Thanks for Chucking that at the Wall Instead of Me
​(2005, 2018)

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For adults
​An informative and reflective study of teaching at-risk students, Thanks for Chucking That at the Wall Instead of Me is a window into what many classroom teachers don’t get to see in their whirlwind vision of a disruptive student. One teacher’s experience is shared in a way that all teachers will relate to, on both a professional and personal level. The book offers a glimpse into real lives and the pain, struggles and emotion beneath the behaviour of “bad” kids.

Praise for Thanks for Chucking that at the Wall Instead of Me
This easy-to-read book taught me several valuable lessons, provided insights into the minds of at-risk students, and offered numerous new strategies using compassion, humour and positive reinforcement.

Kids need time, space and dignity as well as good communication skills to resolve conflicts and become successful problem solvers – willing (for the most part) to take ownership for themselves and their learning. This book offers excellent strategies for teaching these skills as well as for creating a more collegial atmosphere in your classroom and for reaching “unreachable” students. We need to provide outlets for kids to talk about their concerns and give them tools to solve their issues safely and appropriately.

The author is emphatic about always being absolutely honest with students. She says that in our effort to raise students’ self-esteem, we may be tempted to lie – like saying we like them or their work when we really don’t or that we aren’t mad at them when we really are. Kids will see right through such lies and, as Nawrocki points out, your credibility and effectiveness as an educator will be compromised. This book is a must read for anyone who interacts with challenging students.​"  – Professionally Speaking, The Magazine of the Ontario College of Teachers ( Sept. 2008)