Relationships and Race Matter Across Contexts

Chapter 2 of Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There gives readers a taste of what Milner's theory looks like in the classroom of a white science teacher named Mr. Hall.  In writing from his own perspective, Milner talks about the struggles that Mr. Hall struggled with in bridging opportunity gaps and how his philosophy came together in using the opportunity gap framework. Through a vast amount of connections to the framework, Mr. Hall's story is told in order to demonstrate how students benefit from the five areas presented in the theory.  Mr. Hall started off his school year in a new school with a struggle in connecting with his students.  As the school year continues, he realized that he could relate to his students through sharing his experiences in dealing with poverty in the past.  In sharing this with his students, Mr. Hall was able to bridge differences in finding a common point of connection with his students.  Mr. Hall also incorporated celebrated success in his classroom through his understanding of equity and desire for all of his students to succeed.  He gave students multiple opportunities to succeed in his classroom which bridged the opportunity gap in his classroom.  These examples are just a few of how Mr. Hall incorporated the opportunity gap framework to identify and celebrate diversity in his classroom.  In sharing this, Milner supports his framework in displaying its successes in Mr. Hall's science classroom.  The five areas of the theory are displayed successfully in Mr. Hall's story and encourages educators to find the same types of successes in their own classrooms.

In reading this chapter, I made several connections to my own studies.  Assessment is a common topic in most of my courses, which helped me to analyze Mr. Hall's success policy from a different angle.  Although letter grading scales (A-F) are fairly standard for most schools, some schools have made the decision to provide students with multiple opportunities for success.  In allowing students another attempt at specific assignments under certain circumstances, teachers provide students with encouragement and as well as another opportunity to reach their goals.  This concept applies directly back to what Milner says about celebrating success and what Mr. Hall demonstrates in his classroom.  I believe that this element of the framework is essential in bridging the opportunity gap because it provides encouragement while also minimizing failure.

In reading Mr. Hall's story from a Christian perspective, it was evident that Mr. Hall's recognition of diversity and his position in regards to success in the classroom demonstrates a genuine caring attitude for students and learning.  As a Christian, I believe that it is essential to provide students with encouragement and acceptance in the classroom so that they may find their own successes every day.  Mr. Hall's story is a great example of how teachers should bridge the opportunity gap in the classroom through equity in practice and growing relationships built on communication and success.  Although Mr. Hall's religion is not presented in this chapter, it seems as if his efforts relate quite closely to what God calls His followers to pursue in their lives.  His story is inspiring to my life and my journey in becoming a professional.