This book is a pedagogical resource aimed at Geography teachers of students aged 11-18 years. It is written by a geography teacher for geography teachers, in a series of subject-specific books based on the original Making every lesson count by Shaun Allison and Andy Tharby. It is written for the General Certificate of Secondary Education curriculum in the United Kingdom but it is easy to realise the similarities with the Australian Curriculum, and the principles of teaching, according to this book, are applicable anyway. In fact, it is even a little inspiring to read due to the strength and depth of the Geography taught in the UK.

Mark Enser aims to equip teachers to ensure that each lesson -˜leads to students learning more, understanding the world better and developing their geographical skills' (p. 127). The book is organised into chapters according to six simple pedagogical principles - challenge, explanation, modelling, practice, feedback and questioning. Each chapter contains key strategies and techniques associated with implementing these principles; teacher/student case studies, examples, and everyday analogies demonstrate how the principles can shape classroom teaching and learning.

The appeal of the book is that it is very much bite-sized (small). Also, the -˜geographer's voice' of the author is strong and will resonate with many passionate geography teachers. Whilst some of the principles, such as modelling, are not particularly new, it is certainly appealing to read such short, sharp explanations with tangible examples. It is easy to make the connections between pedagogical theory and real-life practice of teaching geographical content, concepts and skills.

This book very much emphasises the expert role of the teacher as curriculum planner and its deliverer. This places the sequencing of the curriculum from start to end at the forefront and ensures that students have opportunity to achieve excellence and learn geographical ways of thinking. It is interesting to read about Mark's perspectives on how to continue to develop expertise in a teaching team. At times perhaps, there were too many steps or strategies but ultimately there is no shortage of things to implement straight away. It is surprising that there is not much mention of fieldwork given its essential place in the discipline of Geography.

This book has a broad audience. To an experienced teacher and a geography specialist, this book is both affirming and inspiring. For some, it might encourage reconsidering what high quality teaching in Geography should and could look like. It would make an excellent read for pre-service and graduate teachers by providing guidance in those early years spent trying to build connections between university learning and theory and the little practical experience offered before stepping into a classroom as a graduate teacher. The case studies and very specific geography examples are powerful and could perhaps lend much needed insight and, hopefully inspiration, to non-geography-specialist teachers.

"Synopsis: Mark Enser has been teaching geography for over a decade and is currently a head of department at Heathfield Community College. He contributes articles to TES and to the Guardian Teacher Network and often speaks at education conferences. Mark also writes a blog called Teaching It Real and tweets @EnserMark.

In "Making Every Geography Lesson Count: Six Principles To Support Great Geography Teaching" Enser effectively maps out the key elements of effective geography teaching and shows classroom teachers how to develop their students conceptual and contextual understanding of the subject over time.

What sets geography apart from other subjects is the value placed on seeing the connections between the different parts of its broad curriculum, on building links between different topics, and on thinking like a geographer. Writing in the practical, engaging style of the award-winning "Making Every Lesson Count", Enser has set out to help his fellow practitioners maximize this value by combining the time-honored wisdom of excellent geography teachers with the most useful evidence from cognitive science.

"Making Every Geography Lesson Count" is underpinned by six pedagogical principles challenge, explanation, modeling, practice, feedback and questioning that will enable classroom teachers to ensure that students leave their lessons with an improved knowledge of the world, a better understanding of how it works and the geographical skills to support their learning.

Each individual chapter looks at one of the six principles and begins with twin scenarios which illustrate some of the real challenges faced in geography classrooms. Mark then delves into a discussion on the underpinning theory and offers a range of practical, gimmick-free strategies designed to help teachers overcome these obstacles. Furthermore, each chapter also ends with a case study from a fellow geography teacher who has successfully employed the principle in their own classroom.



Critique: An ideal curriculum guide for classroom teachers working with students ages 11-18, "Making Every Geography Lesson Count" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. While unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for all middle school through highschool geography teachers that "Making Every Geography Lesson Count" is also available in a digital book format."

Mark Enser knows his stuff, and writes in an intelligent, down-to-earth manner. Combine this with the MELC framework and add a subject-specific focus perspective, and you've got all the ingredients for super nourishing read for the Geography teaching community.

If only I had been able to read Making Every Geography Lesson Count when I started out as a geography teacher. I'm sure it would been thumbed to bits by now. Mark Enser's love of geography shines through this remarkable book as he thoughtfully  combines his subject knowledge and deep pedagogical understanding with the seminal work of the likes of Daniel Willingham, Rob Coe, Barak Rosenshine and, of course, Shaun Allison and Andy Tharby. The result is a very well structured, beautifully exemplified and helpfully challenging book brimming with practical strategies for teachers to consider. I particularly enjoyed the twin scenarios presented at the start of each chapter, which cleverly bring to life some of the real challenges involved in ensuring all pupils make great progress in geography. 

Central to Mark's message is the professionalism of the teacher, but there are no silver bullets here. Rather, what Mark offers in this book is a rich array of approaches that geography teachers can adopt and adapt to suit their own contexts. I also love the range of case studies provided. 



Making Every Geography Lesson Count is a must-read for any geography teacher, experienced or novice, as well for those charged with training our next generation of teachers.

One of the major pitfalls of implementing research-informed advice from cognitive psychology is that the subsequent strategies are often applied too generally. Making Every Geography Lesson Count takes a subject-specific approach, brilliantly appropriating some of the most important discoveries in the field in a concise and practical way. If I were a geography teacher, this book would be my bible.

My own experience of geography lessons in school was one of boredom and ennui. All I can really remember is labelling drawings of blast furnaces and designing a poster about Malthus' “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. Needless to say, I quit the subject as soon as I could.

Reading Making Every Geography Lesson Count, however, fills me with regret for what might have been - as Mark Enser's deep knowledge of, and irrepressible enthusiasm for, his subject is a thing of joy. But this book is not just a treasure trove of geographical teaching tips; it is also underpinned by a finely honed understanding of how children learn and the most effective ways to help them make progress.

Put away the colouring pencils, this book has everything you need to make every geography lesson count! 

In this sharp, beautifully written account of what constitutes high-quality provision and practice in the teaching of geography, Mark Enser scopes the subject's big picture - its history, narrative and fertile questions - while holding in balance the detail of the small stuff which leads to authentic learning. This is no mean feat, and Making Every Geography Lesson Count succeeds by cleverly interweaving into Mark's lyrical commentary some hilariously funny anecdotes and a range of classroom scenarios to lift the lid on this great subject.

If you weren't already in love with geography before reading this book, you will be by the time you finish it.

In Making Every Geography Lesson Count Mark Enser provides a valuable addition to an already fantastic series. Two things in particular radiate from the book. First, it becomes evident very quickly that Mark is a fully committed subject practitioner: he says at one point that “passion is contagious”, and this comes across in every case study and example he shares. Second, he is as well-versed in current pedagogical thinking as any teacher could wish to be. Whether it's using examples from Rosenshine and the EEF, or delving into metacognition and self-regulation, he's got every base covered as he synthesises theory and practice into a text that is inspiring, practical and very readable.

Making Every Geography Lesson Count will breathe confidence into every geography teacher that reads it.