Publisher's Synopsis
When I published this book I decided to use a pseudonym. I didn't want anyone to identify me or the schools. Now I've realised that those schools don't exist anymore because a school is of the moment and made up of the staff, children and wider community that existed there and then. So my name is Gareth Jones. I taught in East Sussex for 34 years. When I was seconded to the school which I discuss in detail I had already been a subject leader for 14 years, a head of year simultaneously for 10 of those years, and was, at that moment, leading a unit called the "Launch Project", populated with troubled or worried children, or children who just thought school wasn't for them. The sum of this was that I was regarded as an expert in managing behaviour. The school I went to was in "special measures". The Head was in the process of resigning. I was sent there to advise on behaviour and help set up a "unit". I asked to teach and so, inevitably, the staff there gave me the most challenging class they had, timetabled in to the dingiest classroom to teach the least popular subject {only there and then, no offence intended}, and then they sat back to watch. "Behaviour Expert", "OK, have some of that and see how you do".So, that first Tuesday after Easter, I met 8TW. To know the rest you'll have to read the book, but I did turn them round, and in doing so I refined my thinking about how this business of engaging, entertaining and educating works.I went on to become the County AST for Gifted and Talented and had a great time in that role until it vanished. I retired a few years ago and I've now written a number of books about the different aspects of my journey and learning. This one could, I think, be the most useful.If you are facing extremely challenging classes, possibly with little or no support, and you have found that the things you were taught during training mostly aren't working, this is the book for you.