Essential Motivation in the Classroom

I loved ‘Essential Motivation in the Classroom’ when its first edition burst joyfully into the educational stratosphere in 2013. I admired its lightly-worn wisdom, its optimism, its sheer humanity. Much has changed in society in the intervening years, but this new edition of Ian Gilbert’s book seems to me more important and more relevant than ever. It serves as a rallying-cry for one of the most essential activities we adults can choose to do - developing in all our young people an essential love of learning that will set them up to take their place as our future citizens.

- Geoff Barton, Former English teacher, headteacher, and General Secretary, the Association of School & College Leaders.

There came a point, about twenty years ago where, somewhat arrogantly, I felt there was no one to learn from, no one to look up to. Where do I go from here? Then, I saw Ian Gilbert speak at an awards event being both suave and startling, and the synchronicity between what he and I felt about things stopped me in my shoes. But while our hearts were similar, he knew things that I did not, had thought about things I hadn’t, had read things I hadn’t heard of. I blurted a slurred approximation of that apprehension to him while drunk in a hotel lift late at night.

I guzzled the first edition of ‘Essential Motivation’ (as a classic and a friend it gets an abbreviation, a shortened nickname) as rapidly as I’d necked wine on the evening we first met. Here were answers … and questions … and ideas … and new ways of looking at old things. I implemented more or less everything in the book in my new school, both me and my students benefitted, and there are still things in the book that I use regularly twenty years later.

Its longevity is attributable to its continuing relevance. It is child centred at a time when people have forgotten what an innocent phrase that is. It seeks to understand the child. It seeks to find (still) new ways of locating what makes them tick and how to tailor what we offer to what they want. Time has passed, and pedagogic fashions change: hemlines are in; hemlines are out. But quality is permanent. This third edition includes Ian’s narration of the changes since the book was first published. He remains a wry and ribald commentator with winking style, and the book remains a stone cold classic.

- Phil Beadle, award-winning educator and writer

Essential Motivation in the Classroom by Ian Gilbert is nothing short of inspirational—a brilliant blend of insight, humour, and heart that reignites the spark of why we teach in the first place. With his signature wit and wisdom, Gilbert doesn't just talk about motivation; he embodies it, crafting a book that feels like a personal conversation with a trusted mentor who genuinely wants you—and your students—to thrive.

I first read the book in around 2007 having been given the opportunity to become an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) at my town-centre secondary school. My role was to look outwards from the busy day-to-day and advocate professional learning for the staff. The first thing I did was get this book. It changed things. Bigtime.

From the very first page, conventional thinking is challenged, and the reader is invited to reimagine what it truly means to inspire learners. Ian Gilbert’s approach is refreshingly honest, deeply human, and always practical – as with all his writings. Whether you're a seasoned teacher or just starting out, you'll find treasure in every chapter—ideas that are immediately actionable, but also deeply philosophical in their underpinning. As a teaching-reader, you are going to be asked to think.

I adored this book so much, I immediately requested fifteen copies for all teams in the school. It was notable that this was very unusual at the time. We didn’t have time to read books! The thing is the books were read, and the gentle nudging of culture started to happen. This book is a great catalyst for such change, and is as pertinent today, with our concerns about attendance, SEND, poverty, oracy, achievement of potential, as it was on its original publication.

I don’t just recommend this book; I see it as essential.

Get it.

- Hywel Roberts, education speaker and author