Content area
Full Text
The Behaviour Guru
By Tom Bennett
Continuum
Pounds 16.99
Martin Spice
As Tom Bennett is the TES online behaviour guru and the author of a TES Essential Guide and you are now reading The TES, you might be forgiven for thinking that this review is just an extended piece of advertising.
So let me assure you that as an independent reviewer, I maintain the highest standards of neutrality. These will not, however, prevent me from starting off by saying that, despite one or two reservations, this is a very good book indeed, both timely and necessary.
It is a sign of the times that we now talk about behaviour management rather than discipline, but whatever we call it, getting kids to behave in a classroom is a prerequisite of being able to teach them anything. Behaviour management may be absolutely fundamental to teaching, but as Bennett repeatedly points out there is perilously little training in it, and for many teachers there is also precious little support from senior managers. Somehow you are supposed to sort it out for yourself. Thank heavens, then, for some sane, practical and sensible advice that will help speed up the...