Fires in the Bathroom: Chapter 10

Moving outside of the classroom can take any teaching to the next level. When what students are learning in the classroom also exists outside of it, that is when students will get excited about what they’re learning. Teachers can exhibit these qualities when they, take field trips, create community relations, and support the learning that students do on their own.

In chapter 10, Veronica reinforced her knowledge of physics when she was involved in an outside of class activity. She writes: “if you’re going to do an activity, make sure people really learn about something from it! We had to play dodgeball in science, to learn about mass and motion” (176) to illustrate that teachers do not have to think abstractly to excite their students and make sure they are learning, but that they are doing something to remember what they have learned. This is also an example of how inside the classroom can be applied to outside of the classroom, making kids engaged regarding content.

Fires in the Bathroom: Chapter 9

Chapter 9 emphasizes the importance of a teacher keeping their cool when things do go wrong. Teaching, as I have been experiencing with in field experience, is an emotionally taxing job. Teachers need to keep their emotional balance in check, and when things do go wrong, they need to be able to cope with the situation, and learn how to better the situation and themselves from it.

Through this chapter, students suggestions came as a no brainer to me personally. However, they stated the following advice: don’t be afraid to apologize, reexamine teaching approaches, don’t take a bad day too hard, don’t judge success on student opinion, don’t be a superhero, and don’t give up on them. Teachers who give up on their students should reconsider a new career path. Even if I have a bad class, students do not deserve to be given up on, and in my opinion that is the worst thing a teacher can do to their students.

Fires in the Bathroom: Chapter 8

Chapter 8 focuses on teachers who have English language learners in their classroom. Students suggest giving them a level they can handle, help them learn from each other, and focus on the important thinking and not always the language. English language learners should not be singled out, and I believe that every teacher is equip with skill and knowledge on how to progress their understanding of the language, as well as the content.

I thought this chapter was very relevant because I will probably teach in the city where I grew up, which contains many different levels of English learners. My concentration, history, is all about interpreting texts from different time periods. I will use tips such as asking my students if they understand often and have patience with them because they are learning a new language, and although I am unfamiliar with that feeling, I need display empathy and then strategize ways to improve not only their English, but their understandings of history.

Fires in the Bathroom: Chapter 7

Chapter 7 deals with the issue that many teachers face on a regular day basis, teaching hard academic material. I found this chapter very insightful as a student currently enrolled in a teacher education program. All throughout high school I would always notice when a teacher had a hard time making a standard relevant to students. Tips throughout this chapter include, challenge assumptions, not sticking to the textbook, linking old material to new material.

A helpful tip comes from Maribel, “my history teacher connects many things with things today. There’s this thing with Tariff Union that I think Germany did, and he’s relating it to what Europe is doing now with euros, how they traded without tax and tariffs. That catches us” (125). With history, many students don’t see the point in it, this is something that I would get great pleasure in changing. By using the tips and opinions of students from this book, I hope I can make this goal a reality.

Fires in the Bathroom: Chapter 6

Chapter 6 focuses on getting and keeping students motivated in and out of the classroom. Getting students motivated is most easily done by being passionate about a subject. If a teacher is monotoning a lesson, and showing no interest in what they are teaching, students will likely mimic their behavior and become uninterested. However, if an educator is excited to get to work, and excites the classroom because they’re excited, students will likely at least listen to what the teacher has to say.

Relating students interest to content is another way to keep them engaged. Students suggest to know what they already read and write. On her own time, Mahogany enjoys reading“…urban novels, and about civil disobedience”(116). If a teacher could relate a topic, even if it was a stretch, I’m sure they would instantly capture Mahogany’s attention, creating an environment where she is a little more likely to become or stay engaged in the topic.

Fires in the Bathroom: Chapter 5

Chapter 5 gives insight on how teachers can appeal to individual students as well as managing group work. This can be tricky, but doing things such as keeping an eye on every group, asking often for personal insight, and assigning clear group roles and checking to make sure everyone is on task often. Teachers sometimes steer away from group work because it creates divides in the class and it is too much work to monitor different groups. However, with insight provided by students, it gives answers to many of the questions teachers have about group work.

During group work teachers assign groups, and sometimes it is difficult for students to meet together outside of the classroom. Students offer a suggestion: let us work together. Many teacher shy away from this, but students who already know each other will more likely meet up and do the assignment instead of one person pulling all the weight. They produce a better product because they know each other and are already comfortable with themselves in the group, as well as the content.

Fires in the Bathroom: Chapter 4

Chapter 4 gives examples for educators on how to create a classroom culture of success. Successful classrooms can be created by making criteria clear, encouraging efforts, and not favoring students who you think will do best, to name a few. Successful classrooms will drive student performance, and create a desire to learn. Its important to give students the steps on how to be successful in the classroom so they can model a hard work ethic for society as well.

It’s to be expected that “teenagers care about what people think of them, and so they feel intimidated”(65) but teachers can do many things to make their students feel comfortable in their class. When I was in high school, I often did not participate during class because I was convinced I had the wrong answer, and would fear judgement from peers. If a teacher had gone as far as simply stating, there are no wrong answers, or this is a judgmental free-zone, I would have been likely to share my ideas. When I am an educator I want my students to feel comfortable in my class, and feel as though it is okay to speak freely, because those are the ideas that further content knowledge and enhance everyone’s learning. 

Fires in the Bathroom: Chapter 3

Chapter 3 summarizes different ways an educator can foster a positive relationships with individual students and the classroom as a whole. Different approaches include listening to students, being organized, and know when and when not to discipline. If a teacher is able to produce a positive relationship with their class, they can maximize student engagement and efficiency. 

One thing that stood out to me in this chapter was how much teachers and students pay attention to gangs. Under enforcing the dress code section within the chapter, Andres points out: “the longer the belt ism and its color, signal a lot about their gang status, so teachers need to pay attention to it”(59). I would have never thought that gangs would be an issue to a school, let alone specific indicators and how teachers should be aware of this. I went to school in the biggest city in my state, and my high school never (to my knowledge) had any issues with gangs. However, this is insightful information, as I’m sure this is true for states all over the country.