Chapter #1: Knowing Students Well

In the first chapter of Fires in the Bathroom the students talked about allowing the teacher to get to know the students better but without over stepping boundaries. The students received a questionnaire that asked questions about themselves and what they expected to get out of the course. Students also had the option of not answering the questions if they did not want to. The students also gave feed back that it would be good if the teacher also filled out the same questionnaire.

I thought that this was a great way to make the students feel like equals. It also made the students feel like they were being listened to. It allows the teacher to cater to the different needs of the students. The teachers can then gauge how much work the students are expecting and what they expect to learn in the class. If the teacher does take some ideas from the questionnaire, the students will become more engaged in the subject. If a teacher completes the same questionnaire then it allows the students to feel more comfortable with the teacher. It also allows the students to know exactly what the teacher expects and plans to teach in the class.