WRITER’
How self-reflection can improve your teaching
Teacher in the Cupboard By Lisa Jane Ashes Independent Thinking Press (and imprint of Crown House Publishing): paperback, 208 pages
If you are looking at becoming a more reflective and solution-focused practitioner, then this book is an excellent place to begin. The metaphor of “being in the cupboard” is designed to convey the idea of viewing situations and scenarios from an alternative perspective, and reflecting on the best course of action. Throughout, the text encourages self-reflection and the author brings a wealth of knowledge based on her previous experiences as both a teaching assistant and teacher. The book presents two very different viewpoints: the student’s and the teacher’s. This gives it an extra dimension, making it a very useful text to add to any teacher’s collection. Each chapter focuses on a different type of situation or scenario from the author’s experiences and explains tried and tested solutions to these everyday challenges. But the recurring theme throughout the book is the importance of
reflection as a way of helping us improve our teaching practice. I particularly enjoyed the insights on how to employ emotional intelligence appropriately to improve learner outcomes, including ideas on how to turn disruptive students into positive contributors to sessions. I would recommend this book, especially to those who want to improve their teaching further.
Review by Louise Ford is a Functional Skills tutor at PTS Training Academy. She is a Fellow of SET and holds Advanced Teacher Status (ATS).
WRITERS BLOG
MEMBER OFFER SET members are eligible for a 20 per cent reduction on the RRP for this book when ordering direct from Independent Thinking Press. Use discount code SET20 when prompted. Offer is valid until 31 December, 2019.
and offers advice on how to develop successful mentoring relationships. She includes stories, activities and reflection points to encourage self- reflection – a key part of any meaningful mentoring process.
MEMBER OFFER SET members are entitled to 20 per cent off the RRP for this book. See the offer for Visible Learning Insights above.
Understanding & Using Educational Theories (second edition) By Karl Aubrey and Alison Riley
Sage: paperback, 293 pages This book discusses the work of 17 hugely influential theorists, from Dewey to Dweck, with admirable clarity. Where it really scores is in its willingness to relate how each theory can be applied in practice. It also offers
critiques of each theory. Each chapter focuses on a separate theory, with a glossary of terms, a reflective task, further reading list and references. A useful companion for student teachers and trainers and those keen to refresh and develop their practice.
MEMBER OFFER See the offer (left) for Better Behaviour. A Guide for Teachers.
By Sue Cowley It always amazes me how creative teachers are. Throw a tricky problem at them and they will immediately come up with an artful way to resolve it. People ask whether teaching is a science, an art or a craft. I think it’s a mix of the three, but above all else, it’s an act of creative communication. I once met a teacher who told me she managed her class ‘by xylophone’. Apparently, she got out the ‘magic xylophone of classroom management’ at the start of each year, and taught her children five tunes. Each tune meant something different – ‘please fall silent’, ‘hand out the resources’, and so on. From that point on, she only ever spoke to her class to teach, not to manage behaviour – that was all done ‘by xylophone’. Then there was the teacher with the most creative reward system I’ve ever known. His girlfriend was a fan of celebrity magazines, and when she’d finished with them he put them in a cupboard in his classroom. If a student was working well, he would sneak into his cupboard, find a photo of the learner’s favourite celebrity, and then sign it to them as though he was the celebrity. He would then stroll past the student, dropping the photo on their desk and saying ‘Ronaldo/Stormzy/Beyoncé asked me to give this to you.’ I’ve collected lots of examples of this kind of teacher creativity because being artful and creative are, for me, what makes being a teacher such a great career.
Sue Cowley
is an author and teacher educator. Her book, The Artful Educator, is published by Crown House Publishing.
MEMBER OFFER SET members can claim 20 per cent off the RRP for The Artful Educator by ordering direct from Crown House Publishing using code SET20 when prompted. The offer is valid until 31 December, 2019.
inTUITION ISSUE 37 • AUTUMN 2019 37
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