In a recent paper, I and several students (Carla Shalaby, Meredith Mira, and Sherry Deckman) argue that several "necessary tensions" arise in working with teachers on race issues. One is, "What can I DO?" Teachers need both to engage big ideas related to race, and to pinpoint concrete "to-dos" for their own work with students.

We don't need long laundry lists of "to-dos," but I find that naming "to-dos" is an essential aspect of educator race talk. That's why I suggest that educators always name "gold nugget" ideas (clear, practical ideas for use) before leaving their conversations.

I also like short lists of "to-dos." EAR ends with a "complete list of everyday antiracist strategies," for example.

Lisa Delpit offered the list below in a recent piece. Last week, I asked preservice teachers to use it as a base to create a slightly longer list of what a teacher "prepared for diversity" knows, believes, and is able to do. They added in key points they liked from the list at the end of EAR. Their lists were great!

See what you think of Delpit's list. -Mica

Delpit, L. (2008). Lessons from teachers. In City kids, city schools: More reports from the front row. W. Ayers, G. Ladson-Billings, G. Miche, and P.A. Noguera (Eds.) New York: The New Press.

(Prepared/successful teachers for diverse populations do the following: )

1. See their brilliance: do not teach less content to poor, urban children but instead, teach more! (115)

2. Ensure that all children gain access to “basic skills” – the conventions and strategies that are essential to success in American society. (117)

3. Whatever methodology or instructional program is used, demand critical thinking. (118)

4. Provide the emotional ego strength to challenge racist societal views of the competence and worthiness of the children and their families. (120)

5. Recognize and build on children’s strengths. (123)

6. Use familiar metaphors, analogies, and experiences from the children’s world to connect what children already know to school knowledge. (124)

7. Create a sense of family and caring in the service of academic achievement. (125)

8. Monitor and assess children’s needs and then address them with a wealth of diverse strategies. (126)

9. Honor and respect the children’s home culture. (130)

10. Foster a sense of children’s connection to community – to something greater than themselves. (132)