The Long Game: How to Sustain a Successful Career in Teaching

"Teaching is relentless, sapping, intense, and so many are feeling the pressures of workload, lack of appreciation, and begging to leave. Peter Foster writes from inside-the-classroom-out about how to resist the pull to conform, maximize feelings of control, become part of an effective team, share the love of improvement, how to reengineer the workload, prioritize the effective, and slow down and do less, better. It reads like a great novel, touches on dilemmas we all face, and is so positive about de-implementing, reengineering, and recapturing the joys of why we become teachers – to have a great impact on the learning lives of our students."

- John Hattie, Melbourne Laureate Professor Emeritus

"This is a truly remarkable book. Peter has explored the reasons why so many teachers are ground down by unproductive processes that don’t add value to learning. Things like potty non-negotiables, cumbersome processes, inconsistent communication from leaders. He also explores how it’s possible to have colleagues buzzing about their work when the nonsense is stripped away. He talks from his own experience, from talking with colleagues and he underpins this with well-sourced research. And best of all, Peter provides a way of framing the challenges so that anyone working in a setting where sensible, human-centred practices are not the norm has the capacity to identify and address those areas that will make teaching more manageable, more enjoyable and more sustainable."

- Mary Myatt, Education writer and thinker

"Many books look to address the complex array of challenges that teachers and leaders face. Only the best books manage to articulate easy to identify with, granular problems, and then skilfully lead the reader through clear, sustainable, practical solutions. If you want to improve you practice, if you are a leader wanting to support teachers or if you love teaching but are thinking about whether this exhilarating but intense profession is really right for you, then pause, take a moment, and have a look. This book is written for you!"

- Dave Tushingham, Co-author of The Edu-book Club

"Peter explores the persistent challenges that teachers and leaders face and offers lots of practical guidance and tips on how these challenges can be navigated. With very clever use of vignettes, Peter is able to illustrate how these challenges play out in our day to day lives as educators and offers eminently sensible solutions in an easy-to-digest way. I found myself nodding along at so much of the book and I’m so glad some of these very knotty challenges have been addressed in this brilliant book. A must-read!"

- Lekha Sharma, School Improvement Lead, Avanti Schools Trust

"Teaching is a rewarding profession, yet the current stressful landscape has contributed to an increasing number leaving the field. The Long Game by Peter Foster, emerges as a beacon of practical wisdom, addressing the very real struggles of teaching with a rare blend of empathy and expertise. Foster's writing style is not only readable but also deeply personable, making the journey through each page feel like a conversation with a wise mentor.

One of the book's core strengths lies in its examination of the myriad challenges teachers face in today's schools. From sustaining motivation amidst external pressures to the critical issue of managing an ever-increasing workload, The Long Game leaves no stone unturned. Yet, Foster approaches these problems with solutions that are balanced, thoughtful, and grounded in reality. This truly sets the book apart.

The Long Game is replete with realistic scenarios that accurately represent the experiences of teachers. Through these scenarios, Foster not only illustrates the challenges but dissects them while providing practical solutions.

The Long Game is a must-read for teachers of all levels but particularly for school leaders. A truly empowering read, this book is a testament to the resilience and dedication of teachers everywhere, and successfully provides the blueprint for a sustainable and rewarding teaching experience."

- Dr Jo Castelino, Curriculum Leader for Science

"In the current recruitment and retention crisis, this book is crucial reading for all teachers and school leaders. Peter combines research evidence with personal reflections and others' experiences, to address the main causes of teachers leaving the profession and what school leaders and teachers themselves, might be able to do to address this. A really interesting and important book."

- Jade Pearce, Trust lead for professional learning

"Lots of books about teaching tell us about new strategies or what we should be doing to improve our practice. This book is different. It tackles the thorny issue of teacher sustainability head on, with a myriad of practical strategies. For those of us who have just been told to 'work smarter!' Peter offers much more realistic and evidence-informed solutions, each explained with case studies and examples. It's the book I wished I'd had much earlier in my career to arm me to cope with the workload, time and immense energy needed to be an effective teacher. A must-read for teachers and leaders at all stages."

- Rachel Ball,Coaching Development Lead,StepLab

"This is an honest, courageous and forthright exploration of what can overwhelm us and adversely affect our motivation as teachers – and what we, and those who lead us, can do about it. Peter Foster’s new book is full of positive, practical and accessible examples: “real stories from real teachers”, including insights from Peter’s own experience which he openly shares. It is enriched by his wide reading and deep understanding of evidence-informed practice, and it offers suggestions from Peter, and from a range of serving teachers and leaders, about the strategies which can be useful as we step up to the challenges he describes.

At the end of each chapter he addresses how middle and senior leaders can support teachers and enable them to face the complex demands of their profession. Peter’s consideration of the dynamic between leaders and members of their teams, and how we can make this as constructive and productive as possible, is full of insight and balanced good sense, for example his compelling advice about how teachers can feed back to leaders in a way which should help schools move forward more positively. I completely endorse his conviction that getting leadership (at all levels) right is crucial, if teachers are to thrive.

This book has much to offer classroom teachers, of any level of experience and in any setting, and those who lead them. I recommend it wholeheartedly."

- Jill Berry, Former head, now leadership development consultant

"The Long Game offers an honest, refreshing and raw take on teaching. Whilst it starts off by looking at many of the issues that we all universally face in this profession the book then opens up with a wave of positivity and infectious enthusiasm for a career that is truly magical. The Long Game will ask you to consider that all important why question; namely why did you become a teacher and what is your moral purpose. A fantastic read and astutely timed to help energise colleagues when the narrative around teaching is one of doom and gloom. Bravo!"

- Sam Strickland, Principal, author and educational speaker

"By writing The Long Game Peter has tried to distill the very essence of what makes teaching so rewarding and demanding into a practical guide for how we can all make our lives a little easier and therefore more sustainable. By covering a broad range of topics including pedagogy and personal belief structures readers will be able to find specific advice to change the way they work or perceive their work to ensure they are less stressed and more effective. Using honest and real accounts of scenarios that real teachers have faced, the book is grounded in pragmatism and never once preaches to the reader. The extra guidance and reflective questions for leaders are particularly useful as they give leaders space to consider how they can create a school that supports teachers to flourish in the long term."

- Adam Robbins, Author of Middle Leadership Mastery

"Teaching can be a challenging and sometimes arduous long game, but it is also one of the few careers that can change children's lives, and even change the world for the better. It is a job that matters and it is a job that is worth the effort. In Peter Foster's new book, The Long Game, he exposes the flaws in seeking out silver bullet fixes and easy solutions, and instead presents a compelling alternative full of sustainable solutions for busy teachers. The book is jam-packed with practical solutions and well-crafted reflective steps. It offers the tools and insights to help make you think and thrive in the teaching profession."

- Alex Quigley, Head of Content and Engagement at the Education Endowment Foundation

"There are many persistent challenges facing our wonderful profession; Peter sensitively but pragmatically outlines the difficulties of the job, and provides a comprehensive blend of research, case studies, and practical strategies to help all teachers and school leaders to thrive (and stay!) in their roles. From factors that influence motivation, to working efficiently, to building powerful working habits, there is an incredible amount to reflect on and then implement. We have a moral imperative to aid the flourishing of our teachers, and Peter takes on the challenge with knowledge, understanding, empathy, and a huge body of useful ideas."

- Sam Crome, Author of The Power of Teams

"Teachers are the decisive element in ensuring pupils receive the education they deserve and yet schools are in the midst of a significant recruitment and retention crisis. The Long Game is a timely contribution to the solutions we need to ensure that schools are replete with highly motivated and effective teachers.

In this book, Peter Foster draws on the latest research from psychology and education to exemplify a way of working that balances the demands of workload and accountability whilst guarding against teacher burnout.

While we may often hear vague advice to ‘work smarter’, this book describes with absolute clarity what this might mean for busy teachers across the sector. By implementing the recommendations within, we are likely to not only improve the working lives of teachers but also enhance children’s experiences of school.

Highly recommended."

- Andrew Percival, Deputy Headteacher at Stanley Road Primary School, Oldham

"This book gets real about the challenges of being a teacher today – and offers us meaningful ways through these challenges. Peter shares with us, in an engaging, humble and down-to-earth way, his own story, bringing in those of others to add rich extra dimensions and drawing upon a rich and fascinating array of research to work out what’s behind the challenges – and, most importantly, what we can do about it. Whilst he doesn’t pretend it's easy, the result is that he represents our profession as a rich and rewarding one – and one worth sticking with for the long game! It contains a huge amount of valuable advice for teachers new and longer in tooth and is highly recommended to all those wanting to make this noble and challenging profession work for them."

- Dr Emma Kell, Teacher, coach, writer and speaker

"It’s almost a cliché in education that every teacher has an escape plan for leaving the profession. In The Long Game, Foster has written a book that is both honest and chock full of insights into how teachers can regain a sense of purpose and motivation. No matter what side of the pond you teach on, this book will help teachers to find joy amid the constraints and to focus on what got us into this crazy labor of love in the first place. For me, it was to make a difference in the lives of young people. What’s yours?"

- Dr Zach Groshell, Host of Progressively Incorrect podcast

"While there is currently – and rightly – a great deal of focus on recruiting new teachers, we have thought less about how we keep the ones we already have. Likely many of us entering the profession didn’t think far beyond surviving the first year, let alone sustaining our motivation for a life-long career.

In this brilliantly practical book, Peter offers thoughtful, highly applicable strategies to help busy teachers manage the complexity and intensity of the job, and retain their enthusiasm to do it well – to play ‘the long game’. It is an invaluable guide for all teachers – a manifesto for making our profession one where teachers can thrive and – crucially – want to stay."

- Sam Gibbs, Trust Lead for Curriculum and Development, Greater Manchester Education Trust