My Blog
Shortlisted for ‘Best Books for Educators Summer 2021’ awards.
We’re delighted to announce that The Teacher and the Teenage Brain has made the shortlist of Learning Ladders’ ‘Best Books for Educators Summer 2021’ awards. We were shortlisted alongside 40 other books from a longlist of over 100 entries for our dedication to...
The Teacher and The Teenage Brain
Publisher: Routledge Publication Date: 27th May 2021 I wrote this book, “The teacher and the teenage brain”, for two reasons. First, because I believe that knowledge about teenage brain development can make a profound difference to the way adults understand and...
Teenagers with mental health problems at a time of coronavirus – A Guide for Parents
It is hard to talk about mental health problems when everyone, no matter what their situation, is struggling with the challenges caused by the coronavirus. It is an exceptionally hard time for us all. Everyone will experience anxiety and stress as a result of these...
Parents and teenagers at a time of Coronavirus
Contents A brief guide for parents Making sense of teenagers’ emotions Tips for parents Tips for teenagers A quiz for teenagers to complete A brief guide for parents Being stuck at home for weeks on end will be a huge test for all families. Even if parents and young...
Information management
A parent recently asked me why her daughter was willing to tell her certain things, but clammed up when asked about other topics. I replied by telling her the story of one young woman who said to me: “I do tell my Mum things, but not at the time they happen. I have...
Knife Crime
The deaths and injuries to young people in our city centres as a result of knife crime are both a disgrace and a terrible tragedy. Yet the response of politicians and policy makers has been to lay the blame almost entirely on falling police numbers. As a result of...
Teenagers and sleep
It has been really exciting to see the development of sleep lessons for young people, developed by Dr Michael Farquar in association with the PSHE Association. I have long believed that good sleep is a key element contributing to the health of teenagers. It is...
A workshop for Parents
“The teen brain – a workshop for parents” A 40-slide powerpoint presentation: These slides are designed for a 2 hour session. The workshop is designed for parents or carers of teenagers. It would be appropriate for parents or carers of any age teenager during the...
Conversation, not confrontation: how can parents and teenagers learn to talk to each other?
Parents and teenagers need to be able to talk together. Yet in so many families this turns out to be a major problem. Parents feel the teenager won’t listen, and teenagers feel exactly the same: that their parents aren’t listening. One 14 year-old girl...
Social media and teenagers, a practical approach
Is social media damaging the mental health of young people? It’s important to look behind the headlines. There is no doubt that today social media is seen by adults as representing a major threat to young people. There is much debate in the press and in public about...
