Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 10

The final chapter of Fires in the Bathroom is about going beyond the classroom. This means making real world connections to the material in class. This can be through examples that you discuss in class with them but the best method they suggest is to actually present them with those examples and bring them out into the world by taking the class outside. It does not have to be a huge project either, simply doing regular classroom work outside of the normal classroom setting can be helpful they said. The students said that designing projects outside of class using experts would be helpful because that would provide them with experience that they can translate into the real world and relate to. Finally the topic of arranging internships for students was discussed in the chapter and I had never even thought of this before. I always thought it was something college students did, not high school kids. But I can really see the potential for something like that to benefit them in the long run and really provide them with solid life experience they can use once they graduate.

Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 9

This chapter of Fires in the Bathroom talks about pretty much every teacher's worst fear; a loss of control in the classroom. I personally don't really feel like I will ever lose control of the class but some of the things they brought up do seem really important points to consider. They talk about how some teachers were afraid of their students, personally I just don't see how this is possible because they are supposed to be there to help them, they can't do that if they're afraid of them all the time. They talked about things like not being afraid to apologize because we are only human after all, it's important to establish this fact early on so you're not put on the stop when you do make a mistake. As teachers we can't take one day day too hard, we're all going to have them once in awhile so we might as well get used to it, even our best laid plans can go to waste. It's funny how they mentioned not to try being a superhero, they say that when this happens a teacher focus' all their effort on one student and the rest of the class loses out; I can see how that is a valid argument but I also think a teacher will recognize that the rest of the class also needs attention and will keep them involved.

Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 8

This Chapter in Fires was really helpful I think because it went over one of the hardest aspects of being a teacher and that's making sure everyone in your class is understanding the material, specifically those students who don't have English as their first language. The first tip they gave was to get to know them and they really emphasized this as well, they could have a lot to add to the class if given a chance. Letting them help each other and learn with each other was stated as being very helpful, designating interpreters in the class is useful as well. The 1-2-4-share process described on page 160 was new to me but I thought it was a great tool to use for sharing material with the class and getting students to work in groups and constructively revise their ideas. Finally simply having patience was something they said would help a lot. Don't concentrate on the spelling and grammatical mistakes they make, check to make sure they understand the concept then refine their writing skills.

Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 7

I liked chapter 7 in Fires in the Bathroom a lot because when I teach I hope to teach some AP course and obviously that material will be hard and the expectations for the students will be greater. Some of the advice the students gave were to do things like connect the material to their lives or the real world somehow. Find out what they already know about the material so you can differentiate or when you form groups you can pair students effectively. Asking them challenging questions was mentioned quite a few times, rather then simply spewing back facts, get the to think critically about the material. They emphasized taking students interpretations seriously, these are their opinions, but also present them with different ones as well so they get the entire picture. Finally giving them a lot of opportunities to revise was noted as a helpful tip as well.

Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Fires in the Bathroom talks about how to motivate students to learn the material and combat boredom in the classroom. A few tips the students gave to keep their attention were to make the material connect to the real world or some aspect of their own lives so they can see the importance of it. They stated that if the material being presented is interesting then we will have their attention, so avoid the busy work and get them engaged in the material. Also being a passionate teacher was a big factor for them, they said they can tell when a teacher really cares about the material they're trying to teach their students and when it's fake. They stated that they needed to be pushed as well, sometimes that's all it takes. They even suggested bringing in an expert on whatever it is they are learning about so they relate it to a real person or some aspect of real life. Finally making sure the homework has some application to what they are learning will give them some incentive to do it, don't just make them do busy work.

Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 5

Chapter 5 was kind of confusing to me because I think the students contradicted themselves at some points. They stated we needed to treat people as individuals but also treat all students consistently. I did like the fact that they acknowledged the different types of students in the classroom; for example the dreamer, the eye-roller, the hard-worker, etc...It helped me think about how I will address each of those types of students in the class. Also the topic of group work came up and the different times it's appropriate to let students choose groups and when it is not. For example if they have to do work outside of class let them choose groups because it's easier for them to arrange times to meet with their friends and they will be more comfortable doing so. They cautioned against letting one group of students lead the conversation as well, make sure all students get a say. Asking open ended questions helped with this so students are able to discuss and share opinions, not just answer facts.

Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 4

This chapter is important because it talks about the learning environment and how to create a culture for success. The first and foremost point was to provide meaningful material, students know the difference between busy work and actual learning. They discouraged teachers fro comparing students to each other and even comparing one class to another, it almost makes learning into a competition and could make some students feel inadequate. A point I have picked up on throughout some of the chapters so far that has been recurring is to never give up on students, even if they are struggling we as teachers need to push them to achieve as much as possible because we could be their only motivator. Also a suggestion was to let students revise their work and revise it often, that is the whole reason they are learning, to make sense of things and constantly improve their work.