David Hodgson is a training consultant and author who works with teachers and students across the UK and abroad. He has written a number of books to help teachers and students thrive in the classroom and beyond.
The Buzz gets students to think of themselves, their skills and
their outlook in a whole new way. The students get the opportunity
to self-assess through engaging tasks and activities, to learn how
to get the most out of opportunities and their future. Students
from all backgrounds and geographical locations can relate and
respond to the book. The Buzz is a wonderful positive influence on
students and we love to use it.Lorna Bowling, Student Recruitment
and Admissions, The University of York
The Buzz has been a fun and accessible way for our students to
relate their personality type to their preferred learning styles
and identify areas for skills development that will allow them to
achieve success.Tanya Harrison, Assistant Project Manager,
Realising Opportunities
The Buzz is an interesting and topical self-help style book aimed
at building the confidence of teenagers through raising
self-understanding and exploring preferences. When I read the
blurb, which describes itself as blending Neuro-Linguistic
Programming (NLP) with personality type theory, I did wonder
whether learning styles or discussion of cognition would feature
and felt a little apprehensive about reviewing; I am unsure about
profiling because it can have a tendency to act as a labeller for
people, limiting movement within a given profile. Yet, on the other
hand, it can help affirm a sense of identity and build
understanding of how this develops which is particularly relevant
for the audience The Buzz is aimed at. It seems education and
psychology have become synonymous with each in the last year, with
brain gym and preference profiling being replaced with
understanding of grit and resilience now taking priority, which may
have influenced the republishing of this new edition of the book.
Hodgson's style is accessible for teens and offers a light approach
to helping them build confidence through understanding of self.
Separated into three main sections focused on personality,
behaviour and action, The Buzz offers a skeleton model for teens to
reflect on themselves, before working towards where they could go
next. The book is loaded with short practical activities, which if
enacted, could lead to changes in thinking patterns and combined
with the style, read like a cognitive behaviour therapy manual. As
a light touch to attempting to athink on the bright side', I feel
this could be useful to teens as it develops some awareness of
place and self; as anything more, I am unsure that it is of
benefit, however this view may be influenced by my limitations as a
writer and own reading preferences. All sections feel quite content
heavy when reading, but are balanced by the conversational tone of
Hodgson's writing. Personally, I found this book to be a bit much
for me due to that a I felt it too over friendly for me a but I am
aware I read through the eyes of an adult with an interest and
experience of some of the things discussed in the book. As a
reviewer, I can only offer a review on my imagined perception of
what teens would make of it. From the teenagers I've experienced, I
think they would find it readable and entertaining based on the
humour. I think this book is useful on the basis that it encourages
a positive self-theory that can then lead to less anxiety and
better consequential decision making, in turn affecting motivation
a one success can cultivate the next if a person is able to frame
their place in the world positively. However, I would encourage
readers to bear in mind that the writer has written from a point of
view of being interested in NLP and Personality Theory, the latter
being able to be applied quite generically; for teens who are in
need of some vague direction, this may be an pleasant read, but for
those who are in need of support and more personal guidance, I
wouldn't recommend it. As educators (or parents/guardians) the
relevance of this book is dependent upon you knowing the teenager
you're considering giving it to. This article was originally
published in the November 2015 Edition of the
UKEdMagazine.UKEdChat.com
Based on NLP techniques, this is a sparky, positive handbook for
navigating the turbulent waters of adolescence, teaching teens the
kinds of things that can often get left out of the standard school
curriculum - how to get out of an argument; ways to relax;
understanding your personality; and making those important and
potentially daunting decisions about what is going to happen beyond
compulsory education. Hodgson delivers his training with warmth and
humour and packs the pages with with games and activities that
could easily and usefully be worked into a classroom session.
There''s a website (thebuzzbook.co.uk) too, featuring free
resources including personality tests, excerpts from the book, MP3
downloads and ''Ask the Buzz'' - an online advice service
especially for teens. Teach Secondary, issue 4.7, October 2015
Generally, I've been impressed with The Buzz because it distils the
highly (and, in my opinion, usually needlessly) complex process of
determining personality type into its most salient elements. Not
only that, but The Buzz then links these concepts to specific anext
steps' that are applicable to teens. I've watched David Hodgson
present several times and it never fails to engage the audience
because he makes what he's saying relevant to the lives of the
students with whom he's working. David is a natural at talking to
teens in their own language and on their own terms. Everyone can
take away the concepts David presents and find meaningful
application for their own lives.Dr William Rupp, Learning and
Development Adviser, The University of Warwick
Having successfully implemented ideas from David's original text on
motivating and building confidence for teenagers, I was pleased to
see that the book had extended its framework. The minor amendments
have extended the text and will benefit those working with the
disaffected, returners to employment and those described as NEET
who need external motivation to kick-start their desire to live and
work as effective members of society. John T. Morris, Director, JTM
Educational Consultants
Techniques to help young people improve their confidence, discover
their strengths and skills, realise their potential and make the
best choices. Includes advice on how to build self-esteem and learn
about your personality. Hot off the Press section, The TES, October
2015
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