In When the Adults Change, Everything Changes: Seismic Shifts in School Behaviour, Paul Dix upends the debate on behaviour management in schools and offers effective tips and strategies that serve to end the search for change in children and turn the focus back on the adults.
You can buy in the best behaviour tracking software, introduce 24/7 detentions or scream NO EXCUSES as often as you want but ultimately the solution lies with the behaviour of the adults. It is the only behaviour over which we have absolute control.
Drawing on anecdotal case studies, scripted interventions and approaches which have been tried and tested in a range of contexts, from the most challenging urban comprehensives to the most privileged international schools, behaviour training expert and Pivotal Education director Paul Dix advocates an inclusive approach that is practical, transformative and rippling with respect for staff and learners. An approach in which behavioural expectations and boundaries are exemplified by people, not by a thousand rules that nobody can recall.
When the Adults Change, Everything Changes illustrates how, with their traditional sanction- and exclusion-led methods, the punishment brigade are losing the argument. It outlines how each school can build authentic practice on a stable platform, resulting in shifts in daily rules and routines, in how we deal with the angriest learners, in restorative practice and in how we appreciate positive behaviour.
Each chapter is themed and concludes with three helpful checklists Testing, Watch out for and Nuggets designed to help you form your own behaviour blueprint. Throughout the book both class teachers and school leaders will find indispensable advice about how to involve all staff in developing a whole school ethos built on kindness, empathy and understanding.
Suitable for all head teachers, school leaders, teachers, NQTs and classroom assistants in any phase or context, including SEND and alternative provision settings who are looking to upgrade their own classroom management or school behaviour plan.
When the Adults Change, Everything Changes is an invaluable book for all teachers. It encourages you to reflect on your own behaviour and mindset so that you can recognise how they can affect your students’ behaviour. The real-life examples that Paul Dix shares enable you to reflect on how you would approach certain situations and why some approaches don’t work. Paul emphasises and explains the importance of consistency and kindness, rather than the ‘punishment road’ which can have a detrimental effect on students’ well-being and development. Furthermore, he provides a practical, common-sense approach to behaviour management, along with concrete strategies to support teachers to implement these approaches within their school or college.
Overall, this book empowers teachers to make better choices to help improve their students’ behaviour and therefore the learning environment.
After I saw Dix speak, I felt inspired to buy the book immediately and bought a couple for our staffroom. Engaging from the start, the book combines sound advice with practical strategies to implement them successfully.
As a school leader, the idea of good behaviour stemming from a positive place rather than a fear of punishment not only resonated with my own values but there is much evidence that it is a successful strategy.
I particularly enjoyed the fact that the author clarifies that he is not suggesting that adults take the blame for difficult behaviour in schools, rather that they have the ability to respond in ways which are more effective at getting the results we want. His appraisal of Behaviour Policies from various schools with whom he has worked, serves to open the readers eyes to some of the mistakes we can all make when trying to nurture a culture of positive behaviour. Better yet, he shows how to turn this around very quickly and creatively.-‹
Regardless of your own working environment and the behaviour challenges you face, Id really recommend this book. As the head teacher quoted on the front cover states -˜Paul Dix gets it. After reading this book, you will too. I completely agree. Five stars.
Phil, Deputy Principal, (Bulleen, Vic)
Paul Dix’s When the Adults Change, Everything Changes is a powerful and practical guide to behaviour management built on the principle that consistency, empathy, and adult behaviour are key to creating a respectful school culture, ideal for anyone working with young people.
Aimed at educators across all school settings, the book challenges punitive systems and instead promotes calm, relational approaches, such as ‘relentless routines,’ restorative conversations, and visible adult presence. Dix’s strategies are realistic and grounded in experience, making them easy to implement without the need for expensive programs.
What stands out is the emphasis on adults modelling the behaviour they expect, leading with empathy and not control! This mindset shift is especially valuable for school leaders and teams wanting to build long-term cultural change.
While some strategies may need adapting to individual school contexts, the core message, that change begins with the adults is both empowering and practical.
