Lighting Their Fires

Brian called me last Tuesday and said he had just heard an interview on NPR with a 5th grade teacher, Rafe Esquith, who teaches in an inner-city elementary school in L.A. Rafe has been teaching at Hobart Elementary for 27 years in Room 56. He was speaking at Changing Hands Bookstore that evening as part of a book signing for his latest book, Lighting Their Fires. Brian had two tickets. I had the beginning of a headache, but decided to go along. It was, after all, a date with my husband.

Rafe (and I feel completely fine calling him by his first name...he is that approachable) brought along 7 of his students, current and former, ranging in age from 10-12. He spoke for a bit and then he presented his students, who performed Shakespeare for a captivated audience of about 75 people. I had never heard of Rafe Esqutih before, but now I will never forget him and the experience I had that evening, even through what became a splitting headache. I am almost finished with his book. It is the kind of book that is a gift that keeps on giving, because of all of the great suggestions in it. It also made me very grateful for the teachers that my kids have had over the years who cared and who were able to think outside the box themselves and tap into my kid's minds and appreciate them for who they were and what they could become...Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Edick (talk about great things coming in small packages-Wow!), Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Snyder, Mrs. Pindt, Mrs. Griner...to name a handful. As I look at the list, many of them are English teachers, which doesn't surprise me. They went beyond what they were contracted to do and raised the bar of expectation. "Lighting Their Fires" is written for parents in response to feedback Rafe got from parents to his previous book, "Teach Like Your Hair Is On Fire". Here is a blurb I found online describing the book:

Using amazing and inspiring classroom techniques, Rafe Esquith has helped thousands of children learn to maximize their potential. In Lighting Their Fires, Esquith highlights concepts that help children build character and develop enriching lives. From the importance of time management to decision-making skills, Esquith shows how parents can equip their kids with all the tools they need to find success and have fun in the process.

During the Question & Answer period, someone asked him why the students call him by his first name. He said it was 1992 and he was feeling like giving up, he was feeling very discouraged. His wife told him one night that maybe he needed to reread, "To Kill A Mockingbird". He thought about Atticus Finch and Scout asking him if they were going to win and he had to tell her, "No." But he went into court as if it was possible and that resonated with Rafe. He became Rafe to his students. Like Atticus, he meets failure every day and knows he is not going to win every time, but he does not give up the fight. He said he does not fear drugs and gangs for his students, he fears mediocrity. 90% of the students at Hobart Elementary School live below poverty level. Nearly all of the students have English as their second language.

Check out the links. You'll be glad you did. It's great to feel inspired these days and hopeful that some of the things you've chosen to do over the years were for a reason that you couldn't quite put your finger on at the time. A BIG THANK YOU to all of the GREAT TEACHERS out there who are not recognized on a national level, but are making a difference one day at a time, one child at a time.

Disclaimer: It is only right that I forewarn you that this book has 2 places in it where some bad language appears. It is the 4-letter word (without giving it any more attention than that). It appears in the retelling of dialogue that is overheard at the baseball game that Rafe and 5 of his students attended during the evening the book takes place. I wish it wasn't in there because I know that it will keep some people from reading a very worthwhile book and I don't like being exposed to foul language myself so it's always jarring when I am. As an adult, I recognize that I am much more sheltered from bad language than my kids probably are in school, unfortunately. So there you have it. mn.

Disclaimer, Part 2: I just finished the book...and yes, I got teary. I also read something that I thought explained why he may have included the conversations where the language occurred. Quoted from pg. 165 in the book: "We can never shield our kids completely from unpleasantness, but we can use the example of what's wrong in the world to show them how to make things right. That's why I take children to a game even when I know there's a good chance we'll be surrounded by boors. We have to be the change."