Book review: Behaviour for learning in the primary school

Adrian Copping, Senior Lecturer in English and Literacy at the University of Cumbria, reviews the book 'Behaviour for learning in the primary school', by Kate Adams, (Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd, 2009, 105 pp., ISBN 978-1-84445-188-3).

We cannot escape from the inescapable: student teachers are concerned about whether they can ‘control’ the children they are going to teach. They are concerned about that first encounter when their authority is challenged and often feel that they should be armed with an arsenal of strategies to combat any possible eventuality. I was immediately struck by the title of Kate Adams book, ‘Behaviour for learning’. Not just behaviour strategies but the reason why good behaviour is important, because it supports a purposeful learning environment. Adams is not content with just providing tips for teachers but also the reasons why they need a wider understanding. She presents the importance of building strong relationships and ensuring that student teachers present themselves in a way that gives off authority. Adams also starts with the child and how they see themselves in the classroom, how that child then sees themselves in their relationships with others, and then in their relationship with the curriculum.