Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms

I recommend this book to all educators who strive to meet the needs of diverse students in their classrooms. While the book was not the instruction manual that I expected, there is a lot to learn from Ladson-Billings experiences and lessons for teachers. The book summarizes the experiences of teachers who went through an intense training program on how to reach children from backgrounds including educational learning styles, abilities, race, and socio-economic status. As a public school elementary educator, I was impressed by how applicable the ideas are to my own classroom. While reading the book teachers are led to reflect on what is diversity, what is the actual purpose of school, and what is "teaching well?" I found that the Social Cognitive Theory can be easily applied to these classrooms and ideas. The underlying purpose is that competent teachers can reach every single student and instill a sense of self efficacy in academic achievement. Bandura's idea of reciprocal determinism, that the environment, behavior and personal factors all affect each other, support that teachers can be the changing factor for children who come from diverse backgrounds who need the cycle to be broken. Ladson-Billings's book is inspirational for teachers to strive to help every student achieve greatness. ~Review by Charlotte Roberts, Raleigh, NC

Gloria Ladson-Billings' insights into the diverse population in our schools and her active commitment to change in teacher education programs can only begin to make one think. Her use of Joshua's journey into the Promised Land as a metaphor underlines that reform within the certification systems of teaching universities needs to engage the future teacher, provide her/him with a deeper understanding of who she/he will face in the classroom, and help these beginning teachers build a new frontier. The voices of the cohort members from the Teach for Diversity program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison heard throughout the book reflect the need to support teachers from various cultures as well. Ladson-Billings shows that the days of "Western-biased" traditions in content may be what is keeping qualified candidates away from teaching. With her detailed plan for an Urban Teaching Academy that promotes immersion into the communities in which teachers will teach, Ladson-Billings champions innovative decisions that can only strengthen the goal to meet every students' need.

This is an excellent resource for new teachers as well as veteran teachers eager to refresh their commitment to teaching children different from themselves. The stories and testimonies provide a venue for affirmation and reflection for teachers new and old. I expected nothing less from such a talented author. CLM

This is a great book for anyone planning to teach, especially in a urban classroom where you are most likely to have diversity.

Crossing Over to Canaan is an excellent book for anyone planning to be or thinking about becoming a teacher. It tells a lot of real life situations that student teachers have been placed in while working in the classroom. It also gives lots of information about what is really necessary in order to effectively teach in the diverse multi-cultural world that we live in today. It's a must read for anyone who wants to be the best teacher they can be no matter if you have been teaching for years or just thinking about it. It has something for everyone to learn or think about.