Since its initial publication in hardcover in 2003, Fires in the Bathroom has been through multiple printings and received the attention of teachers across the country. Now in paperback, Kathleen Cushman's groundbreaking book offers original insights into teaching teenagers in today's hard-pressed urban high schools from the point of view of the students themselves. It speaks to both new and established teachers, giving them firsthand information about who their students are and what they need to succeed. Students from across the country contributed perceptive and pragmatic answers to questions of how teachers can transcend the barriers of adolescent identity and culture to reach the diverse student body in today's urban schools. With the fresh and often surprising perspectives of youth, they tackle tough issues such as increasing engagement and motivation, teaching difficult academic material, reaching English-language learners, and creating a classroom culture where respect and success go hand in hand. "In Fires in the Bathroom . . . students turn the tables on adults, and tell them how to do their jobs." ― New York Times "An important book . . . a powerful critique of American teaching . . . Fires in the Bathroom should find a place in any professional development library. . . The student voices give its advice . . . an authenticity and a sincerity that advice books for teachers often lack . . . A powerful and compelling document . . . A major contribution." ― Teachers College Record " Fires in the Bathroom doles out practical advice . . . [in] an unusual . . . effort to tap the opinions of American high school students . . . Students get a rare opportunity to voice their opinions about what works and what doesn't.” ― Los Angeles Times "This book turns the student-teacher relationship upside down . . . Suggests ways to deepen the unspoken bond between students and teachers.” ― Chicago Tribune , Editor's Choice "This chance to hear the authentic voice of students . . . should not be overlooked by anyone involved in teen education." ― Publishers Weekly "Thoughtful and articulate . . . offer[s] insights about a range of school-related subjects, including classroom behavior, student motivation, and learning style." ― Teacher Magazine " Fires in the Bathroom is a must for everyone concerned about our children and our schools . . . A wealth of information that can be put to immediate use . . . Treat yourself to this powerful new tool!" ― Connections Magazine Kathleen Cushman is the author of Fires in the Middle School Bathroom (The New Press). As a writer for What Kids Can Do, Inc., a national nonprofit organization, she works to bring forward the voices of student writers around the nation.She lives in New York City. Preface “AND THEN THEY SET FIRES IN THE BATHROOM, WHILE SHE WAS TRYING TO BE SO FRIENDLY." It's a safe bet that in random high schools all over the United States, some kid has just set the bathroom wastebasket on fire. And deep down, all of us know why. Anyone who has made it out of their teens most likely remembers the feelings of anonymity and captivity that even the best high schools can convey. Whether in huge urban warehouses, sprawling suburban campuses, or newly consolidated rural schools, teachers with more than 125 students a day can't help but focus the majority of their attention on only the most urgent cases. In such settings, order trumps most other institutional aims. To keep the place running smoothly, students' behavior becomes more important than their understanding, acquiescence more valued than inquiry. In pursuit of order, school and classroom rules routinely supplant the disarray of kids' questions, objections, suggestions, and problems. High school becomes something done to kids, not by kids. This is the way it works; this is the way it has always worked. Against this backdrop, the voices of the students who helped write this book took on even more importance to What Kids Can Do, Inc. (WKCD), the new nonprofit organization that asked me to gather teenagers' advice for an audience of teachers and the public. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, WKCD researches and makes public the work and learning of adolescents around the United States via its website and also through networks of others who care about or work with youth. For this book project, WKCD won support from MetLife Foundation, whose Supporting New Teachers Initiative recognizes how much new teachers could learn from students―if only given the chance. With two million new teachers needed over the next decade and 60 percent of beginning teachers quitting the profession within their first five years, advice from the classroom could not be more important. Research shows that too many schools across the country suffer from a persistent divide, one pitting teachers and students against each other. In a 2001 national survey, 65 percent of students agreed with the statement, “M