undefined

Review ------ Here's a book for every school's staff library and maybe as a gift for every new member of staff. It helps with positive attitudes, energy and ideas. The authors are brim full of all three and have an amazing capacity to make it infectious. Moreover it's a book to be dipped into whenever any teachers find themselves ging. --Sir Tim Brighouse I love it when a book really demonstrates its message. "The Art of being a brilliant teacher" talks about teaching being "the transference of energy, enthusiasm, passion and learning". It then does exactly that through distilled wisdom and experience, good humour and common sense practical ideas, with just enough science to underline its credibility. It's great if you want to be good and invaluable if you want to be brilliant. --David Cameron, The Real David Cameron Ltd Yet again The Decisive Element team pull off a masterpiece of positivity. These books are deceptively simple and straight forward guides to getting to the heart of what matters in schools, i.e. making people understand that the true nature of education is being The Decisive Element. By this they show that we are the force which can shape or smash a child s development. Whilst such a message could be crushing Andy, Gary and Chris deliver in such a way that the positivity overcomes the dread at such an awesome responsibility. Nothing they say is new but the way in which they say it is refreshing, inspiring and just what is need for a beleaguered teaching profession. Chris and Gary deliver training at our teaching school and the evaluations say it all they are always well received and trainees rave about the simple effectiveness of their message. I have used them with NQT s and new entrants to the profession with equal success as with trainee teachers and more experienced staff. I cannot recommend this book highly enough it does the simple things well. Reading this book is an antidote to creeping pessimism and like of adrenalin at the end of a hard school week. It makes us all remember what we came into the profession for and quite simply that it does change lives. As it says in the book; This is why I love this book. I love the fact that the Doctor of Happiness, Andy Cope, has come together with two amazing educators, Gary Toward and Chris Henley, to cook up this mix of positive self-indulgence just for teachers. I will be buying this book for all my staff and imploring them to read it. --Dave Thomas, Head teacher, Ash School About the Author ---------------- Andy Cope is the author of the famous Dog books, a trainer and keynote speaker. He is an expert in positive psychology and happiness, which led him to develop 'The Art of Being Brilliant'. This is delivered in various forms as workshops for businesses, conferences, teachers and teenagers. It has also informed the thinking behind his brilliant books. Chris Henley is a deputy headteacher, trainer and keynote speaker who has been teaching for over thirty years in three different secondary schools. Chris is an inspirational teacher who moved on from leading an outstanding languages department to become a senior leader. As assistant head in charge of teaching and learning he has played a major role in two successful Ofsted inspections. Gary Toward is a trainer and keynote speaker who has previously taught in 7 schools countrywide. He was head teacher of 3 schools in Leicestershire, during which time he co-lead a Pupil Referral Unit out of special measures. Gary has a passion for teaching and although originally a design technologist, he has taught most subjects and has, more recently, been a teaching head.