If I could only have been given one book to read during my teacher training, this should have been it. It would have saved me many miserable years of wondering how to deal with unruly children. It might even have kept me in the teaching profession - who knows - instead of escaping to a less stressful occupation.Veronica Birkett's excellent behaviour manual is written engagingly and yet authoritatively. She sees things from both sides of the fence - from the nitty-gritty of the coalface of classroom teaching, to advisory reports written by the likes of Ofsted. This book deals with the what, why, when and how of managing behaviour; each chapter bursting with realistic practical examples. It explains how to retain control in any challenging situation, exploying a heirachy of warnings and/or sanctions, backed up by a three-tiered model of behaviour management. Vital distinctions are made, eg. troubled vs troublesome, and positive vs negative strokes. Full of useful resources, checklists, personal experience, examples of good and bad practice, humourous touches, inspiration, and practiacal information. An absorbing read - yet another in a fine series. I think parents could learn a lot from it too.
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