Practice Makes Improvement

By Colin Millar MBE

Teaching is an amazing career and if done properly can change lives forever.

Everyone remembers that one teacher who inspired them and made them believe in themselves and their particular talents.

This book examines all the theories and popular approaches to teaching. It breaks down all the theory into actual approaches to be used at the classroom level.

Teacher-pupil interaction is the crucial element to a child developing in all aspects of their life.

All children are born with wings and a good teacher helps them to fly!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jan 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398421868

Colin Millar MBE

Colin Millar MBE Med BSc(Hons) PGCE PQH (NI) Colin Millar was born in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. He has recently retired early after spending 32 years in education. During his career he has been a teacher, Special Needs Advisory Officer for his area education board, Vice Principal of a large primary school, Principal of a large special school and finally an associate school assessor for the Northern Ireland School Inspectorate. He has educated children from age 4-19 in both mainstream and special sector. He was awarded an MBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his contribution to Education.

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About the Author

Colin Millar MBE was born and lives in Northern Ireland. The author has been in education for thirty-two years. During this period, he has been a teacher, education authority adviser, vice principal, principal and associate assessor with the Education Inspectorate. He became a widower in 2017 and took early retirement in 2019. He is the father of two sons, Conor and Ryan. Colin has been involved with supporting beginning teachers during their training and their early career. He decided to write this book to encourage young teachers and assist them to understand the actual classroom practice which promotes effective learning.

Dedication

This book is dedicated firstly to my two parents, Tom and Jean Millar, for all their love, support and encouragement they gave me in my dream to become a teacher.

Secondly, it is dedicated to Mrs Alice Lennon, my mentor and role model, in becoming an effective special-needs educator.

Copyright Information ©

Colin Millar MBE 2023

The right of Colin Millar MBE to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398421851 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398421868 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank AM Publishing, in particular Victoria, with all their patience and assistance in helping me publish this book.

Preface

This book has arisen from the fact that in June 2020 I was forced to take early retirement from teaching in education following 32 years. Whilst this decision was hard to accept, I felt it was important to comply with my doctor’s advice. If you are to be an effective educator, then you need to be functioning at 100%, anything less is an insult to your pupils.

Once I realised this by agreeing to retire, I was still operating as a professional by putting the needs of my pupils first. This was my mantra throughout my 32 years of teaching.

Over the years I was sent on many different training courses of the latest education approaches and guiding theories which happened to be in favour at any one time.

In this book, I hope to share those approaches or theories which I feel have made the most contribution to making my teaching more effective and my pupils’ learning more efficient.

At no time do I claim that the approaches within this book are my own. If I remember the theory or approach, I will reference them.