The first part of this book charts and analyses the working days of 326 primary school teachers. It shows how they spent their working lives, the nature of the curriculum they taught, and analyses their work into five main categories: Teaching, Preparation, Administration, Professional Development and Other Activities. The second part comments on the findings by relating them to issues of school management and curriculum manageability and looks at how the idea of `conscientiousness' among primary school teachers may have lead to their exploitation.

What is it like to be a primary teacher? The first detailed study of the personal and professional experience of primary teachers in England and Wales, Primary Teachers Talking makes extensive use of verbatim evidence supplied by teachers during interviews in their first decade of work and again ten years later. In Part I Jennifer Nias discusses the importance attached to the ways in which primary teachers see themselves and the main dimensions of that self-image. In Part II, she examines the subjective experience of 'being a primary teacher', looking at the main factors which contribute to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and at teachers' relationships with their colleagues. She shows that to 'feel like a teacher' is to learn to live with dilemma, contradiction and paradox and - at its best - to experience in their resolution the creative satisfactions of the artist.

Jonathan Kozol, National Book Award-winning author and one of America’s foremost writers on social issues, offers a passionate and provocative critique on the role of the teacher in America’s public school system. Writing as a teacher, Kozol advocates an approach to education that is infused with ethical values: fairness, truth, and integrity, and a driving compassion for the world beyond the classroom. Kozol not only sheds light on what it means to be a teacher, but gives constructive suggestions on how teachers can work conscientiously within the system to foster these values in concert with parents, students and fellow teachers.

This accessible book provides student-teachers and new teachers with a good overview of how to organise the busy primary classroom.

All teachers are in the unique position of influencing the future happiness and success of the next generation; therefore it is crucial that the wellbeing of teachers is not overlooked. This proactive guide will empower school staff; it will enlighten and equip them with essential knowledge about wellbeing and remind them to never neglect their own health. It encourages a proactive approach to holistic wellbeing and deals with a serious topic in a humorous and lighthearted way. Structured as an easy-to-read guide, the chapters offer hands-on tips on how and why to support teacher wellbeing and advice on how to manage the increasing demands of planning, assessment and marking. What’s more, it emphasises the importance of sustaining a work-life balance, using mindfulness to relax and gain perspective, healthy eating, incorporating exercise into your schedule and maintaining a sense of calm in the classroom. This book: Includes personal stories that encompass the real experiences of early-career teachers, experienced teachers, senior leaders and trainee teachers. Delves into important topics such as stress, burnout, work-life balance, anxiety and controlling the mind. Highlights how to increase self-esteem, confidence and eradicate perfectionism at work. Suggests practical strategies related to workload reduction, peer support and a variety of self-care techniques. Written by a Primary Education lecturer with over 20 years of experience teaching in primary schools, this book is an essential resource for trainee teachers, early-career teachers, experienced teachers and school leaders alike.

What do I need to know about science to teach children in primary school? How can I make my science teaching successful? How do children learn to investigate scientifically? What are the dos and don’ts of science teaching? Written to support teachers who need to boost their science knowledge, this book covers science knowledge in sufficient breadth and depth to enable you to teach science effectively up to the end of Key Stage 2, as well as the core teaching and learning issues involved in the investigative process. Whether you are a student or a fully qualified teacher, the book is designed to help you find what you need quickly. The introduction provides a guide to how to use the book, including a table which cross references the subject knowledge against the National Curriculum, the QCA Scheme of Work and Primary Science Topics. This enables you to use the book in different ways, depending on your individual requirements. To ensure that teachers will be able to teach and respond to questions appropriately, the authors take science knowledge beyond what is required for Key Stage 2. This is important, as it helps to avoid over-simplifying concepts which can then cause misconceptions at Key Stage 3 and beyond. It also helps to broaden and develop the primary teacher’s own knowledge. Science for Primary School Teachers is a core text for teachers in training, and in professional development into the induction year and beyond.

Comparing the co-teaching relationship to a marriage, this resource offers a lighthearted yet comprehensive perspective on setting up, conducting, and maintaining a successful co-teaching partnership.