The Making of an Educator - by Andy Hargreaves Paperback

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Charting the first 15 years of his career in education as a teacher, researcher, academic and growing collaborator with schools, Andy Hargreaves casts light on what he calls a Great Education Shift. This was a period during the early 1980s which was marked by the rise of neoliberalism and which brought an end to an era defined by public investment, pursuit of equality, commitment to educating the whole child and support for a strong and highly qualified teaching profession.

Andy's reflections on the present and the past offer powerful and often provocative insights into some of the most pressing issues in education today, including teacher autonomy, evidence-based practice, early career struggles, intellectual bias and the impact of mentors.

In this captivating and inspiring book, you will learn quite a bit about Andy and the experiences that shaped him. But you will learn far more about yourself, your work and your world as you seek to create a better future for all our young people and those who serve them.

A must-read for anyone working in or interested in education today.

Review Quotes

As an educator who has relied on Dr Hargreaves' scholarship for almost 50 years, The Making of an Educator has given me a renewed sense of pride, optimism, and resolve to take our work to new heights. It is chock-full of reflective insights, coping strategies, and actions to implement. Authenticity comes to mind because Andy has done the work himself as an educator, writer, and world-renowned researcher.Those who know Andy's global influence wonder about the experiences that have shaped this educational icon, hoping to replicate those qualities in teacher training and capacity building. We wonder if a replica of research excellence, political acumen, and productivity is possible.This book has provided many innovative ideas and actionable steps to augment our work as practitioners. The three ways forward and deeply reflective analysis of insights gained over a lifetime of innovations have great didactic value. His exhortation to strengthen our core, take out our moral compass, ensure that we stay true to our North Star or Southern Cross, and remember why we chose teaching in the first place is timely as we navigate and learn from major shifts and disruptions.Dr Hargreaves has emboldened us with boundless courage and insights on how to become solution finders who pursue the dreams deferred. He has equipped us to revitalise our equilibrium and pursue our primary mission with courage and determination.

Avis Glaze

It might not be a memoir (he says), but it absolutely falls somewhere between a highly illuminative portrait of our greatest educational interactionist and a deeply engaging origin story of a truly unique and wonderful human being. As an avid reader of Andy's books for the better part of two decades, I think this is the keystone upon which everything else should be placed. The early career teacher and academic will find incredible wisdom and advice. We somewhat later-stage activists, teachers, wonks, and researchers will find ourselves in the pages, amazed by the lucidity and insight Andy so consistently maintains as we come into contact with the main social theorists and thinkers of our formative years and look upon them with new eyes. It is truly a monumental piece of work and generous contribution to further feed our 'passion for understanding education'. Chapeau, Andy.

David H Edwards

This is the story, both personal and professional, of a teacher and academic studying and reflecting throughout his educational career on key facets of professionalism and core purpose. Important truths emerge about the vital influence of culture, the importance of embracing the 'big picture' of education, and the need to move beyond survival and coping strategies. Essentially this is about the essence of professionalism and the essential need to combine both practical classroom wisdom with theory. Powerful, endearing, and transformational - a compelling read.

Dame Alison Peacock