Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There: Understanding Diversity, Opportunity Gaps, and Teaching in Today’s Classrooms

I read this book for a graduate course on Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. This book was a foundational text for the course because it gave detailed examples of how all teachers can successfully teach students from different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. What I like most about the book, besides its terrific content, is that the author uses language that is accessible, yet profound. Simply put, this book is a must have for teachers and teacher educators.

Dr. Milner's book serves as both a dose of reality and a refresh button for those in the field of public school education. I think his work is a pure reflection of today's public school settings for both students and teachers. I would consider it a must-read for all teachers, regardless of whether you teach in a culturally diverse district or not. As a secondary teacher who has taught in both a suburban affluent school and in an urban poverty-stricken school setting I found the narratives and the interconnected ideas something that really touched home--something that I have a first hand understanding. It encouraged me to analyze and think deeper about my own instructional practices, instructional ideologies and think about both how I engage with my students and how my students engage with me. In addition, I think Milner's book should serve as model for district wide professional development utilizing each of the five areas discussed in the book as independent workshops. The final chapters of the book highlighting teacher narratives and experiences I think are stories that any classroom teacher, counselor and administrator can identify with…whether you have been teaching for two years or two decades. This work should be a required reading for educators across the nation. It serves as a "reset & refresh" button and I found it to be a "shot in the arm" which has rejuvenated my teacher spirit!

I had the opportunity to read this book while taking a class on Culturally Responsive Pedagogy with Dr. Milner this spring. Simply put, "Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There," is a must read for any educator! The book lays out for teachers both the guiding, reflective questions to ask and real-world concrete case study examples to follow to develop as an educator. Ultimately, Dr. Milner's work is a sensitive guide for any teacher teaching students, especially for teachers who are navigating teaching across differences. I can't recommend it more highly!-- graduate student at Vanderbilt University

Dr. Milner's insightful book on the issues teachers need to look at in order to be more effective to students of all backgrounds is a very eye opening read and something that brings up issues and starts a much needed conversation on the issues of opportunity gaps and how to reach students of different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds to yourself. Also getting into the need for diversity and the dangers of color blindness this book will make you look at your practices and try to improve on them.

Use this book for one of my courses in school, I passed the course while getting some information from the book.

A good book for aspiring educators to read

Dr. Milner's book provides a realistic and practical perspective related to teaching and supporting ALL students. Highly recommend for all those interested in youth development, teaching, and education in general.

Good book for any educator.