The Teaching Life: Professional Learning and Career Progression

Being a teacher is far from easy. Being the best teacher you can be is even tougher. There are two really important things that every teacher needs to get right so that they feel fulfilled and challenged in what they do. Firstly, they need to continually develop their craft through effective professional learning. Secondly, they need to map out a career path that has progression as its defining feature. There are very few people who manage to do both things well. Education doesn’t stand still, so being a good teacher means being in a constant state of evolution. How do we achieve this? Covering the latest developments in professional learning, Kate Jones and Robin Macpherson explore the massive changes that the global pandemic has brought, seeing it as a paradigm shift with manifest opportunities. The corollary to this is career progression, which is really about making the right professional choices. Are you a one school person for your whole time in teaching? Do you change location or role? Do you harbour leadership ambitions? And crucially, how do you finish your career on a high? Working out what you want to achieve in your teaching life is a core focus of the book, and is addressed through a range of interviews, case studies, and challenge questions. It is not about telling you what to do but prompting you to reflect on what you do. The Teaching Life is for anyone who wants to make the most of their time in education, for their students and for themselves.

Kate Jones is Head of History at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She provides regular training for educators and leaders both in the UK and internationally. Kate has spoken at various educational conferences around the world and is also the author of Love to Teach: Research and Resources for Every Classroom (2018), Retrieval Practice: Research & Resources for Every Classroom (2019), Retrieval Practice 2: Implementing, embedding & reflecting (2021), and Retrieval Practice: Resource Guide (2021).

Robin Macpherson is Head of College at Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen. Robin studied history at Oxford University and the University of Edinburgh, and has taught in Scotland, England and the UAE. He has been an examiner for the SQA, Edexcel and the IBO. He has written education books and history textbooks for John Catt Educational, Learning Sciences International and Cambridge University Press.