Teachers in low-income communities face serious impediments to effective teaching and learning. Through a unique blend of research and field experience, this book seeks to overcome the lack of communication and mutal understanding between teachers and students in urban schools. June Gordon provides nine case studies with insights as to how educators in urban settings may begin to understand the complexity of their students' lives, engaging those same students in the process of this discovery. Beyond the Classroom Walls provides inspiration and assistance to urban educators, concerned community members, or parents wishing to transform the way they view their community and the profession of teaching.