In this book, Bill Rogers draws from his experience as a teacher, researcher and educational consultant to emphasise that colleague support can, and does, make a difference to individual teachers and to whole school cultures. He highlights the personal and relational aspects of colleague support, including moral support, structural support and professional support. In particular, he calls upon the voices of teachers and case studies to illustrate the moral, structural and professional dimensions of colleague support.

Bill Rogers argues that colleague support can affect wellbeing, professional esteem and professional coping. He asks the questions:

‘What makes colleague support effective and why?’

‘Who initiates support and how?’

‘How does such support affect personal coping and the ability to manage the day to day grind of teaching?’

‘How does colleague support affect longer term issues such as professional feedback, appraisal of teaching, curriculum planning, lesson planning, as well as ongoing concerns such as classroom discipline and behaviour management?’

‘How does colleague support affect the impact and management of change?