I’ve had a few requests for an overview of my book and thought it might be useful to share this on my blog as well as publishing short extracts. So, for those of you who don’t already know….
For many staff working in primary schools today their desire to support and encourage learning is disrupted by children who do not conform to the expectations of engaged participation in daily school life. We may know of children who have refused to follow instructions, appear to be deliberately disruptive and challenge staff. We may also know of children who are withdrawn, overly eager to please and unable to build and sustain relationships. In some schools there may only be a few children causing concern, in others there may be many. This booked is aimed at helping school staff to understand and support these children and therefore achieve their full potential at school.
The purpose of this book is to provide a greater insight into children’s behaviour and enable school staff to increase their awareness of what children may be trying to communicate by their behaviour. It is aimed at encouraging different ways of thinking about children and facilitating a better understanding of their difficulties by encouraging school staff to explore the possible meanings behind children’s actions. It will focus on increasing understanding of why a child may be doing something, rather than just looking at the behaviour the child is displaying. It also examines the importance of helping children with their feelings instead of just trying to get them to stop their behaviour.
The book is divided into two parts to assist the reader to link the theory of supporting emotional health and well-being and improving behaviour with the practical tools to enable school staff to achieve this on a regular basis. School staff can be confronted with children exhibiting challenging behaviour that ensures they are visible and known to school staff on a regular basis. This book is aimed at exploring the possible reasons why children may be showing these behaviours, along with providing strategies that can be implemented in class to enable them to make positive changes. It is also aimed at raising awareness of children who may be less visible and require additional support to ensure they are noticed and their needs are met.
It introduces accessible and successful techniques and strategies for school staff to use to improve children’s self-esteem and relational behaviour, and promote emotional health and well-being.
I hope it will encourage staff to reflect on a child’s behaviour and communications in order to
improve understanding and promote a greater awareness of the impact of external circumstances on their mental health and well-being. This knowledge may then affect how adults respond to children, which may in turn positively influence the relationship between staff and children. When adults are open to making small changes in the way they view and respond to children’s behaviour, this can have a positive impact on children, enabling them to feel more accepted and understood. The techniques and suggestions focus on strengthening the adult–child relationship and may also enable school staff to feel more competent and confident in their role in school.