Resilient Teachers, Resilient Schools Building and Sustaining Quality in Testing Times

'Everything you wanted to know about teaching and have been constantly asking - you will find it all addressed within this impressive book that will be a landmark text for years to come. Through comprehensive coverage and thorough analysis of the international research on teaching, including their own foundational contributions, Day and Gu masterfully show what it takes to teach, teach well, and keep on teaching well in the face of anything and everything. This is the most expert analysis of teaching we currently have, and the most original discussion of professional resilience in the field.' - Andy Hargreaves, Thomas Brennan Chair in Education, Boston College, USA 'This book is a gem. Day and Gu have drawn on a comprehensive array of studies to convincingly argue that traditional, psychological notions of teacher resilience overlook the complexity of teachers' work and lives. Their renewed analysis points to the vital importance of individual, relational and organisational factors in influencing the ways teachers develop the drive, strength and optimism to 'make a difference' to the success of their students. For teachers and their leaders, this book promotes hope and optimism rather than despair, agency rather than resignation, and pro-action rather than reaction, in the face of significant challenges to teachers' resilience. This thoughtful tome is a 'must read' for those charged with providing the conditions that ensure that our students have dedicated, skilled, and effective teachers in every classroom.' - Bruce Johnson, Professor of Education, University of South Australia, Australia 'In this pioneering study of teacher resilience, Christopher Day and Qing Gu demonstrate again why they are among the world's leading researchers today on the lives and work of teachers.' - David T. Hansen, Weinberg Professor of Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education and Director of the Program in Philosophy and Education, Columbia University, USA 'This is a landmark book. Drawing on empirical research by the authors and by others, it weaves together a scholarly emphasis on relational versions of resilience with concerns about the quality of education, teacher retention and teachers' well-being. Above all it points to what can be done in schools to nurture and sustain teachers as valued professionals. I am convinced that school leaders, researchers and teachers will keep returning to the evidence presented here.' - Anne Edwards, Professor of Education, University of Oxford 'This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding the complexities of teachers' work and their lives in schools. It examines and develops the concept of teacher resilience and how the complex interplay between education policy, and the social cultural and intellectual environments in which teachers work shapes how they manage their personal and professional lives. The concept of 'everyday resilience' is woven through the book through examples of teachers' personal narratives. These authentic voices of teachers give the book a vitality and authenticity. Day and Gu demonstrate the significance of community among teachers and the importance of mutual care and support to sustain their passion and commitment for teaching. The development of a shared set of values and moral purpose reinforces teachers' commitment to their role, which the authors argue needs to be nurtured and sustained. The data presented in the book helps us to hear, feel and experience the struggles teachers experience in their multifaceted lives in and outside of classrooms. There is an inherent optimism in the stories and cases presented with a discourse of hope pervading the book. Day and Gu end the book with eight messages which will direct debate and practice: Message 1: To teach, and to teach well over time, requires 'everyday resilience'. Message 2: Resilience is closely associated with teachers' sense of identity and commitment. Message 3: There are close associations between resilience and a strong sense of moral purpose. Message 4: Teacher resilience building processes are relational. Message 5: School leadership matters. Message 6: The capacity to be resilient is an important quality of successful school leaders. Message 7: Resilience in teachers is essential, but it is not the only, condition for them to be effective. Message 8: Building and sustaining the capacity for resilience is more than an individual responsibility. This is an important and timely book, it should be read by teachers, policy makers and students.' - Judyth Sachs, Professor and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Provost, Macquarie University, Australia