Book excerpt: Behaviour management in the classroom can be one of the most challenging aspects of teaching, but with the right approach it can be rewarding and enriching for both student and teacher. A Comprehensive Guide to Classroom Management provides a systematic overview of the major theories and styles of discipline in schools. Drawing on the latest international research, Porter outlines how teachers can develop a personal style in classroom management based on a sound understanding of theory. The emphasis is on proactive, authoritative approaches to discipline to engage students and facilitate the achievement of educational and social goals. Porter demonstrates how it is within the power of schools and teachers to create the conditions under which even disadvantaged or disenchanted students strive to learn. A Comprehensive Guide to Classroom Management is the essential handbook for preservice teachers and a valuable reference for more experienced teachers who want to develop their approach to complex behavioural challenges. 'True to its title, this is an enormously ambitious - indeed, encyclopaedic - resource that makes a compelling, multilayered case for putting respect for children's needs ahead of our urge to control them.' - Alfie Kohn, author of Beyond Discipline and Punished by Rewards 'There is so much to admire and absorb in this impressive and highly readable blend of research, idealism and sound sense - highly recommended for principals, aspiring school leaders and reflective practitioners teaching students with behavioural difficulties.' - Dr Ted Cole, lead editor of The Routledge International Companion to Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties