Solution Focused Practice in Schools

Solution Focused Practice is a change-focused approach to enabling people of all ages to make progress in their lives by emphasising what is wanted in the future, amplifying successes and highlighting the capacities and skills available to support progress.

Grounded in the reality of the day-to-day challenges of school life, Solution Focused Practice in Schools: 80 Ideas and Strategies offers dynamic, practical, down-to-earth and jargon-free applications of the Solution Focused (SF) approach that can create energy and movement in even the toughest of situations.

From working with individuals to considering organisational developments, this book explores the SF approach using numerous examples and sample questions that can be adapted for any situation and whether the time available is long or short.

The reader will gain ideas about how to:

• move beyond ‘don’t know’ responses in individual discussions with students to create dialogues where difference and change can occur
• invite classes into constructive conversations about building the classroom environment that brings out the best in students, whether there has been a concern or not
• address key issues such as confidence, motivation, resilience and dealing with set-backs
• build detail around potential and effective futures in coaching, consultations and meetings
• support the development of policies and procedures at an organisational level
• support solution-based conversations using play, role play, video and other creative techniques.

This book is an excellent resource for managers, teachers, SENCOs, mentors, counsellors, coaches, psychologists, social workers and all those who work in a supportive capacity in schools to promote the learning and well-being of both students and staff.

“"In this marvellous new book, Ajmal and Ratner teach us, in their own words, that 'It is only the wearer of the shoe who knows where it is comfortable'. Through providing the basics of the solution focused approach and using it with individuals, groups, staff members and teachers, the reader will gain true insight into how schools can work using solution focused practice. The dialogues that are included offer rich, specific examples of how school counsellors, teachers and head teachers can engage and relate to students dealing with a variety of concerns. Educators who often wonder if they can make a difference with a troubled student need to read this book, which will finally provide them with ideas and strategies for asking questions that elicit teacher and student driven solutions, which are always the best kind!" - Linda Metcalf, author of Counseling Toward Solutions and Director of Graduate Counseling Programs and School Counseling at Texas Wesleyan University, USA "This is an invaluable, inspiring and accessible guide for all teachers, from trainee to experienced, in responding effectively to the challenging situations encountered with individual children, groups and whole classes. The book is evidence-based and grounded in practice. It offers practical approaches that go beyond problem solving to enable pupils to recognise, own and sustain their 'best selves'. The process of co-constructing desired futures and achievable steps is illustrated through numerous case study examples. These studies highlight the impact of open questioning and scaffolded dialogue in building positive attitudes and relationships for learning and for life." - Sue Ellis, Professional Tutor and Senior Teaching Fellow at UCL Institute of Education, UK”

'In this marvellous new book, Ajmal and Ratner teach us, in their own words, that "It is only the wearer of the shoe who knows where it is comfortable". Through providing the basics of the solution focused approach and using it with individuals, groups, staff members and teachers, the reader will gain true insight into how schools can work using solution focused practice. The dialogues that are included offer rich, specific examples of how school counsellors, teachers and head teachers can engage and relate to students dealing with a variety of concerns. Educators who often wonder if they can make a difference with a troubled student need to read this book, which will finally provide them with ideas and strategies for asking questions that elicit teacher and student driven solutions, which are always the best kind!' Linda Metcalf, author of Counseling Toward Solutions and Director of Graduate Counseling Programs and School Counseling at Texas Wesleyan University, USA

'This is an invaluable, inspiring and accessible guide for all teachers, from trainee to experienced, in responding effectively to the challenging situations encountered with individual children, groups and whole classes. The book is evidence-based and grounded in practice. It offers practical approaches that go beyond problem solving to enable pupils to recognise, own and sustain their "best selves". The process of co-constructing desired futures and achievable steps is illustrated through numerous case study examples. These studies highlight the impact of open questioning and scaffolded dialogue in building positive attitudes and relationships for learning and for life.' Sue Ellis, Professional Tutor and Senior Teaching Fellow at UCL Institute of Education, UK

Yasmin Ajmal is a former primary teacher and educational psychologist. She is now self-employed as a Solution Focused coach, trainer and educational consultant.

Harvey Ratner is a founder member of BRIEF, established in 1989 to deliver therapy, coaching and training in the Solution Focused approach. He works as a therapist and coach at BRIEF and in schools.

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