This casebook is part of a nationwide effort to capture and use practitioner knowledge to better prepare teachers for the reality of today's classrooms, given a student population vastly different from that of even a decade ago.

Consciously designed to provoke engaging and demanding discussion, the cases presented here are candid, dramatic, highly readable accounts of teaching events or series of events. Set in three of the nation's most diverse cities -- San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix -- the cases offer problem-based snapshots of on-the-job dilemmas. The teacher-authors discuss topics that generate heated interchange and run the risk of polarizing opinions and creating defensive assumptions, particularly those dealing with bias, race, and class. These issues, plus cultural behaviors and socioeconomic circumstances have important implications for classroom practices. By examining such issues, the editors hope that educators will see -- and act on -- the need for a greater variety of teaching styles, distribution of opportunities, and educational access for all students.