Rafe Esquith is the only teacher to have been awarded the President’s Medal of the Arts and is the author of the bestseller, *Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire*. Rafe Esquith teaches in Los Angeles, and his super-successful, inspirational teaching methods have helped thousands of children maximize their potential. His new book is *Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children*, a book that enlarges on his themes and shows us how to make our kids not just great students but thoughtful and honorable citizens.
Rafe Esquith is one of the most inspiring grade school teachers in America. He is celebrated by The White House, The Dalai Lama and Oprah, and called a "Modern-day Thoreau" by *Newsweek*. Mr. Esquith has taught kids from some of the toughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles with staggering success. His fifth-students are already tackling high-school fare: algebra, philosophy and Shakespeare. As a result, they consistently score in the top 5-10% on the state standardized tests. Mr. Esquith has been teaching for over 27 years in LAUSD.