Writers' News - Hazel's help in the classroom

Hazel's help in the classroom

A teacher in London since 1973, subscriber Hazel Bennett, Edgware, Middlesex, distils over 30 years’ classroom experience – in primary, secondary and special schools, and as a supply and peripatetic teacher – into her guidebook for teachers.

‘I have always wanted to write a handbook for teachers and saw the non-fiction book proposal competition in Writers’ News as an opportunity to test the water,’ she says. ‘I was thrilled to win. It is the best thing which has happened to my writing career. Previously I had only a short story published.’

Hazel’s proposal was obviously a deserving winner, going on to attract the attention of international independent Continuum International, who have now published the book as The Ultimate Teachers’ Handbook.

The book guides teachers through the complications they don’t learn about at college, she says. ‘It is aimed at giving teachers practical, everyday tips on coping with the nitty-gritty of everyday life in the classroom, from the day they begin their induction year, through getting promotion and tackling the next 30 years.

‘The text is non-academic and jargon-free and written from the perspective of a teacher who has stayed in the classroom at the chalk face. The book tackles a comprehensive list of issues – like how to cope with disruptive pupils, rude and aggressive parents and survive Ofsted. There is also advice on combining teaching full-time with bringing up children or coping with part-time study at night. Regular tasks like report-writing, organising assemblies and day trips are made easier with practical suggestions followed by a section on tackling different types of teaching post and successfully carrying out posts of responsibility.’

The Ultimate Teachers’ Handbook (£12.99) is out now; Hazel’s second book for Continuum, The Trainee Teachers’ Survival Guidebook, is due next year.

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