Shooting for Excellence: African American and Youth Culture in New Century Schools
- ISBN-10
- 0814144632
- ISBN-13
- 9780814144633
- Pages
- 171
- Language
- English
- Published
- 1998
- Publisher
- National Council of Teachers of English
- Author
- Jabari Mahiri
Description
Two African American teachers teach English in the same inner-city high school. One teacher is successful--her students read, interact, and strive for success. The other teacher's students are frequently disruptive or are asleep. This book probes deep into the causes of classroom success and failure, as well as other issues that affect American schools today, and demonstrates how two connected cultures--of African Americans and of youth--cannot be ignored if change is to be effected in education. Through a series of ethnographic studies, the dynamics of effective learning, in which the concept of teacher as coach takes on new meaning, is revealed. The book's scope encompasses computer technology, multiculturalism, tracking, race relations, the canon, and specific aspects of African American culture, such as signifying and receiver-centered discourse. The book's closing chapter projects a vision of an American high school 10 years from now. (NKA)
