Teaching: A Field Manual

There is no silver bullet to being a successful teacher – if that is what you are looking for, then you have come to the wrong place. Forget the hacks, the short cuts, and the theory that you think will save you, none of it works. What this book does offer is practical solutions to becoming a highly productive and ultimately more successful teacher. How do you measure success in the classroom? Simple – the students are happy, and their results are good. No matter how much teachers deny it, we are in a results driven business and if the progress, SATs, GCSE and A Level results are poor, then the buck stops with you. I accept that there will always be that one particular year group, or the class from hell, but if you are producing good results year on year, then you are a success. Many of the methods discussed in this book may seem unrealistic at first glance and somewhat over exaggerated to the casual reader. However, trust me, these are the methods that I employ every single day in my job as a teacher. Although I had the privilege of developing much of what I know at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and through a short military career, all the principles I suggest are simple and can be learnt and applied in your own career as a teacher. Teaching and the military are not fit for the short-term planner, they are careers for long term thinkers, planners, and leaders. I am often asked about my role as an Army Officer and too often I hear people react with "that's a big change of career" or "teaching and the Army must be very different". Well, the simple fact is, they are not. They are actually very similar with two key factors:1 - Leadership 2 - DisciplineIn the Army we have field manuals to help us in every aspect of our profession, we carry it with us, and we use it often. If you need to know how to establish a LZ (landing zone), clear a VP (vulnerable point) or conduct orders for an advance to contact, use your field manual. This book offers the same for you, as a teacher - luckily however, the risk of death is removed!Read this book, and then use it where you feel necessary to reference your areas of need. Keep it by your computer, or on your desk, and when you are unsure of what to do, or your workload is running away from you, pick this book back up and access everything you need Read more