Product reviews for Independent Thinking on Primary Teaching

How rare to read a book on primary education quite so packed full of common sense and practical tips. Mark Creasy shines a spotlight not only on the nuts and bolts of learning, but also into the cracks of – or places between – those important aspects of school life that are rarely spoken of, or are swept under the carpet, but can eat up time.

And this book won’t eat up your time; I read it cover to cover in a sitting (but with copious sticky notes on the pages I wanted to return to). I can see myself recommending it to teachers of all levels of experience. The provocative questions in each chapter will help any teacher or leader to anchor themselves back in the ‘why’ of daily practice, while the ‘working smarter tips’ are brilliant for dipping into, with lots of practical ideas to try.

Mark shares some inspired ideas about how to make ‘learning breaks’ multipurpose, but equally he is uncompromising in the expectation that teachers should know their children and their curriculum inside out, and tailor it to the needs of every individual.

This book speaks to me because at its heart is a love of children, and a love of learning. Smart educators will read it!