"The biggest problem in education today is still still the massive achievement gap between white and black children (The New York Times, 2007) and that disparity extends to most children of color." (Routman, p. 3)

This statement grabbed my attention--first, because I do think its true; second, because most people don't want to talk about such significant but difficult realities in our classrooms. If you read the context of the quote, she goes on to talk about teachers embracing the differences each learner brings and inviting her/him into the learning community. I realize it is extremely difficult to self analyze to such a meticulous level, but teachers must become advocates for every child all the time--constantly scanning their own minds for prejudices, partialities, and cultural ethnocentricities and rooting them out for the sake of their students. Of all professions, teaching has the highest demand for integrity and reflection. Perhaps this ideal purity is somewhat unattainable, but as lead learners we must continuously strive for it regardless.

"Use language that is invitational...(for example) tell me more about that." (Routman, P. 9).

I guess I've always done this to an extent, but one of my goals for this year is to be more conscious of the way I speak--this includes body language. I love the open-endedness of this concept; it is so supportive and reassuring. We must build trusting relationships before we can really become constructive.

"Everywhere I teach, I find that students' voices have been silenced...we (teachers) fail to recognize the importance of each student's voice being heard and the value of deliberated talk for deep thinking and learning." (Routeman, p.20).

Along with eurocentered classrooms (a symtpom of which, in my opinion, is the learning gap aforementioned), we still have the problem of teacher centered classrooms. As Regie says, "there is no conspiracy plan, it just happens," but teachers need to stop taking themselves so seriously and start taking their students much more seriously. You have to listen to learn--is the teacher a dispenser of knowledge or a lead learner? If they are a lead learner they must also be a lead listener.