Customer Reviews
A good one for english teachers - By: Mr. D. E. Crabtree, 30 Jun 2008 
The title of this book may lead you to believe the author to be of a strict & dominating characterin the class room. This perception is wrong. Instead you can find a calm 'firm but fun' attitude to behavoirable management & teachingin general. I would definately guess Ms Cowley to be an english teacher & describes lesson plans for conceptual subjects; the arts.
The book explains throughly ideas & tips for getting a student's attention & respect though uses a possibly naieve view of the average student. As a young teacher I remember being a student myself recently & I think that some of these methods wouldn't work on badly behaved students because they rely too much on the analysis of self the author explains will calm them down & the idea that explaination of the rules will calm a hot headed student.
I prefer to be a bit more strict than Ms Cowley when I'm teaching & would not reason with a misbehaving student as much as she does, but I certainly share her philiosophy of a fun teacher being a better teacher. I found very few tips useful for science lessonsin this book, but theres a science teaching book available by the author should you enjoy the style of this book.
This said, I certainly believe that these tips will be very usefulin my future carreer for dealing with the average student, rather than the badly behaved. This book was excellent fun to read; I got through itin one night! Well worth the price.
Oozing with good advice - By: BG, 05 May 2007 
OK, so I admit I started reading this with a giant pinch of salt at the ready. It was unnecessary. I've been teaching for almost thirty years now, I've seen many ( too many ) changesin that time & if I had to give a book to a trainee teacher then this would be the one.
Children are not the enemy - they are children - even the 18 year olds - & this book offers much sound advice to keep you sane & happy through your teaching career.
This is an excellent guide to one of the best professionsin the world.
A little thin on the ground - By: Lucy H. Pearce, 04 Jan 2007 
I found this a little simplisitic & thin on the ground. Having been lucky enough to be lectured by her on behaviourin person on my PGCE I know she really does know what she's talking about & can communicate with great clarity & humour. I prefer Bill Roger' "You know the fair rule" as a far more comprehensive guide to behaviour management.
A brilliant start or intervention to classroom management. - By: Mr. D. Bowman, 27 Aug 2006 We've all heard it before. If kids missbehavein your lesson you must "Inspire" them, or plan the lesson better, or be more "enthaustic" or blah, blah, blah. I generally cut out at this point because, like most teachers, I'm doing all of the above & I know even the best planned & most exciting lesson can go wrong.
I picked up this book half way through my PGCE & all the advice it gave clicked into place & rapidly improved my classroom management & immediently helped my teaching.
What makes it so effective is that Sue is mearly human herself, who has learnt how to be a good teacher over the years. The book shows a great understanding of what it's like to be a teacher & how difficult it can be managing certain classes or just making a good lesson go even better.
This book it demonstrates how to get pupils to do as you say, how to get them to want to behave & how to manage it all when things do go wrong without stressing yourself out to much. All the factors that make slesson more positive.
Cowley manages to to do all thisin a practical fashion with numerous examples of different real life situations.
It's writtenin such a easy to follow fashion that it ends up being more helpful than anyother educational book (excluding Bill Rogers) or LEA confrence you'll ever read or attend.
You may not want to do things 100% as Sue Cowley susgests, but there is ample material with lots of different ideas that do work so you can remix them into your own personnal style.
An excellent tool for any teacher who wants sensible advice on improving their classroom management. Advice that actually helps.
I should add that the only negative review on this book is by somebody who hasn't actually tried out the techniques given out. They just complain about it repeating itselfin different ways. They have unfortuantly missed the point that being able to repeat thingsin different ways or use different techniques of saying the same thingin different situations is one of the most important skills a good teacher requires.
a teachers must have - By: Loopy_lou1, 08 Jul 2006 this is a must have for all who teach or want to teach.
its the teachers bible, one of Sue Cowleys many fantastic books with great helpful hints.
Gives us the insight we all need to help with the daily routine of school life.
I LIVE BY THIS BOOK.
