APSU's Dr. Allison Oliver shares expertise in new behavior management textbook
By: Erin Bell September 11, 2024
Dr. Allison Oliver, an assistant professor in the Eriksson College of Education at Austin Peay State University, facilitates a workshop in Spring 2024. Oliver recently released a new behavior management book for teachers. | Photo by Ally Shemwell
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Dr. Allison Oliver, an assistant professor in Austin Peay State
University’s Eriksson College of Education, recently published a new textbook, “The Behavior Blueprint: Practical Tactics for
Today’s Practitioners.”
The third-year professor’s solo-authored textbook marks a continuation in her journey from aspiring registered
nurse to public schoolteacher to faculty member and published author. Oliver aims
for the publication to assist aspiring teachers and seasoned educators.
“I wanted to create something that the everyday teacher that may not be going back
to school to obtain an additional degree could understand and implement things from,”
she said.
After years as an educational assistant and special education teacher, Oliver is familiar with the everyday realities of classroom life. While she was originally interested in healthcare, she ultimately followed in the footsteps of other family members into teaching after receiving her undergraduate degree at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi.
While publishing is an expectation for university professors, writing a textbook as a new faculty member was not easy. Oliver declined her publisher's offer three times due to her busy schedule and personal life. However, she noticed that many textbooks were research-heavy and lacked tools that teachers could easily apply.
The textbook discusses the foundation behind behavior and behavior management. It expands beyond special education settings and focuses on teachers’ proactive approaches and classroom management skills for working with all different types of students.
From the textbook, current teachers can learn practical strategies without obtaining a behavioral degree or formalized training, while aspiring teachers can gain knowledge that gives them a starting point as a new face in the classroom.
Teachers can also learn more about intervention plans, behavior assessments, and developing relationships with students in the classroom.
Over the 13 months it took Oliver to write the textbook, one of her main challenges was making sure the text was unbiased.
“We bring our own privilege and our own level of knowledge when we’re writing or researching, and I wanted it to be a non-biased text that anybody could pick up,” said Oliver.
Oliver hopes that she receives honest feedback about the information in her book, and that it inspires teachers and students to utilize some of her strategies in the classroom.
The e-book can be purchased through Kendall Hunt Publishing Company or through Austin Peay’s Ann Ross Bookstore. Instructors and higher education professionals can have a complimentary copy when they request to preview it for a course.
If you would like to contact Oliver about her book, you can email olivera@apsu.edu. For more information about faculty publications in the Eriksson College of Education,
contact Communications Director Megan Simpson at simpsonm@apsu.edu or 931-221-7512.
About the Eriksson College of Education
The Eriksson College of Education prepares dynamic teachers and educational leaders to positively impact communities and schools in the 21st century. The college offers initial and advanced licensure and non-licensure programs. The college’s programs, including the nationally-known Grow Your Own Teacher Residency, are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP). To learn more, visit apsu.edu/education.