FIRES IN OUR LIVES by Kathleen Cushman with Kristien Zenkov, and Meagan Call-Cummings offers "Advice for Teachers from Today's High School Students." The first half of their book provides background and student quotes on "What Makes Schools Matter." I especially liked the boxed sections like "Learning from a World of Crises" or "Newsday Tuesday" where students are encouraged to answer What? So What? and Now What? about an issue. Other activities ("I Used to Think ... but Now I Think" and "Finding the Right Question") are clearly valuable for our Civics and Research classes. The second half of FIRES IN OUR LIVES is even more action oriented and presents five "briefings" on issues of particular importance to students: "climate change, community violence, voter engagement, immigration, and gender identities." Each of these offers some facts or statistics and points to ponder, but the real value is potential for increased engagement through the suggested exercises like reading and discussing a poem or participating in a role play on guns and gun violence from the Classroom Law Project. At the end of the book, notes and resources, including suggested books, links to lesson plans, activist organizations, and professional development, plus an index are provided. In the past few years, we have generally shifted to having students explore and research an issue of importance to them, so they already use almost all of the resources described. I don't think there is a great deal of "new" information here, but it is helpful to have it gathered together and other school districts, particularly those less comfortable with inquiry-based learning, would benefit from a review of this text.

This book is so important for teachers. I am always asking for student feedback and suggestions, but some students might be reluctant to give that real feedback. This book gives you the raw suggestions. This book will help you be better for your kids.

I first read Fires in the Bathroom years ago when I first started my teaching career. I was eager to read this new volume, to see what the authors had to say about kids today. It is a book that will make you reflect- obviously, that is its intended purpose, but I think it will make each teacher reflect a little different based on their circumstances.

When I read Fires in the Bathroom, I was apprehensive. I was teaching in a small rural high school that I felt had no connection to what was going on in the kids' lives in that book. But the book made me cognizant of students and their perspectives. Fires in Our Lives is the same; it renewed my focus on students and to approach things from their perspective. As a teacher, that can sometimes be a bit controversial. After all, we've been in their shoes, and we have the degrees. However, so much of our feelings and thought processes from our time in school have eluded us now.

If this book does anything, it should cause each reader to be a better listener. Students have lots to say, lots of feelings, and lots in their personal lives that shouldn't be dismissed. Just because they may not pay taxes, have a mortgage, have to cook dinner every night for their families, or decide when to do the mundane tasks like having someone come and fix a plumbing or electrical issue, does not mean that they should be dismissed.

You probably won't identify with every student in the book, but every student you have has something to say. Good teaching is about personal relationship, at the end of the day. Personal relationship can pull students in, can help make them passionate and find a purpose.

Let this book renew your soul as an educator and you will walk away more confident and more empathetic.

Back in 2003, Kathleen Cushman published the book, Fires in the Bathroom, which was based on a radical premise: what if an education book drew on the insights of a different kind of educational expert? In this case, she interviewed the kids who were literally lighting fires in the bathrooms and using other creative means to escape education. The book offered insights that teachers like me needed to read, and it moved students to the center of education.

It is interesting to look back on 2003 today: schools were still in a state of shock following the massacre at Columbine High School, but students had not yet turned to activism. Students had cell phones and MP3 players but no iPhones or social media.

I write this to point out that it is time for another Cushman book--a time to listen to students again.

In Fires in Our Lives Cushman fills the first half of the book with interviews from a diverse array of student voices: rural Ohio, Indiana, and Idaho are represented as well as student voices from suburban Virginia and inner-city schools. Students have found their voices in the years since the shootings at Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, first on gun violence and now--since the summer of 2020, a time with Cushman was completing the writing of this book--on racial and gender justice. The chapters are organized loosely on topics of individual and group identity, hopes for the future, and current challenges. Complimenting the interviews are hands-on discussion ideas that teachers can take into the classroom.

The second part, "What Youth Can Do" goes into depth about how kids can enhance activism on issues like climate change, community violence, and gender identity, among others. These chapters include both case-studies which feature successful student activists, ideas for incorporating themes into lessons.

Fires in Our Lives isn't merely a collection of student voices. It contains valuable resources that both teachers and students can use to amplify their voices and maximize their impact in their schools and communities.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.

I wish that some of the veteran teachers that I know would read this. I think after teaching so many years, we disconnect from the students. We aren’t sure what is relevant in their lives or know how to connect with them. Luckily, it is only my 6th year teaching so I still feel connected to what is important to the students. This was a wonderful illustration of what is important and the different demographics that were studied. This must have taken so much work, I commend the researchers!