Teaching the lesson is the easy bit. The hard bit is dealing with the confusing behaviours and emotions that can disrupt the classroom, sabotage lesson plans, and steal the joy and energy of even the most optimistic teacher. The challenges are numerous and varied: the unmotivated student who avoids the work; the provocative student who repeatedly disrupts the class and defies authority; the disappointed student who complains and waits to be saved from their discomfort. Dr Andrew Wake is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and for almost two decades he has worked with education staff to understand and better deal with the behavioural and emotional challenges that arise in a school setting. This book is a distillation of two decades of that work, with the aim to improve both student and teacher well-being. Using attachment theories, grief and disappointment concepts, neuro- science insights, and moral development ideas, he provides a variety of simple strategies that work to deal with unwanted events and help to change unwanted patterns. With easy-to-understand language, simple to remember approaches, and examples from real classrooms, When You’re the Adult in the Room is essential reading for all new teachers, and will benefit experienced educators who want to add to their understanding and confidence when dealing with the emotions and behaviours they encounter in their daily work.
DR ANDREW WAKE (MBBS, FRANZCP, Master Psychiatry, Certificate of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who has worked for more than two decades in the field of psychiatry. He has worked in a range of settings both inpatient and outpatient, from urban suburbs to rural townships and remote Aboriginal communities. He has presented at the University of Melbourne and runs a seminar at Monash University for teachers and teachers’ aides titled ‘Managing challenging behaviours in the classroom’. He has provided in-school supervision and education to teachers and welfare staff, and has spoken at conferences both locally and internationally, mental health clinics, various health clinician groups, and child protection units. He contributes as an expert clinician on the international website psychwire.com, and shares a newsletter and videos on his website thegoodenoughparent.com. au, which complements his first book, The ‘Good Enough’ Parent, published in 2012.
* Recommended highly by leaders in the field, teachers and welfare staff.
* Understanding the basics of child development underpins the strategies.
* A book to give confidence to teachers in managing emotions and behaviours in the classroom.
