When a change in circumstances forces your hand - with James Ball

Kicking off a brand new series is an interview with James Ball. James spent twenty years as a history teacher, head of history and head of humanities in schools in the West Midlands. He has been writing textbooks since 2008 and a change in circumstances recently precipitated him leaving the classroom to begin writing full-time. He now lives in Copenhagen with his partner and daughter and authors textbooks, popular history books, educational blogs and articles. He also creates teaching resources for a range of charities.In this interview we talk through:James’ teaching journey and early careerThe challenges of teaching and financial strainHis transition to writing textbooksBalancing teaching with family lifeLeaving teaching and embracing freelancingVisit James’ website (www.ballpointcopy.co.uk). Say hello to him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/ballpointcopy). You can also have a look at his textbooks on medicine and Henry VIII and the American West and America, 1920-73 , read his article about dual coding and another about the impact of the history curriculum review. You can also listen to him on this podcast for Oxford University Press. ============Don’t forget to hit ‘subscribe’ in your podcast player and recommend the podcast to other teachers you know. Follow us on Instagram: @byeteachingukThis podcast was produced and edited by Simon Elvin - say hello to him over on LinkedIn Music by Escape from the Giant Bubble Follow them on Instagram @escape_from_the_giant_bubble Got a question you’d like answering on the podcast? Email me and let me know at [e-mail] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.