Independent Thinking on Primary Teaching (Practical strategies for working smarter, not harder)

Foreword by Ian Gilbert.Primary school teachers are working harder than ever, and have more and more to do in the finite time they have with their pupils, but Mark Creasy believes it doesn't need to be like this. With rare experience in both primary and secondary phases and at leadership as well as classroom levels, Mark is ideally placed to comment on what works and what doesn't - and in this book he urges teachers to recognise that there is another way.In Independent Thinking on Primary Teaching, Mark encourages teachers to stop and consider the things they do daily in the classroom and presents a series of prompts, nudges and suggestions to help them achieve the same (or even better) results by working smarter, not harder. In so doing he shares a wealth of practical and easily transferable tips for immediate use in the classroom, all designed to streamline teachers' schedules and lighten their workload while enlivening children's learning.These are in no way doctrines, or silver bullets for success, and nothing that Mark advocates requires further investment of either time or money; rather, these 'working smarter' tips are geared to win teachers their evenings and weekends back, something that many more teachers need than is healthy for the profession.Essential reading for primary school teachers.Independent Thinking on Primary Teaching is one of a number of books in the Independent Thinking On ... series from the award-winning Independent Thinking Press.; Written by Mark Creasy, Independent Thinking on Primary Teaching: Practical strategies for working smarter, not harder paints a vivid picture of life in a primary school and shares top tips on how to enrich children's learning at no extra cost to teachers' time or the school budget.;

This book is easy to read and is jam-packed with years and years' worth of wisdom from an experienced teacher. Mark's insights will generate thinking, reflection and action in teachers at every stage of their career. Early career teachers will pick up tons of strategies they can implement easily, while more experienced teachers will reflect on their own practice and consider how they can make it even better - and all will smile at Mark's understanding of how schools, their staff, their pupils and their parents work and behave. Reading Independent Thinking on Primary Teaching is akin to having the privilege of being present in Mark's classroom, in planning meetings with him, reflecting with him in the staffroom after a day's teaching, and observing his interactions with parents, colleagues and children, with the added benefit of a running commentary about his decision-making at every turn. And throughout the book, Mark's passion for teaching and love for the children he teaches is writ large.

Rachel Tomlinson

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How I wish Independent Thinking on Primary Teaching had been on my shelf when I first started teaching. It would by now be falling apart due to constant use. Full of wisdom and common sense, this is a book of hope and possibilities in which Mark asks questions designed to help teachers consider the ways we work.Each chapter encourages us to reflect positively on what we already know and do, and provokes us to examine this with optimism - enabling us to see there is always another way to look at things, and offering alternative strategies that may just make our lives easier and our environments for learning more effective. Mark is the kind of coach we all need in our classrooms: authentic, values-led and focused on creating the very best environments for learning - enabling us to work smarter, not harder.Now is the time to focus on relationships, the golden thread that weaves its magic throughout the book. Mark puts our children and families at the forefront of our thinking and promotes a love of teaching, learning and self. With this book full of playful ideas, warmth and connection, he restores our sense of purpose and clears the way to enable more learning, as well as r