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Toxic Schools: How to avoid them & how to leave them
Helen Woodley's critically-important action research is an investigation into the effect of working in a toxic schools on teacher mental health and wellbeing. Five teachers share their experiences of working in toxic schools across a variety of settings. Strategies for coping in such schools are shared, including a wider look at how school culture can be developed to better support staff.
"Toxic Schools takes what others might wish to hide away and brings it centre stage. It shines a bright light on how some schools create and sustain cultures that damage individual teachers and the profession as a whole. It is a call-out which we all need to hear. And it is also a call to arms. Reading this book, reflecting on its content and discussing the insights helps us to generate a language and a conceptual framework for change. Schools can change for the better from the inside out, and this book might be a major contribution to creating that change." -- Professor Rachel Lofthouse, Professor of Teacher Education, Founder of CollectivEd
"Toxic Schools takes what others might wish to hide away and brings it centre stage. It shines a bright light on how some schools create and sustain cultures that damage individual teachers and the profession as a whole. It is a call-out which we all need to hear. And it is also a call to arms. Reading this book, reflecting on its content and discussing the insights helps us to generate a language and a conceptual framework for change. Schools can change for the better from the inside out, and this book might be a major contribution to creating that change." -- Professor Rachel Lofthouse, Professor of Teacher Education, Founder of CollectivEd
280 pages, Paperback
Published November 21, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 12, 2021
There was a lot of good thought-provoking stuff in here including good academic research (though at least one missing reference in bibliographies). I especially liked the reference to imposed fads with no research base.
I thought there were key omissions though in relation to older teachers experiencing toxicity and leaving teaching: 1. The way teaching has changed - were reflections on early career posts being better due to the freedom of the day? 2. Are older/ more experienced teachers silenced more because they historically had opportunity to be creative and build relationships and know there is a better way? 3. A perusal of social media highlights a consistent pattern of older staff being forced out and unable to obtain posts in other schools due to their costliness yet this was only alluded to once in passing
Also no mention of academisation
I thought there were key omissions though in relation to older teachers experiencing toxicity and leaving teaching: 1. The way teaching has changed - were reflections on early career posts being better due to the freedom of the day? 2. Are older/ more experienced teachers silenced more because they historically had opportunity to be creative and build relationships and know there is a better way? 3. A perusal of social media highlights a consistent pattern of older staff being forced out and unable to obtain posts in other schools due to their costliness yet this was only alluded to once in passing
Also no mention of academisation
November 14, 2020
Life saving. It helped me to take a step back and stop blaming myself. A must-read for anyone working in a toxic school. Should be a mandatory reading for any member of SLT.
April 9, 2024
An ethnography backed up by psychological research on teachers' experiences in the profession.
Heartbreakingly, this book really resonated with me.
Why? I'd read this book at my 10 year teaching mark, where I was so disengaged and frustrated at the education system I was ready to quit.
Within my career in education spanning 10 years at the point of reading, 4 London secondary schools and 1 north West all boys school when I read this book the first time, I could relate to far too many of the stories in this book.
The toxicity of schools, leaders, and pupils alike is enough to make anyone question being a teacher as a profession. May be the government should read this to even remotely begin to understand the challenges of education on a systematic level, never mind the influence of student behaviour. It definitely provides an insight into why veteran educators are leaving in droves and why newly qualified aren't making it to the 5 year mark.
A helpful read to let educators know they're not on their own, how to identify unhealthy behaviours from all staff at all levels, and ultimately provide ways that these situations can be improved for the better.
A really poignant and powerful read for me at a pivotal moment in my career, and if I'm honest it helped reinvigorate me that I didn't have to tolerate the environments I was in, and that not all schools operate this way.
Heartbreakingly, this book really resonated with me.
Why? I'd read this book at my 10 year teaching mark, where I was so disengaged and frustrated at the education system I was ready to quit.
Within my career in education spanning 10 years at the point of reading, 4 London secondary schools and 1 north West all boys school when I read this book the first time, I could relate to far too many of the stories in this book.
The toxicity of schools, leaders, and pupils alike is enough to make anyone question being a teacher as a profession. May be the government should read this to even remotely begin to understand the challenges of education on a systematic level, never mind the influence of student behaviour. It definitely provides an insight into why veteran educators are leaving in droves and why newly qualified aren't making it to the 5 year mark.
A helpful read to let educators know they're not on their own, how to identify unhealthy behaviours from all staff at all levels, and ultimately provide ways that these situations can be improved for the better.
A really poignant and powerful read for me at a pivotal moment in my career, and if I'm honest it helped reinvigorate me that I didn't have to tolerate the environments I was in, and that not all schools operate this way.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews