Research consistently shows that teacher effectiveness is about engagement, interaction, questioning, positive atmosphere, high expectations and suitable challenge. At the heart of all these areas is the ability to communicate effectively. How you do that minute by minute and second by second is fundamental to what children learn and remember and to how they behave. Richard Churches draws from a range of disciplines, such as psychology, NLP and neuroscience, to provide a practical compendium of communication expertise based on what highly effective teachers do. You'll find out how to use influential language patterns to support learning and positive behaviour; the secrets of body language and non-verbal communication; how to communicate to create the right emotional climate; effective questioning techniques; etc. Small changes to your current practice could lead to huge benefits in the classroom.

We all know teachers who exude an air of authority the minute they walk into a room. Like magic, they command attention without a word being spoken. When they speak and interact they are engaging and compelling. Their classes are calm and focused, teacher and students work well together and behaviour is rarely a problem. How do they do it? Classroom presence is the effect created by your teacher persona. Drawing on material from the worlds of acting and improvisation, sports psychology and NLP this book demonstrates how to develop your persona and radiate presence. Learn about 'status techniques' and how to tap into a shared energy with your audience; master the triad of skills that create presence; work with your 'cultural architects', and see your classroom as a stage where voice, breathing, spatial awareness and costume all play a part. It's not magic, but with a few tricks up your sleeve you can transform the atmosphere, relationships and behaviour in your classes in just a short spell!

The latest teaching standards demand that all teachers 'take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy and correct use of standard English, whatever the teacher's specialism'. That's no bad thing, but it leaves some of us feeling under-trained and over-exposed. Enter the Literacy Across the Curriculum Pocketbook. The book is based on four principles: literacy is important for all learning; we owe it to our pupils to help them develop their literacy; developing strategies for LAC enhances teaching and learning across the school; teachers do not have to be literacy experts to promote LAC. In a series of punchy chapters, (Speaking for Success, Write Better! Vamp up your Vocabulary, Splendid Spelling, Raring to Read) Caroline Bentley-Davies presents practical ideas and simple strategies for incorporating literacy skills into your own lessons. All this plus some really helpful advice on note-making and a self-audit LAC checklist."Literacy Across the Curriculum Pocketbook is a necessity for all teachers wanting to find manageable, effective and exciting ways of promoting literacy in their lessons. A great resource!" Justin Wakefield, Literacy & Numeracy Co-ordinator, Humberston Academy, Grimsby "Innovating tips, strategies and ideas to revitalise literacy in your lessons instantly. Every page offers simple and realistic approaches to promoting literacy across all subjects. Vamp up your vocab; make tricky spelling stick; weave literacy seamlessly into your lessons. I love it!" Lesley Ann McDermott, History Teacher, St Patrick's Catholic College, Thornaby-on-Tees "Contains everything you should know about Literacy and more. Written in a clear and concise manner, even as an experienced English teacher it still taught me a trick or two!" Sarah Martin, CPD Leader, Academies Enterprise Trust

There are more similarities than differences between girls and boys, but there are innate differences in how they think, feel, behave, communicate and learn. That said, not all boys and not all girls are the same. The challenge for education is to avoid gender stereotyping, while understanding and exploiting gender differences for better teaching and learning. Ian smith argues that by letting boys be boys and girls be girls we can help them become successful learners who will mature into confident adults, comfortable with themselves and with others. He covers how to motivate both boys and girls through a combination of challenge and support; how to connect with both genders; how to create a structured environment that will work for girls and for boys; how to actively involve both in their own learning; how to give effective feedback; and whether boys and girls should be taught separately or together. This is not another book that harps on about 'the problem with boys'; it takes a refreshing look at the broader picture and gives practical classroom advice.

Teachers are responsible for shaping the connections inside learners' brains on a day-to-day basis, connections that will remain in place for the rest of those learners' lives. Understanding the science of learning in the brain is, therefore, a powerful way to inform teaching and have an impact on learning. Furthermore, research evidence shows that teaching children about how the brain learns can improve their motivation to learn. So, when education writer and former teacher Richard Churches got together with two neuroscientists and a group of teachers they saw an exciting opportunity to pool their expertise and explore how insight from neuroscience could translate into classroom practice. Learning & the Brain Pocketbook is full of accessible information about how the brain works, how it learns, how it memorises and how it develops. At every turn, the material is discussed in relation to the classroom. Numerous tips and strategies draw on the neuroscience to enhance and support what you do with your learners. Learning about the brain is fun - and it makes for great professional development.