As a College we are very proud of the quality in depth of our teaching staff, many have Masters Degrees, examine in their subject, write for subject based publications and speak regionally and nationally. The passion and expertise of our teachers is a well-recognised feature of our College in both parent and student feedback. It is a cause of great pride.
No surprise then that we would want to celebrate the publication of an already well regarded book by our esteemed Head of Geography and Research Lead, Mark Enser. ‘Making Every Geography Lesson Count’ has been published this month and is already flying off the shelves. At the time of writing it is ranked as a Number 1 Best Seller on Amazon.
Aimed at geography teachers, new and experienced, the book maps out the key elements of effective geography teaching and shows teachers how to develop their students’ conceptual and contextual understanding of the subject over time. We in College know the passion that Mark has for his subject, the enthusiasm and success of the whole Geography team is evident but it is pleasing to see this being translated to a much wider audience.
Making Every Lesson Count is part of a series of books aimed at developing six principles to support great teaching in a range of different subjects. The concept was developed by Shaun Allison and Andy Tharby who wrote the original book in the series.
Writing and blogging for some time, Mark has featured in the TES (Times Educational Supplement) and The Guardian. He discovered the original book as part of the Heathfield Community College Staff Library which attempts to expose teachers to the best research and professional thinking available. It is part of an embedded culture encouraging staff reflection and the professional pursuit of excellence, a key feature of Marks writing and thinking.
Marks says “Reading Making Every lesson Count opened my eyes to another approach to teaching that would lead to more meaningful lessons for my pupils. When the editors, Crown House, decided to commission a range of subject specific volumes of the book, I think I seemed like a natural fit”
Mark already has a second book on the way “Teach like Nobody’s Watching” which promises to expand on the success, from the Geography perspective, of the culture of high trust and professional autonomy which we have developed at Heathfield Community College.
Headteacher Caroline Barlow said “As a College and a community we are delighted by the success of this first book and are proud to congratulate Mr Enser on the start of what we are sure will be a flourishing publishing strand of his already very successful career.”