You know those moments when suddenly everything makes sense? That was the feeling I had when I read Graham's new book 'Changing Perceptions'. Why? Because the book unpicks challenging behaviour. Not only what causes it and motivates it, but how best to respond in a difficult situation whatever the problem is. When I was a teacher and headteacher I did lots of things instinctively, as there was little research into how the human brain works. Graham's book has enabled me to understand why the approaches I developed during my career often worked much better than the more authoritarian teacher approach I started with. It is the first book I have read that truly demystifies the complex business of working with children. It explains how we must teach children how to behave so that they can get the most from their learning and we can get the most from your teaching. This is a must listen!

In this podcast we discuss ...

• The 2 key components we need for young children to achieve to their potential in school - love and safety.
• Children must feel safe in order to access their thinking brain - they won't learn successfully if they can't do this.
• Love is essential - children must know they are loved.
• The importance of nurturing children at the start of school ... and after break ... and after lunch. This gets them in the right mental space to learn.
• What do most parents want for their children? To be emotionally and physically safe. This is not always a school's priority as academic progress, tests and league tables often come first. But it should be at the top of the list if schools are to achieve the highest standards possible.
• The 'catch up' narrative post Covid is troublesome. How does doing more English and Maths help if children's brains aren't in the right place to learn. Its like trying to fill a cup with the lid on. Nothing goes in; it just pours all over the floor.
• Pressure for academic progress is misplaced until children's brains are ready to process learning.
• Ask a group of people, 'What do you fight fire with?' They will often reply, 'Fire!' But then you've got more fire haven't you? Is that the best way to manage an angry child?
• Is the authority teacher figure important? Essential?
• The importance of not ignoring low level behaviour for those children who present challenging behaviour. This could lead to a crisis.
• Most children can self-regulate but those who can't do this must be co-regulated by an adult. But can all adults self-regulate?
• The thinking part of the brain is often under-developed in children with the most challenging behaviour. We must recognise this when a child is in crisis.
• When a child is in crisis they can't process language. Therefore the use of appropriate body language is essential. Think what you do with a crying baby - be calm, soothe, smile.
• Do angry, abusive, awkward children also need soothing? Yes they do!

All this and more in this podcast. You won't regret listening.

Changing Perceptions by Graham Chatterley - Crown House Publishing - ISBN: 978-178583675-6

For the last episode of the school year I am speaking to the most enthusiastic teacher (no, that should be the most enthusiastic person), I have ever met. Marna is an absolute breath of fresh air, and by golly we need that now with the current heatwave making us weary at the end of a long term. She said her mum taught her as a little girl to 'Choose joy' and she is the very embodiment of that approach to life. So, if you need a pick me up, listen to Marna; her enthusiasm is infectious.

In this podcast we discuss ...

• How positive, smiling people make a real difference to people's lives. Saying hello and reaching out to people creates a great working environment.
• Why adults should look like they are having fun as it gives children a reason to want to grow up.
• The importance of looking for awe and wonder and joy in everyday life. It's good for you and it's good for everyone you share it with.
• Why you should never give up on what you want to do. Ever! Even when it looks like the way ahead is blocked, there is always a path that will lead you to where you want to go. It's never too late to do something. Remember, the price of success is a lot less than the price of regret.
• The importance of being teachable if you are a teacher because only then can we reach our full potential. To continually improve is not because you are not good enough, but because being better at what you do benefits you as much as those you work with and it feels good.
• How authentic praise for children and adults can impact on everything they do. Celebrate genuine achievements, however small.
• Why you must find time to do your work, but also find quality time for yourself and your family. It's not selfish because having time for your life outside school will make you a better teacher.
• The fact that all teachers can make a significant difference to the lives of the children they teach. Remember, 'If you can't do great things, do small things in a great way.' That is more than good enough.
• The reason why metacognition is so powerful for teachers and pupils, even though it wasn't called that when Jeremy started teaching!
• Why caring matters so much. If children know you really do care then teachers can demand extraordinary things from them and they will achieve more than they ever thought possible.
• The value of becoming a truly reflective teacher cannot be overestimated. What can I improve? What can I be really proud of? Everything matters, but make sure you always focus on the things you should be proud of as well the aspects you want to get better at.
• Make sure you spend time finding out what each child needs to be a great learner in your class so they can be as good as they can be. Don't let rules or conventions get in the way of doing the right thing.

Have a great summer break everyone (well everyone who has now got a few weeks off school) and I'll be back chatting again in September. I hope you can join me!

Jane Clapp has to be one of the most perceptive teachers I have ever spoken to. She has the ability to cut through all the chaff that litters education, all the fads, all the pointless ideas that add little to the quality of a child's experience at school. Listening to Jane is truly inspiring; she just gets what great education is about. She has so many thoughts about how to create a wonderful learning environment that I know she will be coming back another day as we only scratched the surface of what makes her such a good teacher.

In this podcast we discuss ...

• How tiring the end of the summer term can be, but how being inspired by the children is the thing that keeps you crawling to the finish line.
• The importance of the teacher believing that every child can learn successfully. If you don't believe, they won't.
• Asking children to do scary things is fine, as long as you have provided a truly safe classroom environment for them.
• Why children struggle when adults are inconsistent. All children can flourish when they know what is expected of them.
• The importance of having an authentic positive relationship with your class.
• How appropriate routines are essential to create high expectations. So you have to pick what is most important for you and set up routines that children understand. Tell them what you expect, rehearse it endlessly and keep going until they meet it. Don't lower the bar ... ever!
• The fact that rehearsal leads to fluency, so make sure you do this enough for everything!
• How contextual learning makes activities more meaningful to children, but each new context may need revision of key learning. Meaningful contexts provide a real purpose for learning that children enjoy.
• The need to keep learning in each lesson clear. It's easy to overcomplicate teaching, so focus on the building blocks that are essential for each lesson and go deeper rather than endlessly extending tasks. Overcomplicating is rarely beneficial to teachers or pupils.
• Why the tick box approach to writing (such as the endless list of success criteria) actually diminishes the quality of children's work. It can be so exciting for all children to write when they are inspired; sometimes our teaching approach takes away this joy and removes the life from the children's words.
• How using the National Curriculum helps to make learning more straightforward. Activities often morph into to something quite different that children can't understand (studying phases of the moon is one of these).
• The most important thing is to enjoy your class. Don't get het up by all the things you have to do, as some are not of any value. Enjoying your teaching is always important, as is keeping your teaching simple and practising your routines over and over again.