This is the way to respond to these titles — Face It!, Cool It!, Stop It!: ‘Got it!†This series of critical school support tools communicates well. I certainly got their message about managing school problems clearly. The text is fluent and the layout and colour use are appealing. I looked forward to opening these books instead of feeling intimidated by the topics.
The books make three great problem areas in school life manageable and understandable. These potential monsters on the education path are discipline, conflict and abuse.
Face It!, written by Mark Potterton, Anne Baker and Lindsay McCay, has a striking front cover — a pair of smouldering eyes confronts the reader. The authors encourage teachers to deal with conflict by facing it head on — so reader, face those eyes!
The book looks at different ways of handling conflict.
The reader learns about the importance of developing communication skills. We see that such skills can radically affect our ability to manage conflict.
The book provides valuable information, not only on the causes of conflict, but on how school structures can be developed to deal with conflict.
Useful tips on beginning an actual mediation process are provided. The authors know teachers don’t inhabit cloud cuckoo land so there is advice for times when school mediation fails.
Appendix five provides further useful contact information about conflict resolution agencies.
Stop It!, by Maren Bodenstein and Mark Potterton, also encourages schools to face problems. In this case the problem is child abuse. The book emphasises the need to make the school environment safe.
Humorous cartoons illustrate central points and help the reader understand the issues.
The authors refer to the four different kinds of child abuse — physical, sexual, emotional and neglect. Because abuse of children and teenagers often has legal consequences, necessary legal information is presented simply and accessibly.
The authors also focus on the serious issues of bullying and
sexual harassment. The reader is reminded that schools must
create a climate in which bullying cannot grow. An intriguing suggestion is that schools should have ‘bully boxes†where learners can safely provide information on tormentors.
The book also gives practical and careful advice on helping
victims of rape, and the appendices are full of further information on handling abuse including a list of useful telephone numbers.
Cool It!, by Colin Northmore and Mark Potterton, deals with discipline in schools and follows a similar format to the other books — useful points are laid out differently from the main text and presented in a coloured box summary. This makes a handy quick reference book for a busy manager.
The authors provide valuable assistance on developing a disciplined classroom and on motivating learners.
The book has many practical tips for primary teachers. However, it would have been useful to include more hands-on advice for high school teachers who face similar — yet different — discipline problems. Unfortunately our schools are not protected from the violent and volatile currents which swirl through this society. Teachers need much assistance to creatively manage teenagers who are deeply affected by their environment.
Greater reference to the contribution of school and departmental psychological services would have been useful. Some disciplinary problems require specialist help — this is surely one of the areas where the education department’s psychological services could assist.
Some valuable aspects of the series are the understated comments which say it’s important to create a school ethos and climate in which children, teenagers and teachers can feel exhilarated by a day’s hard work. A fourth book in this series on how to build a flourishing school micro-climate would be welcome.
MC Publishers and the Teacher are giving five lucky readers the chance to win a set of these three books. Post your name, address and contact details to the Teacher/MC Publishers giveaway, PO Box 91667, Auckland Park, 2006. The closing date is August 29 2003