Abstract
African American students are disproportionately suspended at a higher rate than their White counterparts. Most suspensions are a result of teachers not being able to communicate effectively with students of other cultures. This breakdown in communication creates a distressed atmosphere, where both the teacher and student are uncomfortable in the classroom setting, resulting in the student being suspended on the grounds of delinquency. The mainstream classroom, which is structured so that all students are expected to abide by cultural classroom norms. However, most of the time that structure is not conducive to who the teachers teach. Therefore, the teacher does not understand the student or the student's needs, and the student does not understand the teacher's structure. Delinquency Prevention through Cultural Communication: A Teacher's Handbook, guides the teacher through their own struggles to understand another culture and learn how to teach in a classroom where the students are of a different culture from their teacher. This Handbook is especially designed for the teacher body where the teachers have competing priorities and are not given the time or opportunity to have cultural, communication, or professional development training. After teachers immerse themselves into the activities that were designed by professionals dedicated to understanding culture, teachers should have a better understanding of race and culture, be able to discuss race and feel comfortable, and be able to communicate to their highly diverse student populated classes.