Fires+in+the+Bathroom

**Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students**

//By Kathleen Cushman and the students of What Kids Can Do, Inc.//
This book was a project initiated by What Kids Can Do, Inc. (WKCD), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for the voices of young people in policy debates about school, society, and world affairs. The book is a collection of the opinions, thoughts and experiences of a diverse group of forty high school students from New York City, Providence, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Students offer thoughtful criticism and advice to educators, providing insights into how to teach them most effectively.

The chapters in the book cover topics and themes such as Knowing Students Well; Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness; Classroom Behavior; Creating a Culture of Success; Teaching to the Individual, Working with the Group; Motivation and Boredom; Teaching Difficult Academic Material; Teaching Teenagers Who are Still Learning English; When Things Go Wrong; and Going Beyond the Classroom. Direct quotes and detailed accounts from the students are inserted throughout the book, along with summary lists and worksheets, which make the book both compelling and practical.

I loved this book from the beginning to the end. It started out with a really cute job description created by a group of eight- and ninth-graders: //"WANTED: ONE TEACHER. MUST BE ABLE TO LISTEN, EVEN WHEN MAD." Must have a sense of humor; must not make students feel bad about themselves; must be fair and not treat some students better than others; must know how to make schoolwork interesting; must keep some students from picking on others; must let students know them; must get to know students; must encourage students when they have a hard time; must tell students if they do a good job or try really hard; must not scream; must not call home unless it's really important; must smile; must help students with their problems// //  if they ask; must not talk about students to other people; must be patient; must really know what they are teaching; if it's a lady it would be good if she is pretty. // When you really listen to what the students say, you learn a lot. I enjoyed the opportunity to hear student's perspectives on teaching and learning, and know that the information that I learned from reading this book will definitely improve the future relationships that I will have with my students.


 * - Review by Kristin **