'Bursting with fresh ideas, packed with practical tips, filled with wise words, this is an inspiring guide for all teachers.' Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility, University of Exeter and co-author of What Works?
50 tried-and-tested practical ideas to help you tackle the top ten issues in your classroom.
Ross Morrison McGill, bestselling author of Mark. Plan. Teach. and Teacher Toolkit, pinpoints the top ten key issues that schools in Great Britain are facing today, and provides strategies, ideas and techniques for how these issues can be tackled most effectively.
We often talk about the challenges of teacher recruitment and retention, about new initiatives and political landscapes, but day in, day out, teachers and schools are delivering exceptional teaching and most of it is invisible. Ross uncovers, celebrates, and analyses best practice in teaching.
Supported by case studies and research undertaken by Ross in ten primary and secondary schools across Britain, including a pupil referral unit and private, state and grammar schools, as well as explanations from influential educationalists as to why and how these ideas work, Ross explores the issues of marking and assessment, planning, teaching and learning, teacher wellbeing, student mental health, behaviour and exclusions, SEND, curriculum, research-led practice and CPD.
With a foreword by Lord Jim Knight and contributions from Priya Lakhani, Andria Zafirakou, Mark Martin, Professor Andy Hargreaves and many more, this book inspires readers to open their eyes to how particular problems can be resolved and how other schools are already doing this effectively. It is packed with ideas and advice for all primary and secondary classroom teachers and school leaders keen to provide the best education they possibly can for our young people today.
Industry Reviews
Ross Morrison McGill has been asking penetrating questions about education policy for over a decade. Just Great Teaching doesn't disappoint. In an era of over-tested young people, a teacher recruitment crisis and grave concerns about workload, we urgently need solutions. This book provides a refreshing new vision of how our schools could be. * Fiona Millar, education writer and commentator, @schooltruth *
Listening to teachers about the pressures on their time, their wellbeing and their mental health, Ross offers back to the profession the practical wisdom he has accumulated. In the end, it is much more than Just Great Teaching; it is the hopeful manifesto our profession so urgently needs. * Mark Quinn, Programme Leader, London Centre for Leadership in Learning, UCL Institute of Education *
Drawing on his considerable experience as a classroom teacher and senior leader, Ross McGill's book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in improving their teaching practice. This is a powerful working document for a better education system. * Bobby Seagull, Maths Teacher, University of Cambridge Doctoral Student, Author and BBC TV Presenter, @bobby_seagull *
Essential reading for anyone involved in teaching and learning, at any level. Ross reminds you what is actually important in the classroom and provides evidence-based strategies to enable these aspects to be effectively implanted. Case studies from real schools lend credence and valuable references for when you implement the ideas yourself. Everything presented is justified, assessed and evaluated by Ross, giving you the confidence to put it into practice in your classroom. * Chris Fletcher, SCITT Director, Yorkshire and Humber Teacher Training, @sciencefletch *
Bursting with fresh ideas, packed with practical tips, filled with wise words, this is an inspiring guide for all teachers. * Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility, University of Exeter and co-author of 'What Works?', @LEM_Exeter *
Ross McGill does it again. Taking a problem-solving approach to key aspects of teachers' work - marking, assessing, planning and pedagogy - he provides a research-informed, practical set of suggestions to ensure Just Great Teaching. This book walks the talk of teacher and student wellbeing. * Stephen Tierney, CEO, blogger and author of 'Liminal Leadership', @LeadingLearner *
Just Great Teaching provides an honest, solution-focused account on the current state of teaching in the UK. For teachers determined to make lasting improvements to their practice, this book is an outstanding point of reference supported by evidence-based research findings. * Fabian Darku, further education teacher and blogger, @DarkuFabian *
