Think Before You Teach is purposefully full of questions: the openings of discussions to have, first with yourself and then, maybe later, with your colleagues. It doesn't promise all the answers. And it doesn't tell you what to teach. But it will ask you to think about why you want to teach and how you are going to teach. Arrive at school in the morning armed with a clear sense of why you are there and how you will have an impact on the hopes of your students. Regardless of government policies or school initiatives you remain the most important factor in the learning of your students. The students know it and they are looking to you for a lead. You are the key resource in the room; thinking about how to employ this resource is vital. Take a moment and give yourself that time and space to think.Teachers think about a lot on a daily basis: the curriculum, classroom practice, assessment, tests and exams, data, lesson planning etc. They think about Ofsted and policy and pressure. There are also the big things to think about. In a changing world what is our purpose as educators? Technology and the internet have changed the knowledge/skills debate. How do we equip digital natives for the future? What is your personal philosophy? To tackle these questions, teachers need hope, humour, imagination and motivation: Martin offers this in scores.For anybody thinking of entering the teaching profession, student teachers, teacher trainers, NQTs and teachers of all levels of experience. The book explores the various teacher training routes - School Direct, Teach First, PGCE - and the questions teachers should be asking about the path they have taken and their continuing professional development (CPD) needs. By raising questions about pedagogy, good practice, values and responsibilities, to name but a few, Martin encourages all teachers to become reflective practitioners and rediscover their passion.; When was the last time you took a moment to pause and really think about your teaching? All teachers should be asked some of the questions Martin Illingworth poses as they start each year. These questions help us to see beyond the data, the curriculum and Ofsted. Every teacher, not just those in ITT and NQTs should use this book to remind themselves of why they want to teach, to see beyond the curriculum and inject some creativity that engages and inspires. The key question the book raised for me is are my lessons ones that I would engage with if I was a student? If the answer is no there has to be change.The book highlights the need for teachers to see the students beyond the data. To recognise the flexible, developing, intelligent minds of individual students, rather than a levelled object, is crucial if teachers are to impact and engage. This book puts students at the heart of teaching. We should know our students not their levels. Teaching is becoming a mix of simplified acronyms. It's refreshing to read that teaching is and should be complex. For any teacher, whether they are in year one or year 20, this book explores what we should want to teach not what we should have to. Katy Hodges, lead practitioner and ITE coordinator, Westfield School, Sothall As a teacher, it is easy to go throughout a school year in aauto-pilot' mode: following the same routines of teaching and school-life; following the same curriculum over and over again; filling out forms; completing assessments; compiling reportsa.when does it every conclude? It is difficult to stop and ask why you want to teach and how you are teaching. In his new book, Martin Illingworth points out that there are a queue of line managers in schools (the folk that say they are learning to walk!) busy telling you what to do, but there are far fewer asking you to think about why you teach! aThink Before You Teach' is purposefully full of questions: the openings of discussions to have, first with yourself and then, maybe later, with your colleagues. It doesn't promise all the answers. And it doesn't tell you what to teach. But it will ask you to think about why you want to teach and how you are going to teach. Although the title implies that this book is aimed at those thinking about entering the profession, it is actually suited for NQTs as well as established practitioners who may wish to stop and evaluate their own practice, primarily for the benefit of their pupils. The book is strewed with valuable stories, antidotes and recommendations.To tackle the tough day to day questions that teachers raise Martin offers hope, humour, imagination and motivation throughout. For anybody thinking of entering the teaching profession, student teachers, teacher trainers, NQTs and teachers of all levels of experience. The book explores the various teacher training routes School Direct, Teach First, PGCE and the questions teachers should be asking about the path they have taken and their continuing professional development (CPD) needs. By raising questions about pedagogy, good practice, v