If learning relationships are to flourish, especially when teachers and students enter the classroom from different and sometimes conflicting experiences and worldviews, a consistently negotiated dialogue around respect must be intentionally cultivated. It is the responsibility of teachers to consciously get to know the communities in which they work if they genuinely want their students to succeed in their classrooms. Validating what students bring to the classroom is essential to facilitate learning. With this in mind, we have constructed what Ball and Cohen (1999) have labeled “a practice-based theory of professional education” to provide students and educators with tangible tools to learn about, connect with, and teach their students.

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Classrooms that work for underserved students are most often facilitated by teachers with an awareness of the potency of labels as mediators of achievement. Educators need to be sensitive to how bias leads to sorting students based on negative expectations arising from an unexamined “deficit orientation” (Serrano, 1999, p. 228). In contrast, when educators are committed to making a difference, not excluding or attempting to overcome differences, they inevitably join forces with the students’ communities that are invested in student success (Cummins, 1986; Lucas, Henze, & Donato, 1990). Despite misinformed prejudices to the contrary, communities with less material advantages want the best education for their children, which ultimately involves students’ learning targeted skills relevant to a changing economy (Murnane & Levy, 1996, pp. 80-108). Such a view of education demands instructional practice based on teachers knowing their students and their subject areas. This professional development is tailored to improve practices for increased student achievement.