I was raised in a predominantly White community, with the students and teachers
around me being of my same race. I do not ever recall having a minority teacher
throughout my primary, secondary or even post secondary education. In college I
attended classes with students and teachers very similar to myself. I even took a
multicultural education class never once coming in contact with a student or
teacher of a different culture. I obtained a student teaching position at a
predominantly White high school, teaching science to a group of all White
students. I graduated from college with an excellent knowledge base of science
and education but with a very poor understanding of different cultures and the
day to day struggles they must overcome in order to get a similar education. I was
prepared to teach only one culture, my own (Milligan, 1998).