Behaviour Management Pocketbook

Teachers' Pocketbooks

by Peter Hook, Andy Vass

It's every new teacher's first concern and it's the issue about which even the most experienced teachers are never complacent - how to control their classes. What makes some teachers so much more effective than others? How do they manage their classes? Indeed, how do they manage themselves? From getting the basics right, through the four Rs - rights, responsibilities, rules and routines - and on to core principles and key strategies, Peter Hook and Andy Vass, two leading experts in behaviour management, unravel the complexities of teacher-students relationships. They offer a wide repertoire of techniques with practical illustrative examples.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published March 31, 2004

About the author

Peter Hook has 30 years' experience as a teacher and leader in schools, and as Head of Centre with Oldham's Behaviour Support Service. He has been an independent consultant/trainer for 10 years and has been described in the Times Educational Supplement as "…one of the foremost trainers in the UK".

He runs a successful training and consultancy organization with a national and international reputation for inspirational and empowering workshops and has worked with colleagues from over 900 schools, LEAs, Educational Services and PGCE courses in the past few years. Peter is a consultant to both the DfE and TDA on behaviour management, and has been responsible for the production of 2 training modules for Teaching Assistants launched by the DfES in September 2000/2001.

He is co-author - with Andy Vass - of Confident Classroom Leadership, Creating Winning Classrooms, Teaching with Influence and The Behaviour Management Pocketbook (winner of Education Resource Book of the Year 2005). Peter's work is also integral to the development of both the DfE's National Attendance and Behaviour Strategy and the NSPLBA. Peter is also, with Andy Vass, co-author of The Coaching and Reflecting Pocketbook.

Reviews

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a psychologist with a psychoanalytic background I found it to be a rather unusual occurrence to be reading a behaviour management book. So, how did I end up here? Well, after years of working in education and dealing with teachers on a regular basis I've come to realize I have to learn how to speak their language. The reward and punishment model is so ingrained in our current education system that it would be near impossible to completely revamp it overnight. At some point you have to come to terms with the fact that we're light years away from being Finland and that any transition will only happen slowly and through small changes.

Therefore, I've set myself on a journey to find literature that can serve as a bridge between traditional teaching methods and a more progressive approach.

This book is still within the positive and negative reinforcement system but it incorporates other aspects into it, such as the importance of building a positive relationship with the students based on dignity and mutual respect, without which sanctions cannot work.

When discussing discipline inside the classroom the authors stated that it is not possible to control student's behaviour, and that one can only influence it (by setting clear classroom rules and logic consequences for not following them). Although this admission still feels a bit like trying to control students I find it to be a positive version of it. It's not a "do this because I say so or else" but rather a "these are the rules we stablished and this is what we agreed would happen if we didn't comply with them". Perhaps it seems like a very small change but I think it's a step in the right direction.

Sanctions are part of the world we live in and I think they're a key factor in a school environment. However, sanctions are only one element of a bigger, more complex process. I was pleased to read here that sanctions are not a solution; they're meant to stop the disruptive behaviour, yes, but most quickly be followed by a conversation in which the teacher explains that they're not targeting the student personally, only their behaviour, which disrupts the class in this or that way. The authors emphasize that this conversation is crucial for reconnecting with the student after the sanction and making it more effective.

There's still things I don't agree with in this book but if there's anything I wish teachers reading it would take with them is the idea that no punishment or reward will work or have lasting effects when there isn't a meaningful connection between the teacher and the student. I think this approach is a way of meeting teachers halfway and easing them into a new, more open teaching method. It's no easy task but it's worth to try.

[Stephen Birss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a pocketbook, this is short and compact, yet packed full of helpful advice and guidance. The writers are particularly effective in getting to the heart of behavioural control; you'll find a lot of help here in shaping the classroom environment and establishing its underlying principles. Using the language of choice is a vitally important key concept, though the example phrases often sound clumsy. E.g. "I'd like you to choose to sit down". There's a lot of room for taking these concepts and adapting them to suit different scenarios.

This book can be read quickly, though it will take longer to properly consider all the ideas Hook & Vass present. It will be highly applicable to the most teachers.

[Amber-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dinky little book was given to me by my mentor to help me develop my skills in (surprise, surprise) behaviour management (at which I am terrible). There are some undeniably useful tips in here, but many of the recommended patterns of speech sound incredibly awkward in practice. For example, ending a sentence with ‘thanks’ instead of ‘please’ goes against the grain like you wouldn’t believe! Maybe I just need more practice...

[Uriel Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Algunas “sugerencia” son chantaje. Fuera de eso trae dos tres tips buenardos

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful - 3*

It is okay. I've read it and it is a good reinforcement to help with my behaviour management standard.

[Shannon Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is extremely helpful for student teachers and teachers alike. Easy and simple to read and very informative with information that can be used again and again within the classroom and to help improve methods of teaching and handling behaviour management. Additionally you don't have to read this book from beginning to end, you can just look for the section that will be helpful to you. Definitely a book to keep looking back to when you are unsure.

[Mark Schlatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little pocketbook on classroom management, with a strong emphasis on relationship building and clear and calm boundary setting. My favorite part was naming the controlling style of teacher Mrs. Blitzkrieg. I think this is a good resource to dip into from time to time to bolster up your classroom management style.

[Omeima · Rating 5 out of 5]

read the Arabic translation but still really useful for me as a teacher

[Kirsten Sizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful for CPD

Quick concise tips and a nice flow to the series of steps. Great recap and summary to base teacher training session on

[Elena Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book, packed with lots of useful information and techniques; certainly will get my own copy and re-read, to keep my hand in.

[Claudette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some techniques to use in the classroom