White Teacher: With a New Preface, Third Edition

by Vivian Gussin Paley

Book Overview

Vivian Paley presents a moving personal account of her experiences teaching kindergarten in an integrated school within a predominantly white, middle-class neighborhood. In a new preface, she reflects on the way that even simple terminology can convey unintended meanings and show a speaker's blind spots. She also vividly describes what her readers have taught her over the years about herself as a "white teacher."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674002733
• ISBN13: 9780674002739
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

truthfulness is liberating

What struck me about the book is the author's willingess to be open about her lack of understanding about racial barriers. The writing is self-reflective without being self-loathing.It's honest and very engaging.

Multicultural Education

In White Teacher, Vivian Gussin Paley describes her experiences as a young teacher. She tells of her reactions when faced with a classroom full of children who are different from her. By recounting her experiences as a child and reflecting upon them, she is able to better understand why certain children behave in certain ways. These reflections, given in a narrative form, inform the reader of the thought processes of Paley. Through these examples, one is able to better understand what the author was experiencing.Paley's intention is to prepare future readers for the experiences she has had by giving the reader her reactions to them. She tells the reader what worked to make a bad situation better, as well as what did not. Most of the cultural differences Paley describes occur between her, a Jew of European descent and the African-American children in her classes. However, many of the lessons and principles used apply to all children. Her examples include children with different learning styles; comments taken out of context; children who are excluded from a group and those forming the groups based on a singular characteristic. The majority of the classroom settings are in half-day kindergartens.This is a wonderful book for anyone who has ever had, or will face a multicultural situation - that would include pretty much all of us. There is an added value in this book for potential teachers. Paley shows how to effectively validate children's perceptions of the world and make them feel value and self-worth.

THE BOOK WAS VERY GOOD AND INTERESTING.

Hello my name Jocelyn Foster and I read this book summer session 2 for my educ. class at Macon State College. I really I enjoyed the book because it showed how Mrs.Paley interacted with each one of her kids. The book showed the love that Mrs. Paley had for each of the children that would come to class. I also like the book because it shows if we took the time out to read it hard enough it shows how we as a society need to look past color; and, how children don't notice color as much as adults. I was just overwhelmed with the book myself because it inspired my on how to handle certain kids and their problems. The book is very motivational for anybody that has kids not just school teachers. At the end of the book it had one quote that extremely liked, "Children do not ask : Where do you come from? They ask:What role will you play? The children have much to teach us, if we but stop and listen." (Paley) I find this to be very true. Children know more and comprehend more than what we give them credit, so we must stop and listen to them. The book inspired me to let the childern be my teacher sometimes.

This is an excellent book for new teachers to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book White Teacher. I would recommended this book to every upcoming teacher. The reason I enjoyed the book so much, because she took you into the classroom with her. Ms. Paley lets her readers know that the role of a teacher goes beyond the classroom walls. She also stress the importance of treating each child equally and not to assume that a child has a learning problem because they don't catch on as fast as others. Ms. Paley also stress that the teacher must have enormous amount of love to be with children every.

It was an excellent book to read!

I am a 31 year old college student at Macon State College. I am majoring in education. I read the book White Teacher for my Introduction to Education 2000 class.Paley describes her progress in learning to deal more openly with her pupils' -and her own- perceptions of race.Vivian Paley examines a question that concerns teachers on all levels: How do I use my own behavior as a teacher to help my students learn to deal constructively with racial and social differences? I recommend this book to teachers, parents, and anyone else who wishes to understand him or herself better and is willing to continue to grow. The book was very inspiring and motivating.