Teacher: Mastering the Art and Craft of Teaching

by Tom Bennett

Most teacher manuals talk about what teachers need to do. That's useful enough, especially for new teachers. But no list, however long, can anticipate every circumstance, and in teaching unusual circumstances are an integral part of everyday life. But how do experienced teachers know what to do?

Successful teachers develop a Teaching Character; they've worked on the qualities and personality traits that they need in order to cope successfully with the full spectrum of situations that being a teacher can involve. Veterans don't ask themselves, 'What does the teaching guide book tell me?' when confronted with difficult situations - they react instinctively, based on the character skills they've developed over time. Unfortunately, for most people this process of learning is unguided, and unconscious. It's time for a self-help manual that actually helps.

This book includes case studies and anecdotes, chapter summaries and humorous illustrations to help teachers reflect on what it means to be a teacher, and why it is the most rewarding profession there is.

Genres: Teaching, Education

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2012

About the author

Tom Bennett was a teacher in inner-city London schools for thirteen years.

Currently he is the Director and founder of researchED, a grass-roots organisation that aims to make teachers research-literate and pseudo-science proof.

Since 2013 researchED has grown from a tweet to an international conference movement that so far has spanned three continents and six countries. He is also the series editor for the best-selling range of researchED books, and the editor of the quarterly researchED magazine.

In 2009 he was made a Teacher Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. From 2008-2016 he wrote a weekly column for the TES and TES online, and is the author of five books on teacher-training, behaviour management and educational research. In 2015 he was long listed for the GEMS Global Teacher Prize, and in that year was listed as one of the Huffington Post’s ‘Top Ten Global Educational Bloggers’.

In March 2017, Tom published a review of behaviour in schools for the UK Department of Education (DfE). In 2019 he chaired the Behaviour Management Group for the DfE and was appointed their independent Behaviour Advisor. He trains teachers and schools around the world in all aspects of behaviour management and research integration. He currently leads the Department for Education’s Behaviour Hubs project, a £10 million program designed to reboot behaviour skills in disadvantaged schools throughout the UK.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book useful and challenging, but it lost a mark for swearing and typing errors that are the fault of the publisher as opposed to the author. It has helped get a slightly jaded teacher enthused about a new school year though, and reminded me that I promised myself never to slip into the rut! Heavy secondary school bias ((primary teachers read as well!) but overall a good book.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book on the practice of education that I've ever read . Bennett is (rightly!) known for his skepticism of much modern educational research . Here he manages to weave that skepticism in with a focus on Aristotelian virtue ethics and laugh out loud humour . Highly recommended .

[Ross McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mastermind of a read!