I love the fact that you can dip in and out for practical ideas and support within the classroom. Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning contains lots of strategies to develop students' independence and resilience, which is even more relevant under current circumstances [COVID-19 lockdowns] than ever before! It is the perfect book for teachers at all levels of their career.

With retrieval and metacognition being two of the current buzzwords in education, it was good see Jackie's reminder that this is not a new thing to us as professionals but rather is embedded in our practice, along with some excellent tips on how to get learning to stick and grow. 

The book boosts confidence, and teachers can dip in and out of it to refresh thinking and embed best practice. Furthermore, with training events currently not running due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, not only is this book cheaper, it's always there to hand. 

In this excellent addition to the Independent Thinking On -¦ series, Jackie Beere, from her extensive practical experience in classrooms, has produced a thought-provoking text focusing on issues that impact upon learning and performance. Throughout the book Jackie demonstrates an infectious enthusiasm for teaching, building rapport, challenging and encouraging learners through setting high expectations, and showing a caring attitude - which she describes as -˜loving your pupils'. 

Readers, in particular those in training or new to the profession of teaching, will find the tips on the use of language to develop mindset and promote resilience - based on the ideas of Carol Dweck - very useful. The overview of -˜catching them being good' is a good one to follow. 



Overall, this is a very informative and easy-to-read book that demonstrates a wide range of strategies, practical skills and tactics, used over many years by the author, which have resulted in her -˜loving the job, loving the kids and never giving up trying to make a difference'.

One of the main crucial elements of helping pupils to progress in their learning is the role of the teacher. The impact, influence and inspiration that teachers can offer in their classroom and subject will often determine how our pupils approach learning and ultimately achieve in that area. Keeping astride of the latest ideas, developments and curriculum priorities is essential for all school teachers and leaders, but also being aware of research and strategies that help enhance learning is equally important as we strive to ensure each child can progress the best they can.

In her book, Jackie Beere champions teachers and students as learners exploring research, at an introductory and accessible level, that supports some of the latest opinions within the education sphere. As teachers, we all strive to deliver great lessons all of the time, and in an informative chapter, Jackie guides towards a template offering helpful steps to ensure each pupil achieves their full potential. At the heart of such a template is a reflective teacher who can react, change and respond to classroom situations using techniques such as deep knowledge and understanding of their subject, using questioning effectively, or providing pupils with incisive feedback that supports positive development. Other steps include setting clear objective and success criteria; offering up some DIRT, and; managing the end of a lesson to ensure that the learning sticks.

With a quick dip into classroom management, significant attention is given to assessment, with Jackie firmly advocating that assessment is learning. Through this important chapter, strategies are highlighted that can be used in any classroom with questioning also central to help to promote and probe thinking. Building a learning community that sticks and grows is subsequently given attention with ideas on how retrieval practice strategies can be used to help reinforce learning.

Maturing your teaching practice can only really be successful if you are part of a supportive school that supports staff development and progression. Peer coaching is one strategy that Jackie showcases in being able to develop teachers to be mindful, reflective and question practices aimed at improvement. Offering a list of conversation questions and guidance, ideas are given in how to set up peer coaching within your community to help improve at all levels.



This book has pulled together a collection of ideas, opinions and resources that can be used across any school where the role of the teacher is central in developing and empowering everyone in the community to fulfil their true potential, providing outstanding outcomes for all educators.

Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning is a very reflective piece of work that has a mixture of practical solutions and research-informed ideas. It is a fantastic tool for every teacher and school leader, and an excellent resource for CPD with staff. A must-read.

Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning has the potential to be a game-changer. Grounded in reality, it shows how, through self-reflection, assessment and evaluation, educators can transform their everyday teaching and achieve better outcomes - and, more importantly, the book also recognises how pupils can help them to do just that. I shudder to think how many children might achieve more if the half a million teachers in the UK put into practice the common sense and practical advice it contains.

With Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning, Jackie Beere offers a timeless guide which reflects on the elements of great teaching and learning through the lens of her extensive experience in the profession. Jackie considers the latest agendas and policies alongside previous versions, offering well-informed critiques of the best approaches to teaching and learning. The book is essential reading for entrants to initial teacher training, providing an up-to-date compendium of approaches, ideas, dos and don'ts that will serve them well on their journey in teaching.

Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning is perfectly timed as we enter an era of accessible and plentiful research on metacognition, cognitive science and pedagogy.

As time-poor professionals, it's helpful to have clear navigation to bridge the gap between research and practice, while not forgetting the emotional aspect of teaching. In Jackie's own words: -˜I have sifted through the jargon and pulled out what I believe to be the very best practice that works to help our children learn.' And this is exactly what you will find in this book. It is an incisive and comprehensive guide that draws on trustworthy research and presents it in a digestible form, supported by reasoning from classroom experience. It has lots of practical ideas to help busy teachers in any stage of their career, with each chapter being relevant for the challenges faced in modern-day teaching.

Overall, this book is a superb addition to any teaching and learning library - and is a resource that will surely stand the test of time.

Jackie has produced a book that looks at the job of teaching from numerous angles. Written with a sense of the reality of life in classrooms, it pulls together a range of theoretical perspectives and is full of suggestions for developing the craft of teaching to improve learning for all pupils. We all want to be better teachers, and reading Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning will help us improve our practice.