. Howard has spent many years working in multiracial education, so he seems like he would be knowledgeable on this topic and someone who would have good insights for someone who is new to teaching, like myself. I hope that Howard's book will help prepare me for cultural diversity in the classroom.

Howard, G. R. (1999). We can't teach what we don't know: White teachers, multiracial schools. New York: Teachers College Press.