TWO authors hoped to inspire the next generation of teachers at a special talk this week.

The Art of being a Brilliant Teacher is a book written by Gary Toward and Chris Henley who stopped by the Ridgeway School in Wroughton on Thursday for a talk aimed at trainee teachers, newly-qualified teachers or even those with a few years under their teaching hat.

The event was sponsored by HAYS – specialists in education recruitment – who hoped that the motivating talk based on the duo’s book would give teachers a creative boost in lessons.

Toward and Henley form the duo of The Decisive Element and following successful teaching careers, they are now speakers in education and leadership.

Gary said: “Our aim is that we had careers that we loved and not one day did we think ‘oh we have to go to work’. I worked at six different schools and Chris had four and we hung up our chalks thinking how do we pass on this knowledge. What we learned over our time in teaching was that there are better ways to get kids to do what you want them to do than negative approaches that are so easy to take.

“Our success comes from creating positive cultures and we want to pass that onto others.

“Most teachers are learners for life just the same as students and one of the biggest issues is that our government and other organisations tend to forget that teaching is a human profession and it is about little people becoming big people and teachers working with kids. It is not all about league tables and data and how our students stand in the international leagues. It is about helping young people create successes in life and that is what we want to show – that you can enjoy teaching and you can be successful.”

The Swindon Secondary Schools Teaching Alliance supported the event.

One inspired newly-qualified teacher was Jess Goss who specialises in geography at Ridgeway School.

“I struggled last term and going on the NQT hours but it was really nice to hear that when you think you have had a bad day to think back to why you decided to become a teacher,” she said.

“It was the little things they said that I kept writing down because they weren’t saying this is what you can do but instead this is one way you can get the kids engaged.”

Rosemary Cairns, professional tutor responsible for the teacher training at Ridgeway School, added: “This talk will make a lot of the teaching practices come to life.

“It has allowed the teachers to think about why they are doing it and what impact this talk is going to have in the classroom by getting them to look how they act and how this will make a difference to the progress of students.”