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Average Customer Rating:

A good one for english teachers

Customer Rating:

The title of this book may lead you to believe the author to be of a strict and dominating character in the class room. This perception is wrong. Instead you can find a calm 'firm but fun' attitude to behavoirable management and teaching in general. I would definately guess Ms Cowley to be an english teacher and describes lesson plans for conceptual subjects; the arts. The book explains throughly ideas and tips for getting a student's attention and respect though uses a possibly naieve view of the average student. As a young teacher I remember being a student myself recently and I think that some of these methods wouldn't work on badly behaved students because they rely too much on the analysis of self the author explains will calm them down and the idea that explaination of the rules will calm a hot headed student. I prefer to be a bit more strict than Ms Cowley when I'm teaching and would not reason with a misbehaving student as much as she does, but I certainly share her philiosophy of a fun teacher being a better teacher. I found very few tips useful for science lessons in this book, but theres a science teaching book available by the author should you enjoy the style of this book. This said, I certainly believe that these tips will be very useful in my future carreer for dealing with the average student, rather than the badly behaved. This book was excellent fun to read; I got through it in one night! Well worth the price.

Oozing with good advice

Customer Rating:

OK, so I admit I started reading this with a giant pinch of salt at the ready. It was unnecessary. I've been teaching for almost thirty years now, I've seen many ( too many ) changes in that time and if I had to give a book to a trainee teacher then this would be the one. Children are not the enemy - they are children - even the 18 year olds - and this book offers much sound advice to keep you sane and happy through your teaching career. This is an excellent guide to one of the best professions in the world.

A little thin on the ground	Customer Rating:
I found this a little simplisitic and thin on the ground. Having been lucky enough to be lectured by her on behaviour in person on my PGCE I know she really does know what she's talking about and can communicate with great clarity and humour. I prefer Bill Roger' "You know the fair rule" as a far more comprehensive guide to behaviour management.

A brilliant start or intervention to classroom management.

Customer Rating:

We've all heard it before. If kids missbehave in your lesson you must "Inspire" them, or plan the lesson better, or be more "enthaustic" or blah, blah, blah. I generally cut out at this point because, like most teachers, I'm doing all of the above and I know even the best planned and most exciting lesson can go wrong. I picked up this book half way through my PGCE and all the advice it gave clicked into place and rapidly improved my classroom management and immediently helped my teaching. What makes it so effective is that Sue is mearly human herself, who has learnt how to be a good teacher over the years. The book shows a great understanding of what it's like to be a teacher and how difficult it can be managing certain classes or just making a good lesson go even better. This book it demonstrates how to get pupils to do as you say, how to get them to want to behave and how to manage it all when things do go wrong without stressing yourself out to much. All the factors that make slesson more positive. Cowley manages to to do all this in a practical fashion with numerous examples of different real life situations. It's written in such a easy to follow fashion that it ends up being more helpful than anyother educational book (excluding Bill Rogers) or LEA confrence you'll ever read or attend. You may not want to do things 100% as Sue Cowley susgests, but there is ample material with lots of different ideas that do work so you can remix them into your own personnal style. An excellent tool for any teacher who wants sensible advice on improving their classroom management. Advice that actually helps. I should add that the only negative review on this book is by somebody who hasn't actually tried out the techniques given out. They just complain about it repeating itself in different ways. They have unfortuantly missed the point that being able to repeat things in different ways or use different techniques of saying the same thing in different situations is one of the most important skills a good teacher requires.

a teachers must have	Customer Rating:
this is a must have for all who teach or want to teach. its the teachers bible, one of Sue Cowleys many fantastic books with great helpful hints. Gives us the insight we all need to help with the daily routine of school life. I LIVE BY THIS BOOK.