Following the success of the first edition, this revised second edition, brings the reader up-to-date with what it is like to be a teacher in a difficult class, and regularly faced with apathy, defiance and aggression. Sadly, numerous government initiatives since the 1998 publication of the first edition have not transformed the situation for teachers in difficult classrooms. Here, Paul Blum explores the impact and consequences of the changes made in the intervening years. Like its predecessor it offers sensible, practical advice, for all classroom teachers, on how to survive and succeed in the face of tremendous difficulty, and this updated edition includes new sections on teaching pupils with low reading ages, and on making the most effective use of teaching assistants.