Square Pegs: Inclusivity, compassion and fitting in – a guide for schools

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Square Peg - My Story and What It Means for Raising Innovators, Visionaries and Out-of-the-Box Thinkers, by L. Todd Rose is a great book with great ideas for our modern classrooms. Todd Rose was himself a 2E child. And the system failed him. He tells the story of how he was given a poetry assignment, and because he actually enjoyed writing poetry, he did it. His teacher failed him, thinking he had cheated, since Todd didn't try on any assignments, as a general rule. Even when Todd's mother plead his case to the teacher, the teacher held firm to the failed grade. Bringing different perspectives and expertise together in one place, Square Pegs aims to help school leaders and staff support children (and their families) more effectively. The authors cover a wide variety of topics – including school attendance, building relationships, trauma-informed practice, and behaviour management. Featuring contributions from more than 50 individual authors, this is an accessible, dip-in, dip-out book – perfect for busy school leaders. As a parent of two "square pegs" (both my children are autistic, amongst other needs), this book was a good read. Sometimes though, it was a bit over my head as it is aimed more at educators than at parent/carers. However, one of my "square pegs" has been so let down by the system that she is currently not in school. She was even let down by the special needs school we got her into after she crashed out of mainstream school. I just wish that educators would rethink how they approach children. I wish that politicians would stop trying to fix things by putting arbitrary targets into place. There needs to be a wholesale change in culture. Not every child's success is the same. We need to be able to help all children succeed, even if that means different ways for each child. They need to know that you are always there for them, even in very hard times, otherwise they lose hope in themselves. The Free Books Campaign is an initiative set up by Sofia Akel, which aims to get physical books by authors of colour to those who cannot access them, for free.

The other issue he mention in the book was using medication. His mom was concerned about it and he provided his thoughts on it as well. Of course, medication should never be used on a child, just because the parents don't have the patience for handling their child's unlimited flow of energy, doesn't make it ok to sedate them just because. There are plenty of books on how to cope with children who are hyperactive. I choose not to say ADHD because it is a label that is often abused and used on a child who shows the slightest sign of being hyper. Can you imagine if some of the greatest minds of our history were medicated as children, where we would be today? Exactly.....think about that for a minute. Square Peg is also a book for parents and educators who are looking for answers for helping kids survive and thrive in a failing education system. If you have a child with dyslexia or ADD or Asperger's you probably already know that your child doesn't do well in the current educational system. Rose provides specific techniques and ideas on how to be a better parent and how to be a more effective teacher when working with kids that are active learners. This book should be required reading for all SENCOs and headteachers in the UK, and even beyond. This book explains why the current school system fails certain children specifically and all children in a broader context. Written by Fran Morgan with Ellie Costello and edited by Ian Gilbert, Square Pegs: Inclusivity, compassion and fitting in – a guide for schools is a book for educators who find themselves torn between a government/Ofsted narrative around behaviour, attendance and attainment, and their own passion for supporting square pegs and their families.

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This is an outstanding book in terms of content, awareness and relevance of the issues facing schools with increasing numbers of learners falling by the wayside. The authors enable the reader to reflect on real issues that arise and ways forward to promote potential. The book will be a major asset for teachers and lecturers at all levels to develop confidence, awareness, and personal safe practice to promote change. In particular, it serves as a reminder to all senior managers to change the mind set from re-shaping the square peg to broadening the round hole. Square Peg is, in part, a memoir about L. Todd Rose's experience growing up a misunderstood, wild and out of control kid with ADHD. He is every teachers nightmare, throwing stink bombs in school. He ends up making a lot of mistakes including, failing high school and is three steps short of being a juvenile delinquent. He had a couple of things going for him though, a mother who loved and accepted him and the will to succeed. He uses this will to succeed to reinvent himself. Square Peg is the story of how he went from being a failure at the very bottom of the educational system to a Harvard graduate student.

In recent years, many schools in England have started to implement strict policies around behaviour, curriculum and attendance. As the screws tighten, more and more square pegs (read ‘deeply distressed young people’) have started voting with their feet. When you stop going to school, it creates all kinds of problems: home visits, financial penalties and, incredibly, the threat of custodial sentences for the parents and carers of persistent ‘offenders'. The fact that so many young people should choose such strife over attending school should tell us something very important about their lived experience of our one-size-fits-all education system. It seems likely that increasing numbers of square pegs will continue voting with their feet until we reach crisis point. But this crisis can be averted if we listen to the voices of those affected now. This brilliantly curated book is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in creating a more diverse, empathic, responsive educational ecosystem that works for all young people. In the face of the pressures on libraries, community centres and families across the UK in the cost-of-living crisis, Sofia’s work to make books more accessible is vital. We couldn’t think of a better place to celebrate our renewed partnership than the 2000 Community Action Centre, with a day-long, family friendly programme of talks and workshops. It is great to be working with the community centre team, Sofia and authors and colleagues across Vintage to put together an event where everyone feels welcome and can take home a free book by an author of colour.” The two authors primarily act as editors, as the book is a collection of works from a wide variety of over 50 individual contributors, including headteachers, lawyers, parents and people with lived experience. Fundamentally, the book is a guide for schools and is aimed at teaching staff. However, the content is not weighed down with heavy educational jargon and is therefore easily generalisable to parents or those working outside of direct education such as social workers or support workers... Vintage will partner with the Free Books Campaign for the second year in a row, donating 300 books over the course of 2023. The Penguin imprint will donate 300 titles to the campaign this year, starting with Rukmini Iyer’s India Express (Square Peg). Books by Warsan Shire, Diana Evans and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah will also be among the 300 titles, as will debuts from Jacqueline Crooks and Ore Agbaje-Williams.One of the strengths of the book is the varied voices it features. The editors do an excellent job of highlighting these experiences through the many personal stories and expert insights, making this book a must-read for educators and school leaders seeking to understand, appreciate, and nourish the unique qualities that make each student special. However, with so many authors offering differing opinions, the book can leave the reader feeling a bit muddled with conflicting advice and viewpoints as well as repetitive chapters.

So what makes this book different from all the others? The author shows his thought process about how he viewed the world and how the world viewed him. He made this a personal journey about all his troubles and what he did to fix them and arrive on top. He combined the idea of his personal struggles with how the world views trouble makers like him and what they try to do about it. He wanted to show the world that kids like him can come out on top, if they get the support they need. I LOVE the way the book is set up. Each chapter begins with a relevant quote and the chapters are easy to read, entertaining, informative and positive. At the end of every chapter are listed the Big Ideas as well as Action Items.After his article and TED talk, I thought, "Yeah, but not everyone will work for Google. Not everyone will be president of the United States or even of a company. I'm not sure you can change the whole system to supposedly meet the needs of a handful of students and the expense of all students." If all you want is facts and research results so you can find their flaws, read research journals, and leave this one alone.