Square Peg is a informative book for parents and educators alike. I think it might be my new teaching mantra as I have recommended it to several of my colleagues already. I'm going to end with one of my favorite quotes included in the book.

Recently, a 13-year-old girl with autism gave me a list of what a good school for her would look like: well-organised, supportive, calm, focused on learning, there to help. These are all things we would want to see for every child in every school. After spending two years out of the classroom because a succession of schools was unable to meet her needs, she went on to find a school which understood her and provided the springboard she needed to do well. She went on to achieve great things in her GCSEs and is now in sixth form. Like Square Peg, I want all schools to see the potential in all children and provide the support they need. 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.I've come across this "rote memorization" argument a lot lately when reading about education reform. But when I hear a 7th-grade math teacher say that her students don't know what 3 times 4 is, I have to argue that, actually, there is still a place for memorization in our children's education: times tables, for instance. This book offers a wealth of practical examples of how collaboration between schools and families, alongside the will to make a culture shift, can lead to successful inclusion practices. It is very readable and contains practical advice and solutions, framed within the current educational context, that leaders, teachers and support staff can use to create the right systems and support to ensure that every child and young person really is more than just ‘fine in school’. The story of the Square Peg is a book every parent who has a troubled child should read. There are so many parents out there who have forgotten what it means to be a kid, especially being a kid in today's times. I'm not sure when it happens, but it seems that as soon as adults turn into parents, they lose all sense of reality and common sense. They like to believe that what they are doing is best for their kids, when sometimes it is not. This book explains the trouble the author had growing up because of all the trouble he got himself into. His impulsivity always made him look like a kid with no future and no chance of doing anything good with his life. Boy, did he prove them wrong. It’s a must-read for everyone with a vision of an education system that can be ‘fixed’ through collaboration and brave actions.

The conventions prevailing today in most schools throughout the world, in which rote memorization is still, anachronistically, prized originated in early-nineteenth-century Prussia, where the compulsory school system was designed to churn out loyal and obedient soldiers and factory workers. The model was never meant to nurture individual potential or creativity, but rather to instill uniformity and compliance." (p. 16)This story made me so angry! And even though that was probably 20-30 years ago, things like this still happen quite commonly in our educational system. Anyway, being in this Facebook group has really opened my eyes to the struggles many of our students face in the classroom today. It's truly amazing how the system can fail so many of our children, and yet still be good-intentioned. Since establishing Independent Thinking 25 years ago, Ian Gilbert has made a name for himself across the world as a highly original writer, editor, speaker, practitioner and thinker, and is someone who the IB World magazine has referred to as one of the world's leading educational visionaries.

The book challenges readers to think deeply about the experiences of children who are labeled as "square pegs" in their education. It highlights the need for a supportive and inclusive environment in schools, where every student is given the opportunity to reach their full potential. The contributors to the book show us that by providing such an environment, square pegs are given the chance to thrive and be proud of who they are. This not only benefits the individual pupil but also enriches the entire school community, creating a diverse and accepting atmosphere where everyone is valued for their unique contributions. As a teacher, I can get defensive when faced with a critique of the profession and this book certainly doesn’t shy away from that. However, I made a conscious decision to leave my teacher hat at the door and to give the book a fair shot. Square Pegs - Inclusivity, Compassion, and Fitting In," is a highly anticipated book that has resonated with potential readers in a big way. This comprehensive guide features 38 different chapters and 53 contributors, offering a diverse array of perspectives and experiences.This is a book that is firmly on the side of children as they try to come to terms with a school system that is designed to encourage conformity. It highlights the way some schools manage to set the child at the heart of what they do in every sense of the term. There are case studies that shine a light on the child's perspective and solutions offered for other schools to try. Reading it is both heart-wrenching and uplifting ... but uplifting wins. attended the inaugural conference of INSA (the International Network for School Attendance) in Oslo in October 2019, and now sit on two INSA committees But while the variety of voices and stories is one of the book’s strengths, it is also one of its key limitations. With 53 different perspectives, some of which offer contradictory views and others that repeat what has already been covered, the book at times left me feeling a bit muddled, wondering which viewpoint was the most valid or credible and whether repetition lent certain arguments more weight.