Teacher support teams are school-based, problem-solving groups which function to support pupils indirectly through teacher collaboration. This handbook offers training information and activities useful in the setting up, running and evaluation of this provision.

While most educators believe working in teams is valuable, not all team efforts lead to instructional improvement. Through richly detailed case studies The Power of Teacher Teams demonstrates how schools can transform their teams into more effective learning communities that foster teacher leadership. The benefits of successful teacher teams include: improved performance for both teachers and students; meaningful professional development; group adoption of a new curriculum; shared insights into student work; better classroom management; support for new teachers; new roles for teacher leaders; and opportuniteis for mentor support.School leaders will find guidelines, methods, and concrete steps for building and sustaining effective teacher teams. Also included is a DVD with video case studies and one CD with reproducibles. The most important reason for building teacher teams is to enhance student learning through improved instruction, and that story is at the heart of this book.

The theories of Vygotsky are central to any serious discussion of children's learning processes. Vygotsky argues that children do not develop in isolation, rather learning takes place when the child is interacting with their social environment. It is the responsibility of the teacher to establish an interactive instructional situation in the classroom, where the child is an active learner and the teacher uses their knowledge to guide learning. This has many implications for those in the educational field. This book explores the growing interest in Vygotsky and the pedagogic implications of the body of work that is developing under the influence of his theories. It provides an overview of the ways in which the original writing has been extended and identifies areas for future development. The author considers how these developments are creating new and important possibilities for the practices of teaching and learning in school and beyond, and illustrates how Vygotskian theory can be applied in the classroom. The book is intended for students and academics in education and the social sciences. It will be of interest to all those who wish to develop an analysis of pedagogic practice within and beyond the field of education.

Robbins shows how all students, including those with special needs, can learn mathematics effectively within the mainstream curriculum. By drawing on case studies from several countries, he illustrates the implications of inclusive education for classroom teaching, whole school approaches, and teacher development.

A practical and authoritative guide to common behaviour problems in the classroom, this book explaines typical causes of misbehaviour and shows what teaching assistants can do to calm disruptive children. Using a range of case studies discussed from a teaching assistant's perspective, Susan Bentham explores: the role of the teaching assistant in relation to school behaviour policies when and how to reward good behaviour why we need to understand the reason for bad behaviour in order to deal with it how to implement behaviour strategies that really work. Mirroring the course content of most teaching assistant GNVQ and Foundation degree qualifications, Bentham highlights how practitioners can learn from their experiences and develop new skills and coping strategies, which will free them up to concentrate on the most important part of the job: supporting learning. In an expanding market, this guide is a must-buy for any teaching assistant finding that disrupted classrooms are becoming their biggest challenge.

First Published in 2000. Written with the newly-qualified or student teacher in mind, the nature of this highly accessible book considers the nature of learning difficulties and the impact of legislation and policy on the teaching and learning of pupils with a wide range of special educational needs in the mainstream classroom. The authors offer practical solutions to the many challenges facing teachers of inclusive settings, and individual chapters provide the reader with guidance on: meeting special needs appropriately in inclusive educational settings; effective access to the curriculum; classroom organisation and management to support pupils; staff roles and responsibilities and staff development. The writers are also sensitive to the views and experiences of pupils and how these can enhance opportunities for good quality learning. Teachers and students will find this book an essential companion.