In the spring of 2018, thousands of teachers across the United States—in states like Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Arizona—walked off their jobs while calling for higher wages and better working conditions.
Ultimately, these American educators trumpeted a simple request: treat us like professionals. Teachers in many other countries feel the same way as their US counterparts. In this new book with Tim Walker we explore in detail what professional trust looks like in Finnish schools.
In Teachers We Trust: The Finnish Way to World-Class Schools presents a compelling vision, offering practical ideas for educators and school leaders wishing to develop teacher-powered education systems. It reveals through our personal experience and interviews why teachers in Finland hold high status, and shows what the country’s trust-based school system looks like in action.
We suggest seven key principles for building a culture of trust in schools:
From offering pre-service training for future teachers to encouraging student agency to fostering a collaborative professionalism among educators, we believe In Teachers We Trust is essential reading for all teachers, administrators, and parents who entrust their children to American schools and schools around the world. |  |
“Most significantly, this book is hopeful. It provides sensible evidence that thoughtfully crafting schools and classrooms that exemplify trust could not only re-enliven teaching and learning but even contribute to restoring trust beyond the schoolhouse door…This book is powerful, thought-provoking, uplifting—& sad. Its timing is spot-on.”
Tony Wagner writes:
“In Teachers We Trust powerfully documents how trusting students, teachers, and schools can radically improve education outcomes and student and teacher well-being. With countless vivid examples, the authors show the difference between systems that are trust-based and those that aren’t, and what can be done to strengthen trust at all levels. This book is a must-read for every educator and policymaker.”
Foreword is this book is from Andy Hargreaves who is one of the champions of promoting teacher professionalism and trust in schools. He writes:
“This book shows that trusting our teachers is an essential ingredient of educational excellence and well- being— not so teachers can teach just as they wish, or be left completely alone, but so they can work together as qualified professionals for the children they come to understand and know best.”
Read Andy’s Foreword here.
Read a sample (Chapter 1) of “In Teachers We Trust” here.
Timothy Walker is an American teacher, writer, and speaker living in Espoo, Finland. He is the best-selling author of Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms. Tim has written extensively about his experiences for Educational Leadership, Education Week, and The Atlantic. Inspired by his work in Finnish schools, he speaks internationally about the importance of trust, play and joy in education. Read Tim’s blogs about global educational practices at teachlands.com.
In Teachers We Trust is published by Norton and available via Amazon and all major bookstores now. Audio book is also available.
Podcasts:
The Viewpoints with Henry Grossek
Signature Leadership by Knowledgehook with Jennifer Adams
FreshEd with Will Brehm
We hope you enjoy this book as much as we enjoyed writing it for you.
Updated 14/7/21