A discussion of the education of bilingual children, in both mainstream instructional programs and bilingual or transitional programs, focuses on the manner in which the powerful teacher-student relationship affects student learning processes and the student's language capacity allows him to express his learning. In the first two chapters, the author shares her own teaching experiences, analyzing the reasons for failures and looking at research on language and learning, program models for bilingual students, and common assumptions and practices that delay and sometimes prevent success for bilingual students. The next chapter outlines some personal discoveries about teaching and learning, redefines knowledge, and offers guidance for empowering bilingual students to excel in the sometimes challenging context of American schools. Chapter four summarizes implications of these thoughts, including some suggested instructional components to enable long-term student success. Chapter five discusses ongoing assessment that informs instruction, and chapter six describes a videotaped lesson with a culturally diverse group of students, giving specific examples of instruction that lead to independent learners. The final chapter explains the importance of daily evaluation of long-term goals to ensure that bilingual students receive the education that all students are promised in American schools. (Author/MSE)