Troublesome Children in Class

First published in 1976, Troublesome Children in Class is an authoritative account of a problem at the forefront of the minds of all teachers and students going into teaching. The author approaches the problem of troublesome children in class with great sympathy and understanding. She treats troublesome behaviour not as something to be stamped out by the force of discipline but as a problem to be understood widely and deeply in terms of the child’s individual predicament. She explores the teacher’s opportunities to help troublesome children and simultaneously to alleviate his own problems of class control.

Irene Caspari firstly looks at the stresses that schools as institutions place on teachers, children, and their parents, and the extent to which these stresses further or prevent growth and development. She then goes on to identify those troublesome children who need special help. In the final and major part of the book, the teacher’s contribution to helping these children is explored. His interventions are seen in terms of his understanding of the children’s behaviour and of the child-teacher relationship with particular emphasis on his insight into the children’s feelings and into his own. At the same time stress is laid on the importance of the teacher’s competence in teaching techniques.

Irene E. Caspari (1915–1976) arrived in England in 1935 aged 20, having fled the Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany. With her status defined as ‘enemy alien’, her life’s journey took her from her first job – as an assistant school matron, in exchange for board and lodgings – all the way to the Tavistock Clinic. Here, she trained and by 1961 became Principal Educational Psychologist. Irene Caspari was an original thinker. Her work marked the creation of what would become Educational Psychotherapy: a unique and much-needed approach to working with children, families, and school staff who struggle with emotional barriers to learning.

About the Caspari Foundation

The Caspari Foundation is the home of Educational Psychotherapy and remains the only organization in the UK dedicated to this specialized field. Based in London, this charity is committed to helping children and young people overcome the emotional and social barriers that prevent them from engaging in learning, with a simple but profound mission: to help every child experience the joy of learning.

The Foundation’s work today continues to be inspired by the vision and creativity of its founder, Irene Caspari, whose imagination and determination brought this unique organization into existence. Her pioneering approach to combining therapeutic support with educational practice laid the groundwork for what has become an essential resource for children facing learning challenges.