Reviews

“This is a comprehensive, accessible and joyful guide to using Mantle of the Expert in your classroom. In this book, Tim examines key approaches to using Mantle in your classroom, he asks fascinating questions about the nature of pedagogy, and he makes a compelling case for embedding drama in your lessons.” Sue Cowley

“Imagine… all pupils in your class are absorbed in the inquiries you create for them across the curriculum, and your teaching becomes as exciting for you as it is for them. As they rise to your next challenge and collaboratively come to a decision, you are struck by the depth of learning and transformation which is taking place… In this inspirational book Tim Taylor hands you the mantle and invites you to join the adventure. His clear explanations and the many examples from his own practice show how Mantle of the Expert can be made into a reality in any classroom.” Hanneke Jones

“This is a marvellous book: a clear, accessible introduction to a teaching approach that can seem daunting in its complexity. Tim Taylor has written a guide to Mantle of the Expert that teachers, students and scholars will read, relish and return to time and again. Tim draws on years of experience as a practitioner and teacher educator to offer helpful clarifications, astute classifications and sage advice – all presented in consistently readable and straightforward language. The book is laced with stories from Tim’s own teaching (including his mistakes and misadventures – a great reassurance to the reader!) This guide will be indispensable not only for beginners but anyone using Mantle who seeks to understand and refine their practice.” Viv Aitken

“This is the book I wish I had had when I was starting out as a teacher. And even now, 21 years on, I know it’s one I’ll return to again and again. Tim doesn’t just tell us – in simple, clear and glorious detail – the what and how of Mantle of the Expert. But he delves beautifully and sensitively into the why. He shows us the importance of perspective in building children’s capacities for acting with grace, responsibility and thoughtfulness. He examines the careful balance between freedom and rigour that the pedagogy offers. He gives clear and engaging examples from his own practice and ultimately, he reminds us that to be a teacher is to be a guide into a future in which children are equipped with the power to build a better world.” Debra Kidd

“If you are a teacher who wants to learn with children, who can play with possibilities, and who is ready to experiment with novel approaches, then this inspirational text is for you. If you want children to develop expertise rather than pass tests, to engage in deep rather than superficial learning, and to inquire into the complexity of topics then pick up this book by a master teacher and return to it as a guide over a year. In this brilliant publication Tim Taylor highlights the simplicity of the Mantle of the Expert approach while also making its challenges navigable.” Brian Edmiston

“Lee Shulman, professor emeritus at Stanford Graduate School of Education, defined teaching as creating effective learning environments, characterised by three properties: they create engagement; they are responsive and they create disciplinary habits of mind. In this thoughtful, carefully researched book, Tim Taylor describes how Mantle of the Expert might create engagement as it draws children in to learning: ‘they make a commitment, not because they have to, but because they want to.’ His description of the design and planning shows how Mantle of the Expert might be responsive. And at its heart is the possibility of providing children with opportunities to create disciplinary habits of mind. He is clear that this a way of teaching aspects of, rather than the whole curriculum and he doesn’t make exaggerated claims for what it can achieve. He is as honest about the potential pitfalls as he is about the benefits of working in this way. And the most cogent reason for taking this book seriously: ‘talk to a student in one of these classrooms and they’ll tell you what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and what they’ll be doing next.’” Mary Myatt

TES Review July 12th 2016 – Mike Fairclough
“Originally conceived by Dorothy Heathcote in the 1970s, Mantle of the Expert is a teaching strategy which uses drama and imagination as a means of engaging students with the curriculum.
In his new book, A Beginner’s Guide to Mantle of the Expert, Tim Taylor explores the concepts and techniques underpinning this approach, which uses the conventions of theatre to ignite curriculum subject matter and further students’ learning.
The idea of Mantle of the Expert is that students imagine that they are “experts” within a particular field, such as journalism, history or palaeontology. The technique encourages enquiry and empowers the team of student-experts to feel a sense of authority over the subject matter. Meanwhile, the teacher takes on the role of the “client”, who commissions the experts to investigate a particular area of study in an imaginative way, using role play.” [Continue reading...]

A Beginner’s Guide to Mantle of the Expert
Tim Taylor
Paperback
Due for release: July 15th 2016

Price: £21.50
Pre-order using the “Add to Cart” button.

[wp_cart_button name=”A Beginner’s Guide” price=”21.50″ shipping=”2.00″]

[show_wp_shopping_cart]