ABSTRACT
Staff need support almost as much as their students do. Support is often sought and provided in a material dimension in the form of learning and teaching grants and other schemes. In fact, the greatest support that teachers gain is from one another (and their students) in a helpful teaching culture. The origins of the term ‘support’ in the metaphoric motif of ‘carrying from below’ are critically examined, indicating the higher efficacy of a supportive culture than exogenous support mechanisms.
