When the Adults Change, Everything Changes: Seismic shifts in school behaviour

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Dix has given me lots of questions and starting points to think about when planning our behaviour management. For example, how do we identify children who go over and above? I will also return to his useful tips, for example the '30 second script' - a formal one-to-one intervention for poor behavior in class that lasts no longer than 30 seconds. What members are telling us is that in some schools, all that is happening is that the restorative conversation is seen as the sanction in itself,” Ms Keates told The Daily Telegraph. “And then pupils are thinking, ‘Well, there aren’t any sanctions here for what I do, all I’ve got to do is sit down and have a conversation with the teacher’. And so it isn’t a deterrent.” After completing an exhausting academic year in July 2017, due to dealing with the extremely challenging behaviours pupils across our school were presenting with on a daily basis it was abundantly clear that our approach to managing behaviour wasn't working and something needed to change. With this in mind, I read Paul Dix's book over the summer holidays which completely transformed my thinking and enabled me to establish a clear action plan around a whole school approach to managing children's behaviour. As the title suggests -˜When the Adults Change, everything Changes', it was obvious that a change of culture and mind set was needed - we needed to change. This book is a game changer. Your students need you to read When the Adults Change, Everything Changes. There is a behavioural nirvana: one that is calm, purposeful and respectful. Where poor pupil behaviour is as rare as a PE teacher in trousers and where relationships drive achievement. Annoyingly and predictably, the road is hard and the ride bumpy and littered with clichés – but it is achievable. And when you get there it is a little slice of heaven.

When the Adults Change, Everything Changes: Seismic shifts in

In chapter 10, and also throughout the book, Dix criticises the behaviour policies practiced at many schools. In essence, he argues that as well as being ineffective, teachers are ‘run ragged trying to chase and impose detentions.’ This is particularly referring to what is commonly referred to as the consequence system i.e. C1 warning, C2 warning, C3 30 minute detention, C4 isolation, and other similar versions. Dix is adamantly against the use of internal exclusion rooms and alludes to them being similar to prison cells. No doubt, at some point online you would have seen a teacher (most probably an American kindergarten teacher) shaking hands with their pupils upon entry into the classroom. The enthusiastic teacher waits at the door while their pupils line up to receive their very own, teacher initiated, personalised handshake. After all kinds of twists, turns and high-fives, the uplifted pupils enter the classroom one by one. I must admit, it does make for some entertaining viewing!You're not able to change your behaviour policy, but want practical advice to implement in your classroom. Dix's passion for consistency in adults (and how they deal with all forms of behaviour management in school) resonates throughout the book. He always keeps an eye on current educational issues, such as the number of children who have been on roll but leave during years seven to 11, and the ongoing debate around restorative vs punitive punishment. Dix says that having positive relationships with pupils depend on teachers defaulting to a restorative approach. He says that -˜punishment is not a good teacher'. He continues, -˜It is scattergun, random and disproportionate. Restorative approaches teach behavior. Simple.' Don't react emotionally to bad behaviour. At all.This again sounds obvious, but I am willing to bet that every teacher can identify a time where they allowed emotions to creep in. I certainly can. Dix emphasises the importance of keeping calm and makes a number of suggestions to support this aim. He also emphasises the importance of tone and body language, something I think is often overlooked. Children have responded extremely positively to the new rules we've introduced: ready, respectful, safe. They're enjoying thinking about how any old “rules” we had, which were hardly written down or formalised, can be incorporated into these three words. They talk about their own behaviour and the effect it has on others in these terms. Children and staff have a shared language. Plus, for the first time, you'll now have access to live Conversations with Paul sessions on the last Friday of every month for the duration of your course.

Gallery of Awesomeness | When the Adults Change Gallery of Awesomeness | When the Adults Change

In this audiobook version of his bestselling title, Paul Dix talks you through how teachers and school leaders can move beyond the behaviour management revolution and maintain a school culture rooted in relational practice. full day behaviour training to share the five pillars of the approach with staff, so that we are consistent in our attitudes to students and they are consistent with us. You're a trainee or NQT who has seen a number of behaviour policies and just aren't sure about any of them."Essentially, I believe any school that adapts a no-sanction and entirely restorative approach is taking a massive risk to staff and pupil wellbeing alike. The main reason I took issue with this suggestion, however, was actually not the suggestion itself. It was more because I was right in my prediction that some not-so-good SLTs, particularly at struggling schools, will clutch to this and other ideas potentially to the detriment of their teachers. I know of a secondary school in Birmingham which has made ‘handshakes period 1’ a . . . wait for it . . . ‘non-negotiable.’ It would be an insult to the reader -as you’re probably a fellow educator- for me to list all the reasons why this is entirely unacceptable, so I won’t bother. While Dix does not advocate the former, I do believe that it is in the profession’s best interest for such suggestions to be expressed as exactly that: suggestions or ideas. Not saving graces. You always learn something useful from engaging with Paul, and the fact that he writes with the old one-two of passion and compassion makes this learning easy and pleasurable. I have learnt much from this book that will shape and amend my future practice and whole-heartedly recommend it to even the most experienced teacher. It's true to say that as a whole staff we're at the beginning of our journey, but in terms of whole school impact it has already been hugely beneficial in terms of giving staff more confidence, (especially support staff), giving children a vocabulary to use for behaviour, reducing the amount of expensive time senior staff are spending dealing with incidents and enhancing the school's positive ethos.

When the Adults Change, Everything Changes by Paul Dix (2017 When the Adults Change, Everything Changes by Paul Dix (2017

Whatever your setting, and whatever stage of the journey to getting off the punishment road you are on, you will find this book really helpful in maintaining the -˜drip, drip, drip' of consistency and kindness. I've been inspired to launch -˜legendary line-ups' in the staff briefing this morning-¦ and I may even get a goat!Naming pupils who do not behave in the way you expect does not help.Dix himself notes that strategies such as -˜name on the board' or -˜sunshine or cloud' for pupils who do not behave as you expect occur in so many classrooms it appears to be something teachers just -˜know' to do rather than something carefully put into place. He argues it reinforces negative behaviour, providing a kind of celebrity status for some pupils, and therefore does not help combat the challenges. The chapter regarding -˜counter intuitive classrooms' is particularly useful for teachers who feel this is not the answer and would like an alternative. The strategies should be adopted by all schools as a blueprint for behaviour. If it were, it would dramatically improve learning, make children feel safer and positively change lives. This book oozes common sense and made me significantly reflect on my own practice. I can't wait to share this book with my colleagues and prove, with this evidence, that when the adults change, everything changes!

When the Adults Change, Everything Changes Quotes by Paul Dix When the Adults Change, Everything Changes Quotes by Paul Dix

Really enjoyed reading- like you said, I feel pragmatism trumps ideology. A bit of everything is needed and people that go on about this book like it is the best thing since sliced bread, I would actually like to compare their school before and after this was released! It's typically generous of Paul to create such a gift of a resource for trainees, teachers and veterans alike - a blueprint for building authentic relationships with students, even in seemingly impossible situations. I think the reason that I oppose the key ideas is because my approach to teaching (and writing about teaching) is rooted in pragmatism, whereas I feel Dix’s work is rooted in ideology. For example, Dix criticises the high rate of incarceration in the UK, whereas I don’t view this as something I, (as part of my role as a teacher) am obliged to be concerned with. Nor do I feel it necessary to compare school sanctions to prison sanctions, however similar they may be, as Dix points out! This is the best relational classroom management programme with Paul’s celebrated approach: inclusive, relational and highly practical. Dix writes in a personable way that will appeal to readers. His belief in children is paramount to the success of this book and his useful tips, guides and -˜nuggets' empower readers to develop a positive, purposeful and consistent approach to behavior management.Regardless of your own working environment and the behaviour challenges you face, I'd really recommend this book. As the head teacher quoted on the front cover states -˜Paul Dix gets it. After reading this book, you will too'. I completely agree. Five stars. Given the increasing popularity of a ‘restorative approach’ to behaviour, I’d like to give my thoughts on the ideas expressed in When the Adults Change Everything Changes by Paul Dix. I am a full-time secondary science teacher of almost 14 years, over 4 schools, all in inner-city Birmingham. It’s also worth noting – lest you get the wrong impression – that I am not – and have never been – a senior leader. In terms of my writing, I comment and advise on anything that directly affects teachers- particularly new teachers. Hence my public opinions on this book and not on books concerning pedagogy, etc. Whether it be a case study, a reference or a footnote, the text is studded with a vast array of research from a range of sources. The research is widespread, for example Dix cites Hywell Roberts'Ooops! Helping Children Learn Accidentallywhen discussing the importance of -˜botheredness', alongside evidence from Who's left: the main findings(Education DataLab, 31 Jan 2017). Paul has developed his philosophy from a wide range of mainstream primary, secondary and special schools based here and abroad.