Book: Love Teaching, Keep Teaching by @PRadfordSpeaker via @CrownHousePub

Love Teaching, Keep Teaching

£16.99*

8.8

Content

9.0/10

Accessible

9.0/10

Authority

8.5/10

Practical

9.0/10

Value

8.5/10

Pros

• A personal, and real-life, account on what can happen when wellbeing is not given due attention.
• A well referenced book, utilising many strategies and ideas from renowned educationalists, psychologists and researchers.
• Offers 3 sections aimed at challenging and improving school cultures.
• Reflective and difficult questions asked throughout aimed at challenging the reader to reframe thinking.
• Peter advocates for joined-up thinking about teacher wellbeing and mental health.

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Planning, marking, teaching, meetings, online learning, assessments, pastoral care…teachers soon enter the job realising that juggling all these school responsibilities can overwhelm and take over life. Without attention, these ongoing tasks slowly, but surely, start taking over life outside school with an inevitable negative impact on health and wellbeing for some individual teachers. As research highlighted, teachers work harder than any other group of professionals, so staying well in this high-pressure profession needs constant monitoring and attention.

The emphasis of Peter Radford’s ‘Love Teaching: Keep Teaching’ book is an essential guide to improve wellbeing in all schools. Introducing his own downward spiral of health and wellbeing, Peter identifies where it can go wrong for individual teachers: taking responsibility for one’s own wellbeing; working alongside dysfunctional and counterproductive leadership styles and structures, and; the educational system inherited and perpetuated. From living through such low points, Peter now advocates for joined-up thinking about teacher wellbeing and mental health.

Split into three parts, the book covers the following key aspects of improving wellbeing in schools:

\1. Teachers and leaders improving their own wellbeing.

Through this first section, 8 components of being a balanced teacher are shared, placing responsibility through reflective questions individual educators can ask themselves to ensure they are keeping balanced, professional and considered. Various templates are shared within this section that allows for self-reflection, but also encouraging readers to reframe situations and getting out of the cave. The idea of this section is a recalibration and resisting perceived busyness and embracing your ‘why’. Everyone in education should, at least, read this section.

\2. The role of teachers and leaders in improving wellbeing across schools.

There are a large number of leaders in schools who are not labelled as such in the formal structure, but we can all take responsibility for caring about the wellbeing of everyone within the school community. Peter again looks at reframing motivation for staff (and ultimately our pupils), challenging dysfunctional leadership, and a ‘Game-Changing Index’ for leading dynamic teams.

\3. The challenge to change the culture of our schools and education system.

This final section explores how the education system fits in within how modern society is developing, its relevance, and developing students for a brave new world. Peter questions whether the education being received by current pupils is fit and preparing them for their futures, and offers some pointers to schools on how they can support students to be positive in their personal and professional lives.

From his own experiences and insights, Peter has written a carefully considered book here that offers the reader to really consider and reflect upon the role they have within a school community. Throughout, difficult questions are posed, and you might not particularly like the internal answers you give – sometimes the truth is hard to accept. If you, and your school, are serious about improving and implementing strategies that promote positive wellbeing for everyone within your community, then this is the book for you.

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