Based on the acclaimed series 'The Issue' in the Times Educational Supplement, this book brings together Steven Hastings' vast experience and offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges and concerns facing modern schools. Everything from tackling truancy to teaching children to write, from teenage suicide to pets in the classroom, this easy-to-digest guide cuts through the jargon to offer professional advice, expert opinion and practical ideas for better teaching. Divided into three themed sections, the book proves a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the main issues affecting contemporary schools: the healthy classroom, including dealing with junk food and bereavement, the thinking classroom, from emotional intelligence to personalized learning the well-rounded classroom, covering everything from going green to pupil power. Both informative and practical, the book provides a coherent synthesis of the current key topics in teaching, illustrates each topic with firsthand case studies, provides follow-up resources and shows how each topic inter-relates. Whether you're an NQT or an experienced classroom teacher, a governor or a school manager, this is the essential guide to life in schools today.