Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well

In the first chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, Cushman makes it clear that teachers need to be “paying attention to what individual students say and do- and what they don’t- in the classroom and hallways, in their written work, speech patterns, and physical appearance” (3-4). Cushman expands on this throughout the chapter, explaining that if a teacher does not know their students and does not know how to read them, then the task of teaching becomes even more difficult. Knowing students is an important part of learning how to teach them and reach them.

This idea really caught my attention because it is so simple and so true. While learning to pay attention to all these things is by no means simple, the idea that it must be done is easy to comprehend. Students are all different, they learn in different ways and if one does not know their students, how is one expected to teach them? Luckily, I always seemed to show up on teacher’s radar; they knew how to motivate me and get me interested. I want to be able to do that with my students, and try my hardest to make sure I don’t miss what they’re not saying and doing as well.