Many teachers are faced with limited understanding of diverse cultures and linguistic patterns other than their own, and the possibility exists that this limitation will negatively affect their students' abilities to become successful learners. In order for teachers to be effective with diverse students, it is crucial that they recognize their own worldviews; only then will they be able to understand the worldviews of their students. Researchers assert that in order for teachers to interact effectively with their students, they must confront their own biases; examine issues of race, class, and gender; learn about their students' cultures, and perceive the world through diverse cultural lenses. According to Ladson-Billings (1999), teacher educators must find ways to make the study of diversity an integral part of coursework, field experience, and seminars. In this article, the author describes how he has used a shared journaling assignment to engage a predominantly white student body in critical conversations about issues of privilege and oppression. The purpose of the assignment is to provide students with an opportunity to participate in a written exchange of ideas with one of his or her classmates in the hope that the experience will help students to think reflexively about their own experiences and how their experiences may vary from those of their future students. The first part of this article discusses the context and ideas that generated this assignment. This is followed by a description of the assignment and the author's experiences using this assignment over nine semesters. Excerpts from the students' journals are used to support his interpretations about students' experiences with the shared journaling assignment. The article concludes with a summary of the implications for using this assignment. (Contains 5 notes.)