Martin Illingworth
Engaging All Learners - Supporting 'Difficult' Learners - Literacy and Oracy
As you would expect from someone whose first book for us was called Think Before You Teach, Martin asks a lot of questions. What are you about to teach and why? Who you are about to teach and what do you know about them and their lives? How are you going to teach it? Is that the best way and, if so, best for whom?
And that’s just the start.
In his no-nonsense style, Martin helps teachers remember why they came into the job in the first place – a love of subject, a desire to make a difference, the enjoyment of working with young minds, a passion for social equity – and then helps them get back to teaching from that place.
And in motivating, engaging and challenging educators, he demonstrates how they can better motivate, engage and challenge their learners too. Even the hard-to-reach ones.
"Make it relevant, make it real, make it count and, above all else, fill them with hope."
Martin Illingworth
Recent titles include:
- The power of reading and writing to change lives
- What every teacher can do about building student confidence
- Would you like being a student in your classroom? Support and guidance for early career teachers
Martin is a writer, researcher and Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University’s School of Education, as well as a consultant for The National Association for the Teaching of English and a regular speaker for Independent Thinking, whether that is speaking at conferences, working with new or trainee teachers, delivering whole-school INSET sessions or focusing specifically on English, literacy and oracy.
Helping improve teaching and learning by reflecting creatively on what, why, who and how is one thing. Thinking about how we make sure we offer a curriculum that is fit for purpose in the 21st century is another.
How do we create meaningful, engaging experiences in our classrooms that are academically sound but also honest enough to reflect the new environment young people are entering in our post-Covid, climate-challenged world?
This creative challenge to schools comes across in Martin’s second book for the Independent Thinking Press, Forget School, which grew out of research he conducted with young people whose career success came despite, not as a result of, much of what they were learning at school.
What changes are needed to ensure the schools can help prepare everyone for the lives ahead of them and how can we go about making those changes and not get left behind?
Martin is also in demand for his work with schools in partnership with performance poet and Independent Thinking Associate Mikey Markham (AKA Rhythmical Mike). This unique collaboration sees them working together both to help teachers in their approaches to some of our most hard-to-reach young people as well as working directly with children and students on poetry, performance and the power of education.
A humorous, engaging, experienced and honest speaker, Martin challenges educators to think deeply about their craft, to reconnect with the passion that took them into teaching to begin with and to make sure they are offering the best possible education to all the children and young people in their care.
Martin Illingworth In His Own Words
"WE MUST OFFER CHILDREN AN EDUCATION OF HOPE; THAT THEIR LIVES
RIGHT NOW HAVE PURPOSE AND DELIGHT, AND THAT THE FUTURE IS
LOOKING BRIGHT…’ - THINK BEFORE YOU TEACH
- To enquire about booking Stephanie, call us on +44 (0)1267 211432 email us at learn@independentthinking.co.uk
- Martin has been with Independent Thinking since January 2014
- You'll find him in our Teaching and Learning topic area
- You can watch Martin in conversation with Ian Gilbert in 2020 here
- You might also consider Mikey Markham or Phil Beadle
- He is also available in partnership with Mikey Markham
Enjoy a free consultation. Make a booking.
Haggle a bit. All acceptable.
Give us a call on +44 (0)1267 211432 or drop us a line at learn@independentthinking.co.uk.
We promise to get back to you reassuringly quickly.