Biography

Mark Le Messurier is a teacher, an author and a national conference presenter. He lives in Adelaide, Australia, and is married to Sharon. They have two daughters, Kim 25 years and Noni 23 years.

His background spans twenty years in the classroom which includes special education, adult education, child-centred education and community education projects.

Twelve years ago, shortly after receiving the prestigious National Excellence in Teaching Award, he set up a private practice at FULLARTON HOUSE in Adelaide, South Australia to mentor children and teens that experience learning, social or behavioural problems.

What these young individuals have in common is that they 'do it tough' in all sorts of ways at school and at home. Within his practice he provides counselling, educational advice, academic remediation and social skills training. His expertise is developing Cognitive Behavioural Training (CBT) programs to underpin the success of students. Many of the young individuals he works alongside display clusters of troubling behaviours that attract formal identification. Diagnoses include; Giftedness, Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Immaturity, Oppositional behaviours, Specific Learning Difficulties, especially Dyslexia, Language Disorder, Auditory Processing Disorder, Asperger Syndrome and so on. Mark's work focuses on strengthening their success through mentorship and through the encouragement of stronger, trusting relationships between parents, teachers and students.

Mark regularly presents at workshops and conferences for schools, parents and interested groups throughout Australia, Asia and New Zealand. His presentations relate to mentoring, ADD & ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Specific Learning Difficulties, developing emotional resilience, finding homework success, parenting strategies and teaching children with challenging behaviours.

In 2000 Mark co-authored a student workbook and accompanying film entitled STOP & THINK Friendship with Lindy Petersen www.stopthinkdo.com. This is a social skills resource for primary-aged students and young adolescents. Due to ever increasing demand this package was updated and re-released in 2006 and continues to be distributed by the Australian Council for Educational Research to schools, educators and clinicians throughout Australia and internationally.

In 2004 Mark wrote 'Cognitive Behavioural Training: A How-to Guide for Successful Behaviour'. It is published and distributed by Hawker Brownlow Education www.hbe.com.au. This continuing best seller was written for special education coordinators, teachers, teachers in training, parents, school support officers, counsellors, psychologists and health professionals and is distributed throughout Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland. It addresses common problems that students face: organisation, remembering, self-awareness, motivation and emotional resilience. The ideas, engaging photocopiable exercises and authentic case studies offer reliable ways to underpin the wavering behaviours displayed by many students.

Mark has also completed a teacher training and development film about Dyslexia. It is called: Reflections on Dyslexia and is designed for teachers, parents & older students. It looks at the lives of four individuals who live with Dyslexia. They tell how their learning difficulty has steered the choices they have made, what has helped, and what has hurt along the way. Reflections on Dyslexia is available to individuals, schools, colleges and tertiary institutions. It is distributed nationally and internationally.

Two years ago the South Australian Catholic Behaviour Education Team approached Mark to design and facilitate a unique In-School Mentoring Program. This ground-breaking program has trained an array of South Australian Catholic school staff in the art of mentoring students who experience learning, social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. It has become the quiet achiever building capacity in Catholic Schools to companion students in need of that little extra care and encouragement.

The Mentoring Program provides for ongoing friendship and support from a caring, stable adult working within the school system. Students (mentees) meet with trained staff volunteers (mentors) at school in regular face-to-face meetings each week to review the week, to plan and monitor progress and to discuss social, emotional and academic issues they may be experiencing. The program provides opportunities for teachers, educational support officers, administrative and ancillary personnel to develop thoughtful approaches and skills to mentor students of all ages on a one-to-one basis.

By the end of the day's workshop participants are ready to begin a mentoring relationship with a student in their school. To date, a group of inspirational staff are quietly taking special care of more than 200 of the most vulnerable students in South Australian Catholic schools. The hope is that gradually, more and more 'at risk' students will be supported by the amazing ripple effect that is beginning to radiate from this uplifting program. A program that is producing far more value than anyone ever dreamed. Training details are available at: http://online.cesanet.adl.catholic.edu.au/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-293

Mark has just completed his third book and it's for parents, parent resource libraries, teachers, special education coordinators, school counsellors and psychologists, in fact, for anyone who has an investment in children aged between 4 and 14. Within the first 9 months of release national and international sales topped an amazing 6,000. Parenting Tough Kids - Simple Proven Strategies for Success (ISBN 978075231210) is already into its 3rd reprint. This book presents a collection of healthy, winning ways to bring about helpful organisational and behavioural changes for all children, especially those who do it tough; who learn differently, react differently and think they can't. Filled with easy to read, real case studies and ideas it is a book that delivers a 'hands-on' approach to improve the behaviour, emotion, organisation, learning & friendship skills of children.

Not surprisingly Mark's latest project is a new book. Mark has been commissioned by the Routledge Taylor and Francis group of educational publishers, London, www.routledge.com to write Teaching Tough Kids. It is due for release late in 2009.