QR for 'Fires in the Bathroom' -Chapter 9

Chapter nine reflected on some of the most important themes of the entire book; fear, humanity, and attitude of the teacher towards the students. All of these are pretty thoroughly summed up in this chapter, and for good reason; these are ever-evolving issues within a teachers' life. I find it interesting that these are all together; it seems as though they would all affect each other.

'We're just gunna crush your hope and pride. Teachers need to get a harder shell. After that, students won't see that you're scared.' -Mika (Cushman, Kathleen. 'Fires in the Bathroom.' New York: The New Press, 2003. Page 168).

Mika's statement sums up the entire chapter quite nicely. Obviously, showing fear is a weakness for new teachers especially, and that kind of attitude, that the students will be ready and more than willing to call you out on your fear, should be motivating factors for new teachers to want to do well. Something I think would be a natural reaction to exactly this happening would be to admit that you're scared, and you're new, so the students see with their own eyes that you're trying. I could be wrong, but that's what I'm getting from the chapter, that students want you down on their level and off the pedestal.