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

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When you have been at the school some time you may allow yourself a slightly smug smile when hearing of another new teacher explaining that they told the class about their Slam Poetry YouTube Channel. “You told them WHAT!’ is always funny because we have all trod much the same route. I wanted so desperately to be the teacher I never had that I thought I could mimic the performance of a great teacher. Yet behind that performance I had no substance. What I needed was the route map of how to get to being that teacher, but what works for an expert may not be the best next step for a novice. Being an emotionally consistent adult takes most of us a long time and we get better incrementally not in one dramatic leap. I'm excited about introducing my pupils to -˜recognition boards' too. These are a simple way to advertise the behavior you do want and recognise the children who demonstrate that behavior by simply placing their name on a board. From now I will also be more conscious about reminding myself to thank all members of the school community (children and adults alike) for going over and above. I'm also sure the useful -˜testing', -˜nuggets' and -˜watch out for' section at the end of each chapter will also be regularly referenced. The book promotes a simplified behaviour policy that reinforces clear behavior expectations that are exemplified by people, rather than just endless rules that nobody knows. It outlines how, as adults, we can shift routines and develop an appreciation for positive behavior using tactics such as -˜recognition boards' and -˜going above and beyond'. Having worked with Pivotal Education for the last two years, I have seen the benefits that adopting Paul's consistent routines and kind approach to managing students' more challenging behaviours can have - not only for the atmosphere around school but also for the health and well-being of the staff. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who feels caught up in the madness of endless internal behaviour referrals and detention-chasing. I've been there - it's exhausting!

When the Adults Change, Everything Changes by Paul Dix

Education is a serious business, but serious does not have to mean boring. This book is warm, full of humour and its anecdotes make it easily relatable to all of us. I genuinely laughed aloud throughout. You're not able to change your behaviour policy, but want practical advice to implement in your classroom. Steve taught in Sheffield for seventeen years before joining Wakefield LA as their Behaviour and Attendance consultant. He then moved to the National Strategies in a cross-phase role as Regional Adviser for Behaviour, Attendance and SEAL in Yorkshire and the Humber. Since 2011 Steve has been a freelance trainer and consultant. The beauty of this book is that it is not full of theory and examples of how to -˜get your students to behave', it's a manual for how your school culture can evolve to one where positivity and botherdness about students can be at the core of your practise. It is about a sustainable model for school improvement where students are truly at the heart of your vision. 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!

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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. This book is a must-read for every school leader. If you want to create an inclusive school where children s behaviour is not only managed, but is changed as well, you should not miss out on reading this book. --Sue Cowley, teacher and education author We take it for granted that we all do what we do because we genuinely care about improving the lives of the young people in our schools. However, how often do we say it – to ourselves, or to others? How often do we show it? This book reminded me that we should all say it, loudly and regularly. 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.

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

Restorative conversations aim to rebuild the relationship between the teacher and pupil following a misbehaviour incident. Dix provides a list of possible questions to ask the pupil, (What happened? What were you thinking at the time? and others) ultimately to get them to consider the effect of their actions on others and behave appropriately in future. Dix also suggests the teacher give the pupil a glass of water during the conversation. Again, he gives a couple of examples of restorative conversations having been effective at schools he has been called into. Paul fell in love with teaching while working as a Teaching Assistant after leaving school. Teaching both inspired and drew him in due to the creativity, the variety and the cohort after cohort of utterly brilliant children he encountered.

When the adults change, everything changes: Seismic shifts in school behaviour by Paul Dix

Steve is known for his passionate, inspiring, and hugely engaging style of presentation. He is equally at home ‘around the table’ with primary and secondary senior leadership teams, supporting them to link the big strategic messages to everyday practice in classrooms and beyond.

The Adults Change: Achievable behaviour nirvana : Paul After The Adults Change: Achievable behaviour nirvana : Paul

Many of the ideas in this book are clearly good practice e.g. the focus on positive relationship building, the suggestions for how to build such relationships, the concept of ‘botheredness’ and the use of recognition boards. 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! Whilst great observation gives us the detail we need, being intuitively insightful allows us to connect the dots in the most efficient and effective fashion. Intuitive insightfulness comes, not just from being a teacher and leader but from years of experience in shifting policy to irresistible practice. Our coaches understand the nuances of school policy. They shift mindsets but also do the systems thinking that sustain change. Please note that I am not saying that doing what Dix suggests is violating some teacher standard. Rather, I’m merely arguing that it goes against what is commonly told to teachers and not for the better.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). I have known of Pivotal's work for three years now. In 2013, I sent my assistant principal to be a Pivotal trainer and she returned to transform the culture and the feel of a very broken and challenging school through the development of positive relationships, a focus on encouragement and a restorative approach to student behaviour. The impact was huge, with the exclusion rated being reduced by 94% in one year. Hannah is an experienced School Improvement Consultant, Coach & Trainer. She specialises in Behaviour, SEMH & SEND, and works nationally and internationally supporting Schools (early years to FE, & Special/AP settings), Local Authorities & Trusts in reviewing, implementing, and developing cultural change, policy, systems and provision. Tony now works as a trainer and consultant working with a range of providers and is still fascinated by behaviour and human relationships. He is passionate about improving opportunities and life chances for all young people. Tony has worked with Senior Teams to build behaviour policy and practice at whole school level, as well as supporting Local Authorities in their Inclusion Strategy. Tony has been a teacher and school leader for over 33 years. He began teaching in Poplar East London and immediately realised he was drawn to and really enjoyed working with children who are challenging. He is fascinated by human behaviour and is constantly learning more about it.

When the Adults Change, Everything Changes - Crown House When the Adults Change, Everything Changes - Crown House

After I saw Dix speak, I felt inspired to buy the book immediately and bought a couple for our staffroom. Engaging from the start, the book combines sound advice with practical strategies to implement them successfully.Paul delivers a blueprint for school behaviour improvement that is inclusive, practical and well structured – and covers a range of key issues, including: restorative practice, emotionally consistent teaching, creating a coaching culture, and proportionate and productive consequences for bad behaviour. 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.” developing a whole school ethos built on kindness, empathy and understanding. Suitable for all head teachers, school leaders, teachers, NQTs and classroom assistants in any phase or context, including SEND and alternative provision settings who are looking to upgrade their own classroom management or school behaviour plan. 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.