COAT OF MANY

POCKETS
PRESENTED BY

REBECCA CAMERON
(Other Names not
Revealed)

About the Author

Jenny McKay has experience from
K-12 as well as tertiary education.
Jenny is a specialist teacher in
teacher-student interactions and
the Hidden Curriculum.
She
founded
the
international
consultancy
BME,
Behaviour
Management in Education in 1995.
The BME has been consultancies in
Australia, UK, and South Africa.

Profile
The school we are focusing on is a Category One in the
Western Suburbs.
Approx. 500 Students and is characterised by high levels of
aggregate disadvantage due to poverty and a high transient
population.
The school has strong ties to the community and is focused on
achieving all outcomes of learning for all students.
As a group, we are focused on a Year 6/7 class where there are
many learning difficulties often not diagnosed. There are many
ethnicities in this class, with various cultural factors.

Coat of Many Pockets Description

The books objectives are to help teachers focus on:
Being proactive through planning for behaviour, rather
than reacting to situations as they arise in the classroom.
Acquiring the knowledge, understanding and skills to
effectively manage students behaviour.
Working from a positive mind-set rather than a negative
focus.
Viewing their role in managing behaviour in the classroom.
Realising the impact effective behaviour management.

UNDERLYING
ASSUMPTION/THEORY
The underlying theory or assumption throughout the
book emphasises the need of organisation and a
positive approach.
By viewing misbehaviour as an opportunity for
students to grow.
Managing behaviour can not be simply be the
inclusion and instigation of a punishment.

TARGET GROUPS AND THE

SUITABILITY FOR THEM
All teachers*
*For beginner teachers who are experiencing situations within the
classroom for the first time
In relation to the PROFILE
SCHOOL
-These teacher-friendly behaviour support (TFBS)
THINKING

CLASSROOM
-Behavioural expectations

TEACHER- STUDENT INTERACTION

- Zippy Pockets
- The Egg

FEELING

EVIDENCE OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS

"All I do is slip on my 'coat'. It keeps me safe, it gives me that extra confidence. When I
face a situation in class - students playing up - I just slip out a skill from on of the many
pockets in my coat and I deal with it. I manage the situation and the behaviour, and
everyone can get on with their work".
-Ian Butler, Teacher from St. Francis Xavier Regional Catholic College, Beaconsfield,
Victoria, Australia.

"Dear Jenny, I have just completed reading your book, "Coat of Many Pockets" and
found it inspirational & in line with the culture we would like to facilitate in the
school".
-Jennifer Rendall, Principal at Middle Park Primary School in Melbourne.
"I would like to let you know that I have begun using your book and it has made me a
much calmer person in the classroom, and I feel like I have gained some control over
myself and the students. Thank you so much for writing a book that actually gives you
specific strategies for specific areas of need! I have also been recommending it
colleagues and I hope to attend more of your workshops in the future".
- Irit Rozenfeld, Classroom Music Teacher.

STRENGTHS/POTENTIAL
This book is designed as a pocket guide for teachers.
It is within a teachers immediate reach and that will become wellworn through extensive use.
It is structured with To Do activities, summaries, quick easy tips
and focus points to remember. It is both a handbook and a survival
guide.
Each chapter is clearly marked and defined, with sub-sections to
refer too.
The basis for the book is for teachers to imagine they are wearing a
coat with numerous pockets.
The author has created a series of valuable resources Teachers can
use that will further their research and practice, into managing
behaviour.

STRENGTHS/POTENTIAL cont.
One Chapter that clearly stands out for me is the
Behaviour Framework. McKay states that there are three
stages to developing guidelines for correct behaviour.
Stage One: Setting Behaviour outcomes management themes.
Stage Two: Setting Behaviour guidelines the behaviour frame.
Stage Three: The Interactive Management Process.

Coat of Many Pockets connects with readers in theform of

`transcripts' of theoretical staffroom conversations. These
are used to illustrate how teachers can support each other
in the development of positive classroom interactions.
Personal Experience.

LIMITATIONS
The text is written from the perspective that more authoritarian
matters be withdrawn entirely, such as adhering to a school's
disciplinary program or enrolling students in schools adept at
managing severe behavioural management.
Every teacher has a 'duty of care' towards every student under his
or her supervision by virtue of the conditions of the teacher's
employment, and by virtue of the common law principles of
negligence.
For example, when teachers see a possible or rising problem they
are able to skilfully nip it in the bud, thus preventing that
behaviour from escalating or re-occurring and still maintain the
learning flow.

LIMITATIONS cont.
Relating back to organisation and prior knowledge, the
text is aimed at beginning and/or returning teachers.
These teachers may not be privy to the knowledge of
the student body possessed by an educator who has
been at a school on a more frequent basis.
Aiming this text at teachers already established within
a particular school and familiar with their students
would see far greater results. The text should be used
as a development tool beginning and returning
teachers are exposed to after an initial period of time
following their employment.

DEMONSTRATION
-VIDEO

Teachers are People

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMdTB
ep3W9c

Reference List
Duty of Care, Department of Education and Child Services,
Government of South Australia http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/DutyofCare.pdf
Duchesne, S., McMaugh, A., Bochner, S., & Krause, K.L., (2013).
Educational Psychology: For Learning and Teaching. Victoria:
Cengage Learning Australia.
McKay, J., (2006). Coat of Many Pockets: Managing classroom
interactions. Victoria: ACER Press.
Shindler, J., (2010). Transformative Classroom Management:
Positive strategies to engage all students and promote a psychology
of success. San Francisco: Josset-Bass.
http://www.behaviour.com.au/coat.htm