This book makes a major contribution to knowledge and theory by drawing implications of teacher effectiveness research for the field of teacher training and professional development. The first part of the book provides a critical review of research on teacher training and professional development and illustrates the limitations of the main approaches to teacher development such as the competence-based and the holistic approach. A dynamic perspective to policy and practice in teacher training and professional development is advocated. The second part of the book provides a critical review of research on teacher effectiveness. The main phases of this field of research are analysed. It is pointed out that teacher factors are presented as being in opposition to one another. An integrated approach in defining quality of teaching is adopted. The importance of taking into account findings of studies investigating differential teacher effectiveness is argued. Another significant limitation of this field of research is that the whole process of searching for teacher effectiveness factor was not able to have a significant impact upon teacher training and professional development. For this reason it is advocated that teacher training and professional development should be focused on how to address grouping of specific teacher factors associated with student learning and on how to help teachers improve their teaching skills by moving from using skills associated with direct teaching only to more advanced skills concerned with new teaching approaches and differentiation of teaching. The book refers to studies conducted in different countries illustrating how the proposed approach can be used by policy and practice in teacher education. Specifically, the book provides evidence supporting the validity of the theoretical framework upon which this approach is based. Moreover, experimental and longitudinal studies supporting the use of this approach for improvementpurposes are presented and suggestions for further research utilising and expanding the Dynamic Approach for teacher training and professional development are provided.

Is this the right book for me?

Improve your Time Management is the definitive guide to the basics of time management – the art of organizing your life so that you are in control. You don’t need complicated equipment, dozens of staff or a six-month break to learn how to save time and achieve more. All you need is a willingness to try some of the ideas in this book and the energy to start now.

The book starts by asking you what you want to do with your life and explains how to work out how you really spend your time. It helps you to find out what you do that wastes time and tells you how to eliminate it then shows you how to plan your life better so that you deal with important activities and tasks at the most appropriate times. It tackles time-wasting activities such as paperwork, phone calls and meetings. And just to make sure that you aren’t the only person in your office working at optimum efficiency, it explains how to instill good time management practices in your staff.

By the time you finish the book, you will not only be using your time more effectively but will have more of it. This book will help you turn time into your best friend rather than your worst enemy.

Improve Your Time Management includes:

Chapter 1: Choose your personal priorities
Chapter 2: How much time have you got?
Chapter 3: Plan your time
Chapter 4: Using transition time
Chapter 5: Conquer procrastination
Chapter 6: Learn to say ‘no’
Chapter 7: Reduce paperwork
Chapter 8: Subdue your phone
Chapter 9: Master your meetings
Chapter 10: The art of delegating
Chapter 11: Deal with information overload
Chapter 12: Time management training

Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and added features:

Not got much time?
One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.

Author insights
Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author’s many years of experience.

Test yourself
Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.

Extend your knowledge
Extra online articles to give you a richer understanding of time management.

Try this
Innovative exercises illustrate what you’ve learnt and how to use it.