Gary Toward – författare

There are many different names and acronyms for these amazing classroom practitioners: teaching assistants (TAs), learning support assistants (LSAs), cover supervisors, supply teachers, student mentors, higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs), learning partners the list goes on. The title doesn't matter but the quality of support, interaction and learning does. Whether you work one-to-one with individual children, support small groups or work with a whole class and whether you work in a primary, secondary or special setting this book is packed with ideas to enhance your practice so you can best support children's learning, while looking out for your own well-being and enjoying your role.You can dip in for top tips, anecdotes, practical strategies and advice on every aspect of the role, as well as have a chuckle as you go. For example, did you know there is a patron saint for just about everything? There is even a patron saint of failures, Birgitta of Sweden, who presumably failed to impress Ofsted on more than one occasion. If you scour the list you'll find that every occupation has a nominated guardian looking after their well-being. That is, except one classroom assistants. So, if there's nobody 'up there' cheering you on, you might need to find the resources within yourself and Andy, Chris and Gary can help. Because, let's face it, working with youngsters isn't for the fainthearted is it? What do you do if you are sworn at? How do you engage a reluctant learner? What about safeguarding? How do you support children with SEND? How do you handle a challenging parent? How can you develop your career further? These topics, and a whole raft more, are woven into this book which will set you on the road to brilliance!It doesn't matter whether it's inspiration or new ideas you want - this book has a plethora of both. It may challenge your thinking, it may persuade you to do something different, and above all it will put you in serious danger of being brilliant at what you do. There's nothing more important or vital than the education and development of our youngsters: the mission of the Art of Being Brilliant series is to help all educators unlock their brilliance.The Art of Being Brilliant series was a finalist in the 2017 Education Resources Awards in the Educational Book Award category.

The Art of Being a Brilliant Classroom Assistant is a new addition to the successful Art of Being Brilliant series.There are many different names and acronyms for these amazing classroom practitioners: teaching assistants (TAs), learning support assistants (LSAs), cover supervisors, supply teachers, student mentors, higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs), learning partners the list goes on. The title doesn''t matter but the quality of support, interaction and learning does. Whether you work one-to-one with individual children, support small groups or work with a whole class and whether you work in a primary, secondary or special setting this book is packed with ideas to enhance your practice so you can best support children''s learning, while looking out for your own well-being and enjoying your role.You can dip in for top tips, anecdotes, practical strategies and advice on every aspect of the role, as well as have a chuckle as you go. For example, did you know there is a patron saint for just about everything? There is even a patron saint of failures, Birgitta of Sweden, who presumably failed to impress Ofsted on more than one occasion. If you scour the list you''ll find that every occupation has a nominated guardian looking after their well-being. That is, except one classroom assistants. So, if there''s nobody ''up there'' cheering you on, you might need to find the resources within yourself and Andy, Chris and Gary can help. Because, let''s face it, working with youngsters isn''t for the fainthearted, is it? What do you do if you are sworn at? How do you engage a reluctant learner? What about safeguarding? How do you support children with SEND? How do you handle a challenging parent? How can you develop your career further? These topics, and a whole raft more, are woven into this book which will set you on the road to brilliance!It doesn''t matter whether it''s inspiration or new ideas you want this book has a plethora of both. It may challenge your thinking, it may persuade you to do something different, and above all it will put you in serious danger of being brilliant at what you do. There''s nothing more important or vital than the education and development of our youngsters: the mission of the Art of Being Brilliant series is to help all educators unlock their brilliance.The Art of Being Brilliant series was a finalist in the 2017 Education Resources Awards in the Educational Book Award category.

Whether you''re already leading or you have it on your radar, this book''s for you. Don''t expect a textbook full of highfalutin theories though, this book is rammed full of practical ideas that you can use instantly to help you in your current role or to get the position you want. How do you create a brilliant team? What is needed to establish an awesome ethos? How do you do those difficult personnel things? How do you make an impact? Answers to all of these questions and more are based on the combined 100 plus years of the authors'' leadership experience in a wide range of educational settings. You''ll find a cornucopia of pick and mix tips, strategies and stuff that really works and will make your leadership brilliant!Leadership doesn''t come from formulae or from the latest list of government standards. Neither does it come from the school handbook or a ''values'' poster in the staffroom. If you pick up 100 different leadership books you''ll find 100 different nuanced definitions. Fundamentally, brilliant leadership is inspiring people to go the extra mile. There''s a difference between ''outstanding'' and ''brilliant''. Brilliant is self-made, inside out, creative and beyond the bounds of any simple description. Brilliance is a calling and brilliant practitioners go well beyond the call of duty.Middle leaders are the backbone of any school. At their best they challenge, manage, plan, develop and inspire colleagues to make learning brilliant for kids. Middle leadership covers a broad spectrum of roles and titles: curriculum leader, pastoral leader, key stage coordinator, subject coordinator, head of department, school leader, head of year, school leadership, head of house, head of faculty, subject leader. This book is aimed at anyone in middle leadership, regardless of job title, whether long in the tooth, new to leadership or wanting to get into it. Dip into this book and you''ll find a wide range of tools, strategies, advice and top tips to help you be your brilliant best.Gary, Chris and Andy cover the myriad of issues facing middle leaders with their customary mix of good humour and solid, experience-informed advice. Topics covered include: starting a new role; whether in a new school or following internal promotion, what your colleagues and the kids will expect of you, identifying personal strengths and areas for further development, shifting your focus from your to-do list to your to-be list, having an impact, building rapport and a team ethos, planting seeds of positivity across the school, tips for holding effective meetings, how to plan improvement which works for your team and meets the expectations of senior leaders, planning, implementing and evaluating change, dealing with negative colleagues, overcoming issues and personnel problems, understanding and owning your thinking, celebrating successes, modelling and sharing best practice and developing a brilliant team.The Art of Being Brilliant series was a finalist in the 2017 Education Resources Awards in the Educational Book Award category.

Foreword by Jaz Ampaw-Farr.Forget data. Forget league tables. Forget the national curriculum. Teachers are the true weather gods in education. The default outlook in schools at present, however, seems to be ''gloom''. Our schools'' staff are under relentless pressure, and their ever-increasing workloads can make it easy to forget about the humans they work with. So what can teachers do to bring back the sunny weather and make pupils'' school lives more joyous?Gary, Mick and Chris believe that the answer lies in harnessing the power of praise and positivity.In The Decisive Element they offer an uplifting antidote to the anxiety by sharing praise focused techniques that will help teachers and school leaders create an ethos of enthusiasm: one that reduces stress, fuels ambition and builds confidence for staff and pupils alike. Crammed full of sound research, fresh ideas and top tips, this manifesto for positive mindsets celebrates the value of meaningful, impactful praise and shines a light on the myriad ways positivity can be unleashed to spark pupils'' motivation and natural curiosity for learning.The book draws upon the authors'' vast experience and anecdotal insights to provide sage guidance on how to create a self-sustaining positive climate for learning, and contains a wealth of practical strategies to ramp up the feel-good factor in the school setting so that staff and pupils can feed off each other''s enthusiasm. It also flips the script on the stresses and strains of modern schooling by offering a more light-hearted perspective on teachers'' and pupils'' day-to-day interactions encouraging school staff to be proud of what they do and empowering them to make an even bigger difference in the lives of the young people in their care.Suitable for anyone lucky enough to work in education or with children.The quoted text on the cover of this title has been extracted from Ginott, H. (1972), Teacher and Child: A Book for parents and teachers (NY: Macmillan), p. 15.The Decisive Element has been named the Bronze Winner in the education category of the 2018 INDIES Book of the Year Awards.

Celebrating Teachers: Making a difference, written by Gary Toward and Chris Henley, is a feel-good celebration of all that is great about teachers and teaching - and an exploration of the difference teachers make and how they do it.Forewords by Ben Bailey Smith (aka Doc Brown) and Sir Anthony Seldon.Gary Toward and Chris Henley believe that teaching is the best and most important profession. Now, you might argue that it would be medicine that should take that accolade - as medics save lives and mend people. But teachers create lives and ''make'' people. They, in fact, create medics!This book celebrates the superhero of the classroom: the teacher.Teachers make a difference, and often that difference is life-changing. In this book, Gary and Chris look at some of the many cases where such a difference has been made and examine exactly what it was that made such an impact on the life of the young person - and they also highlight the key approaches that teachers might want to try out in their own classroom, with their own pupils.The authors link the real-life case study stories to what educational research and cognitive science tell us, and point the way for all teachers to adopt, adapt and develop these effective strategies and approaches in their own practice.And, in sharing these inspiring stories, Gary and Chris hope to offer an antidote to the negativity that too often circulates in the media around education and the teaching profession.An uplifting and insightful read for all teachers and educators.

For any teacher who has ever had a class that are angels for colleagues but Lucifer incarnate as soon as they cross the threshold of their classroom. Or who realised too late that their best-laid lesson plans were doomed from the start. Or who had their energy and enthusiasm sapped by a mood-hoovering staffroom Grinch. These problems will be a thing of the past once they've mastered the art of being a brilliant teacher. With plenty of practical advice and top tips, this book will show them how.The Art of Being Brilliant series was a finalist in the 2017 Education Resources Awards in the Educational Book Award category.

This book will take the NQT through a journey which starts with interviews, leads them through the first visit before taking up the job and then into the first hectic weeks and months. Light in touch but rich in content, it can be read around the pool during the holidays before the start of term or kept by the bedside or in a desk drawer for an emergency flick through once teaching gets under way! It expands on the stuff that teacher training touches on, but importantly provides a refreshing look at the nitty-gritty stuff that most training doesn''t!Includes:- getting a job - dealing with workload - discipline - preparing eye-catching lessons - dealing with parents - pastoral care - being a form tutor - dealing with colleagues - dealing with boys - getting involved in school life - taking trips - marking - assemblies - career development and much more...A brilliant book for NQTs.Click here to view other titles in our successful Art of Being Brilliant series.The Art of Being Brilliant series was a finalist in the 2017 Education Resources Awards in the Educational Book Award category.

Teaching is an art; with the right techniques, guidance, skills and practice, teachers can masterfully face any situation the classroom could throw at them. With their fresh perspectives, sage advice and a hint of silliness, Andy, Chris and Gary show teachers how to unleash their brilliance.For any teacher who has ever had a class that are angels for colleagues but Lucifer incarnate as soon as they cross the threshold of their classroom. Or who realised too late that their best-laid lesson plans were doomed from the start. Or who had their energy and enthusiasm sapped by a mood-hoovering staffroom Grinch. These problems will be a thing of the past once they''ve mastered the art of being a brilliant teacher. With plenty of practical advice and top tips, this book will show them how.Click here to view other titles in our successful Art of Being Brilliant series.The Art of Being Brilliant series was a finalist in the 2017 Education Resources Awards in the Educational Book Award category.