Denis Hayes
Denis Hayes spent 17 years working in a variety of primary schools, including two deputy headships and a headship. Now a Reader in Education at the University of Plymouth, his principal interests relate to classroom practice, the role of the teacher and the emotions of teaching. Denis is an acknowledged expert on primary teaching and has been widely published. All his books, not least Foundations of Primary Teaching, are highly respected for their blend of academic knowledge and practical wisdom, and always have as a focal point the child and their learning.
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Denis has written, edited or contributed to the following books from Routledge:
Primary Teaching Today
An Introduction
Primary Teaching Today takes the reader ‘behind the scenes’ and alerts them to the fundamental attitudes and practices that every new primary teacher must acquire…
read more2008 | Paperback: 978-0-415-47554-9 (David Fulton Publis)
Foundations of Primary Teaching
4th Edition
The need to achieve the latest QTS standards for teaching can often stifle innovation and reflective thinking. Written specifically to help guide student teachers through…
read more2008 | Paperback: 978-0-415-45232-8 (Routledge)
Primary Education: The Key Concepts
Presenting a balance of theoretical insight and practical advice, this text is a clear and accessible guide to the key issues relating to primary education.…
read more2005 | Paperback: 978-0-415-35483-7 (Routledge)
Planning, Teaching and Class Management in Primary Schools, Second Edition
This second edition has been fully updated in line with the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) 202. It will prepare student (trainee) teachers to…
read more2004 | Paperback: 978-1-84312-018-6 (David Fulton Publis)
more information about Planning, Teaching and Class Management in Primary Schools, Second Edition
A Student Teacher's Guide to Primary School Placement
Learning to Survive and Prosper
School experience is the most significant part of learning to be a teacher. It can also be the most confusing, stressful and challenging. Initially, it…
read more2003 | Paperback: 978-0-415-28783-8 (Routledge)
more information about A Student Teacher's Guide to Primary School Placement
My name is Denis Hayes and the two good-looking ones in the photograph with me are my much-loved dogs, Charlie and Toffee. Like many others, writing scholarly papers and articles has formed an important part of my 20-year career in teacher education. However, it quickly became obvious to me that to reach a larger audience, writing books in comprehensible language and an intimate tone, using a lot of case study examples and specific advice about classroom practice, was the most effective means of communicating ideas.
Since 1993, when my first short book about primary teaching was published, until today (2008) when Routledge/David Fulton is about to publish my latest book (Primary Teaching Today) I have scarcely stopped writing and talking about education issues. I’ll tell you more about my most influential book in a moment; suffice it to say that I have always been more interested in influence than status, and my books are the means of achieving that goal.
The first 17 years of my career were spent as a primary teacher—including two deputy headships and a headship—before working in Higher Education. My contributions to primary education have been rewarded by being made one of very few professors of Primary Education in the UK. Time spent working in five schools and three local authorities have given me insights into the job of teaching and being a teacher that few others possess. I have been privileged to observe over 1000 lessons taught by trainee teachers in a variety of educational settings, and benefited from being Examiner in three institutions, giving lectures and talking to NQTs about the joys and challenges of their work.
I have to admit that I am very proud of my book, Foundations of Primary Teaching because it has positively influenced so many trainees and newly qualified teachers down the years. It is extremely gratifying and humbling when someone says that ‘Foundations’ was her or his lifesaver when she/he was on school experience and recommends that if fellow-trainees buy only one book, it should be this one! ‘Foundations’ was first published in 1996 and it soon became clear that its down-to-earth approach, accessibility and balance of academic rigour, with practical classroom advice, was exactly what hard-pressed new teachers were looking for. The impact of ‘Foundations’ has been so powerful that I’ve persevered with three further editions. The 4th edition was needed because education moves at such a pace that the previous version needed updating in a couple of key areas. ‘Foundations’ aims to help create thinking, purposeful and well-informed teachers, not meekly compliant ones. I’m delighted with the book and hope you feel the same. If you do, tell your friends!
It has been a pleasure to serve on the Editorial Board of Education 3-13 -a Routledge journal—for the past five years and enjoy reading and selecting suitable articles for publication. We are very proud of our journal and believe it to be the best of its kind in the world! You will have to read it yourself to see if you agree. I’m also National Vice-Chair for Education 3-13’s umbrella organization, the Association for the Study of Primary Education (ASPE). It has been great fun and I’ve learned so much from other educationists, much of which I’ve tried to pass on to you, the reader, in my various books.
