Teaching When the World Is on Fire by Lisa D. Delpit

Teaching When the World Is on Fire Reviews

• 
  Tessa Patiño

  If you’re an educator, read this book. If you know an educator, buy them this book.
  In the introduction, Delpit asserts that this book “is not a manual on how to change schools, but rather provides encouragement and motivation, and most of all, inspiration at a time of growing division, incivility, hate, and violence, for transforming children’s lives...” (xxi). Delpit achieves her goal as stated in her thesis by combining essays from educators who represent a wide range of experiences as well as disciplines that makes this book well rounded in topics. There are many essays, if not all of them, that I will be referencing back to as I continue my enhance craft as an educator. Whether you value vision casting, practical tips, or just want to feel connected to other educators, there is something in this book for all educators.
• 
  Matt Sautman

  Teaching When the World is on Fire is a fantastic read for socially conscious teachers but it has two limitations: One) the book makes the assumption that, if you are reading it, you share the authors’ world-views, but the book does not guide readers into how the writers arrive at these world-views; consequently conservative readers might shutdown/ feel enraged while reading this without understanding the evidence behind the positions presented here. Two) the praxis in this book is often localized, meaning that, while some strategies here can apply to a wide range of situations, it is also possible to read the essays collected here, pause for a moment to reflect “that’s neat,” then find yourself feeling that what you just read wouldn’t work in your own classroom.
• 
  Samantha Douston

  An essential read for all educators! Something I will no doubt reference again & again through my teaching career.
• 
  malou

  This book is my jammmmmm
• 
  livresdelaura

  What I am loved about “Teaching When the Worlds on Fire” edited by Lisa Delpit: ⁣
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  1) I love love love reading about improving education. This book highlights the many ways educators across the US are pushing themselves and their student to action.⁣
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  2) From climate justice to the Black Lives Matter movement, each section of this book talks about how to bring current events into the classroom and how integral this education will be for the next generation.⁣
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  3) I loved reading about different ways of teaching from all over the states. As educators we need to continue to learn and change our practice and this one gives so many great ideas to do so!⁣
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• 
  Amanda

  I enjoyed reading this. I’ve always enjoyed learning about other teachers’ experiences, and this book was exactly that. There are so many inspiring teachers out there who truly want to empower our students, and this books has given me so much to think about. It’s allowed me to acknowledge the work I’ve done and do in my classroom to empower my students, but also all of the work I still need to do. Being a teacher today is a huge responsibility and this book not only identifies that, but celebrates it.
• 
  Suzi Russell

  So I didn’t technically read the entire thing cause we only had to read certain sections for my TCH 110: Multicultural Education class. But the parts that I read, I loved! It gave me a new perspective on teaching in today’s times. It’s not always pretty. It’s far from perfect. But we can choose to learn and grow from others’ experiences and love even when others don’t. It added to my inspiration to become a teacher ❤️
• 
  Fredrick Danysh

  While there are a couple of useful pieces of education pedogory discussed, this collection of essays is mainly a Leftest vehicle for attacking President Trump and mainstream America while enspousing Leftest political idealology. This was a free review copy though obtained through Goodreads.com.
• 
  AlishaReadsAllDay

  A good reminder of what is at the heart of teaching as we all struggle to make sense of a world gone mad.
• 
  Lori

  I received a copy of this book from the goodreads giveaway. "Teaching when the world is on fire" consists essays by teachers addressing subjects that students may face in their lives. Some needed to discuss in the classrooms. This includes politics, safety in the schools { involving school shootings} Race matters, gender and sex, climate and people from different cultures. all these subjects important ones to discuss and how to discuss the matters going on in the USA. A good teachable book for teachers and students.
• 
  Jenna Kortenhoeven

  It was in fact, fire. 🔥 Always a fan of any book that deems children as beings with “incalculable worth”.
• 
  Courtney

  Great collection of essays. Highly recommend for teachers.
• 
  Calum Richards

  As others have said, this is a insightful, impractical, aggressive collection of essays.
  
  Most appreciated:
  - Insights on student populations I hadn't specifically considered before
  - Reflections on good motivating principles for teachers
  - Genuinely moving stories of hope and restoration
  
  Most unappreciated:
  - This collection was totally unwelcoming and in many cases directly opposed to differing viewpoints on politics, society, culture, etc. I can't imagine principled Trump voters coming anywhere near this book (even if it would be useful for them), and I was made uncomfortable at some points by the unflinching opposition to anything explicitly Republican or conservative.
  - When considering students who might disagree with teachers, the seemingly suggested approach was "either convince them to agree with you, because they're evidently wrong, or write them off as a hopeless case."
• 
  Katie

  4 stars.
  
  Docking a star because the first 1/4 of the book was honestly dull and uninspiring. I found that the most useful, interesting, and inspiring essays were scaffolded by dialogue, evidence, and stories from actual classrooms. Several essays, particularly at the beginning of this collection were simply suggestions for the classroom without providing any sort of evidence — qualitative or quantitative to support the claims being made. As professionals, it is important to back up our practices to best serve students.
  
  The rest of the collection was fantastic. As a first-year teacher, I will keep of these thoughts in my mind as I enter a predominately low-income, black school as a white teacher. The scholars and educators featured in this collection tell their stories in such a compelling way that will make you — even if you have been teaching for decades — realize why you were drawn to the profession in the first place. Given our cultural, political, and environmental climate — we as educators have a responsibility to teach our students about issues in a way that is age appropriate yet challenging. The authors in this collection share stories of success, how students have grown to change their minds on crucial issues such as gender, race, and climate change. They also share stories in which they have failed or have yet to meet their goals. Both stories are valuable and necessary for any educator seeking to create an inclusive, diverse, and socially aware classroom.
  
  I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to any educator at any point in their career — first year teachers like myself, administrators, or career teachers. You will learn so much from these experienced professionals and hopefully you will heed their advice to better serve your students regardless of the demographics of the classroom.
• 
  Kiki

  Lots of interesting insights, ideas and inspiration for how to incorporate inclusion into classrooms. Though the target audience is HS/MS teachers, I still found lots of value for my college courses and would encourage any educator (whether it be a teacher, coach, parent, etc) to read. There were plenty of takeaways that stood out for me, but here are two I captured to share.
  
  One (this was actually the name of one of the essays): nothing about us, without is, is for us. In other words, if you don't include voices that represent your students, the curriculum isn't for them and they will not be sufficiently supported. Bring a variety of perspectives to the table and have people from varying backgrounds so there is appropriate representation. When I look at our school board, administration and other decision makers, they do not reflect the diversity of our student population. I could almost guarantee that if you look at students who are struggling, they are not represented in our curriculum or in the decision making so it is no surprise that they feel unsupported and have their struggles compounded.
  
  Second is regarding discussions around race and that "It hurts students when teachers acknowledge only what black people have done for this country and not what this country has done to them." This essay also talks about the appropriation of black culture by white people and how it is the favorable aspects of the culture that are highlighted in these instances - music, food, culture, etc. Yet those same people stay silent about the oppression that led to many of these elements (black music, food, culture) to be created. That was a powerful point to reflect on. I'm not sure yet how to turn it into meaningful action, but the perspective will stick with me.
• 
  Tobi

  An impressive collection of essays by some great authors, like Bill Ayers who I've recently enjoyed work from. The reviews seem to cry of this being too left-leaning , and to this, I almost don't know what to say, maybe because the book does offer little advice on how to dispute students who self identify as "right wing" and call anything that they disagree with "political"...The essays do fall short on how to approach students who have written off honest, contemporary science and history lessons as biased or political. Amy Harmon writes an essay penning the struggles of a teacher who felt that they had, in a way, morally failed a student who was a climate change denier by not being able to persuade her. I'd be interested to see what kinds of conversations can take place with students who are combative when engaged in critical issues that are deemed "political". It seems the story Harmon tells is one of a teacher who couldn't engage with a student about a topic without that student feeling isolated for their thinking. How can we possibly make progress when this is the case? I know that it's a myth that the right pedagogy and approach will give you a room full of happy and positively engaged students 100% of the time, but a lot of these essays seem to function under the assumption that your student body is ready for forward thinking Restorative Justice clubs. That's the hope, but how can we get there without knowing how to have a productive discourse with oppositional students?
• 
  Jess Wisloski

  YES. It is a must-read for educators who find themselves shying away from controversial topics, or fearing kids "can't handle" truth in educating them about the world around them.
  
  It's a wonderfully well-organized and well curated series of essays by leading thinkers and educators currently in the field (it came out in 2019) and while it was collecting thoughts around the divisiveness following the 2016 presidential election and rise of protests for black lives, it includes evergreen topics and approaches that school workers, teachers, administrators and district leaders can all benefit from.
  
  Topics considered include:
  - race
  - class
  - parental engagement
  - prisons, both their role in communities and the school-to-prison pipeline and discipline's role
  - climate science and climate justice
  - sexism and sexual harassment
  - gender identity and teaching trans kids
  - including black boys and men in education
  - getting voices and parental input from black families
  - representation in books and teaching materials, Asian visibility
  - teaching and inclusiveness with Muslim communities
  - trauma and empathy as institutions
  - examining 'norms' in schools and whiteness culture
  - student voice and authentic inclusion
  - bringing social justice into the daytime curriculum
  - Black Lives Matter as a true activist district-wide initiative
  - global conflicts and immigration as teaching topics
• 
  Vanessa Wiseman

  Lisa Delpit has collected insightful and relevant snapshots of various classroom experiences to challenge educators, leadership teams, and students alike. Worthy of reading if only to make sure we remember the crucial lessons at a time when it is raining fire (
  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=RDy...). For my friends teaching in the US, this comes highly recommended as the context is, of course, North American.
  
  This multimodal and polyvocal depository of pedagogical wisdom asserts a few important takeaways:
  
  1. We need to be part of and change oppressive systems from the inside.
  
  2. We need to embrace our own identities and inherent humanity to empathise with our students.
  
  3. We need to put the students in the centre through inquiry-based teaching and learning.
  
  4. To change hearts and open minds, we need to meet the students where they are. Don’t “save” them, make them feel safe.
  
  
  I have to admit, it was heartbreaking (if not infuriating) to read how broken the US educational system is. And as usual, teachers are going above and beyond reminding me how much this is a calling. The proverbial planting of a tree under whose shade other generations will rest.
  
  I’m also wondering if there’s a version that can be written for the 3rd culture kids who learn from our international classrooms.
• 
  Lisa Penninga

  I thought this collection of essays had some excellent points, overall to think about, but like many education books, I wanted more “to do” than “to think.” I love list of suggested method to prevent hate activity on a campus and the recommended list to create classroom ethos. I also liked that the book was broken up into sections based on race, gender, culture, safety, etc. to thematically organize the essays. I loved that they were all written by educators, for educators. I think this really is a 3.5, but I would love to see more concrete data and logos for what they do in their classrooms and its effectiveness. I absolutely loved the Syria chapter and its message that elementary teachers can help shape the hearts of children to promote change and see injustices instead of keeping our children in a bubble. I loved it!
  
  “No matter what our politics are— standing up against hate— and for learning— is the basic work of education.”
  
  “There is only one way to begin: we open our eyes. We pay attention. We’re astonished at the beauty in every direction as well as the unnecessary suffering on all sides.”
• 
  Stacey

  A few years ago I went back to school to add a teaching certificate to my English degree. While I am not currently using my teaching license, I enjoy reading books about teaching and learning. This book is a collection of essays on how to approach difficult topics in the classroom. Many of them are written with boots on the ground, though not all. The essays address politics, race, safety, gender, etc. One of the most insightful chapters was written by a teacher who was teaching and also working on a masters degree in Houston when Hurricane Harvey destroyed all his worldly possessions. He shared his experience of being unable to focus or participate or accomplish any school-related work. It was an aha moment of understanding how children in youth in distressing life situations, which may be far more permanent than his was, could possibly be sitting in classrooms, unengaged, even when encouraged to participate in interesting lessons. They simply are not able, he learned.
  
  A nice collection from varying perspectives.
• 
  Caity Honig

  This collection of essays inspired me to reflect on my teaching and do better during a time when very little is getting me excited about my job.
  
  I like that it was organized by theme and had such a wide range of educators and activists from around the country as the contributing authors. About one essay per section fell a little flat for me, not saying anything particularly new. But I also recognize that I read a lot about social issues and education, so that shouldn't have been a surprise. Lots of teachers may pick up this book who have less experience and content knowledge around some issues, so I'm glad it consistently covered the basics. And a common complaint in books about education is the question, "Ok, but like...what do I do in my classroom with this?" Since so many essays were written by current teachers, they often were examples of what they had recently done and how it went. In an era where it feels like every person out there is incredibly critical of what's happening in public schools, I really appreciated specific examples of things going well in the classroom.
• 
  Lisa

  I was really disappointed. I was hoping for practical advice. Fewer than half the contributors are current classroom teachers, so the advice (where it, in lieu of prescription) is to be found is not from on the ground experience, but from nice ideas. I'd love to have a justice circle. Kids can't logistically sit in a circle in my class due to space when and if they come, and the interesting ideas around discourse presume a supportive admin and an infrastructure that doesn't drown us in standardized testing. In short, I was hoping for ideas and a shot in the arm to propel me into next semester and (with 1 or 2 exceptions) this served me about as well as a mandated PD in which compliance mattered over engagement
  
• 
  Sean Peppel

  Great book if you are interested in education or a current or future teacher. I had to read this for a class in college, but I was really glad I did.
  
  I picked up a highlighter to start annotating after the first page, which I NEVER do for books, but there were just too many good quotes to not highlight.
  
  Big fan of the ideas of restorative justice presented in the book, definitely has left me thinking for quite some time.
  
  I find it utterly ironic that one of the big themes prevalent in the Climate Change section is that there are few sources without and within schools on the topic. (This is the smallest section in the book with two studies).
  
  Great book! Check it out if you are interested in the education system, or want to/are/were a teacher.
• 
  Kelly

  This is an anthology of personal essays written by educators who prioritize justice, anti-bias, and anti-racism in their classrooms and schools. I found some stories compelling with takeaways, but overall I was disappointed in the lack of an overarching structure. There is an introduction, but no conclusion. The personal experiences do contain footnotes for future learning. I’m not sure what i expected. The themes are definitely important for all educators to read, but the overall product felt unfinished to me.
• 
  Kelsey Grissom

  As with many edited books of essays by lots of different writers, this book was a mixed bag. For the most part, it was fascinating and heartening to read about some of the teachers’ efforts to creatively update their curriculum and respond to parents’ concerns. It is also always interesting to read about how vastly different the politics of school districts are depending on their location. However, many of the case studies and topics were far too politicized to be of much practical use to most teachers, outside of an academic setting.
• 
  Ali

  education is inherently political!! this book is a collection of essays from educators, each sharing experiences, advice, or reflections on how to engage students during turbulent times, with sections discussing climate change, race, gender, and culture. like any collection, i enjoyed some essays better than others, although i'm sure each essay will speak to different educators and needs. personally, i wish there was more practical pedagogy or recommendations; some of the essays felt more descriptive, sharing a cool learning experience without explaining how the teacher and students reached that point. additionally, as someone teaching in a state with restrictive education legislation, i expected more advice about how to engage with these issues on a more individual curricular level, while instead many of these success stories relied on progressive parents, administration, and schools.
  
  overall, a really wonderful collection oriented to meaningful change in the education system!
  
  "this is not the time to teach children how to be in the world as is. this is a time to invite them to imagine the world we want, and then to figure out and practice who we will all need to become." (calling on omar)
  
  favorite essays: "I Shall Create!" by William Ayers, "Calling on Omar" by Carla Shalaby, "To My Sons' Future Teacher, Colleague, Sister/Brother, Co-madre, Maestra, Comrade, Friend" by Crystal T. Laura, "Teaching Middle School Students to Advocate" by Carolina Drake, "Why I Teach Diverse Literature" by Noah Cho, and "Love for Syria" by Cami Touloukian
  
  #13 out of my goal to read 24 books from my physical tbr in 2024
  
• 
  Rachelle

  I assigned this book for one of my graduate classes. We did not read all of the chapters so I finally finished up those we didn't read. So many powerful stories, strategies, and ideas to ponder. A must-read for any teacher candidate or in-service teacher. There are so many emerging, current issues in education from climate equity to teaching activism. Now is the time to read this book and find the inner maverick in all of us.
• 
  Deb

  Many current educators would agree that the world is indeed on fire and they are needing to navigate complex issues and realities with their students. Contrary to how the title might sound, these vignettes and reflections are filled with hope & inspiration. It's also a powerful call for teachers to do the hard work of challenging their own ideas and biases and creating safe and inclusive classrooms for their increasingly diverse students. SO GOOD!
• 
  Emma Hanlin

  Finally read the last eight pages two years later! A really great mix of perspectives and topics. Would have liked to see it go beyond the classroom/school level and more into the realm of political organizing, but still super thought provoking. It was super interesting in that it felt like a Time Capsule back to pre-pandemic when many teachers’ biggest worry was Trump. They’d have to add a few chapters now!