Product Description

A candid, nail-biting, comic account of a young teacher's descent into the classroom -- and hell.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114332 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Peter Ackroyd
"…fascinating and finely observed…"

Philip Pullman
"...frank and vivid... swift and lively... Clearly Francis Gilbert is a gifted and charismatic teacher..."

Tim Brighouse, TES
"...spell-binding...I read it one jaw-dropping gulp..."

Customer Reviews

Thankyou - finally somebody lifts the lid on teaching!
I am a schoolteacher in exactly the same position as Mr Gilbert. Reading this book was like holding a mirror up to myself. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry that so many other teachers are in the same position as me. This book is honest, true and heartfelt. It gave me a boost just when I needed it the most - and everyone else in the staffroom. Great hilarity ensued as passages were read out and guffawed over at lunchtime. Shrieks of "Oh that's so true, he's hit the nail right on the head" echoed down the crisp packet strewn, cheesy feet smelling halls of school X in the dark heart of a poverty stricken area. A must for all inner city school teachers, for country, grammar and public school teachers (so they can heave sighs of relief and see how the other half live) and parents who want to know information about schools that statistics fixing league tables, politicians and Ofsted would never tell you in a million years. Read it and weep!

Thought provoking, disturbing and entertaining
I will admit to not buying this book. I managed to finish it in the bookshop in a day... it was that riveting!

This teaching biography should be required reading for all trainee teachers contemplating whether or not to teach in the more challenging schools.

Francis Gilbert tells it like it is and this book will either inspire you or turn you off the idea of teaching in the more challenging inner city schools.

I did note a sense of ambiguity at the end of the book, as to whether or not making the move from inner city School X to an outer London school was actually the right move.

It was notable that Mr Gilbert's teaching at School X made significant positive strides once he had handed in his resignation. The sense of relief probably led to a more human, relaxed mode of teaching... and to more effective teaching. Had he adopted such an approach from the beginning, one wonders if he would have felt compelled to leave School X.

If there is one key theme running through this book it is class and behaviour management. I would suggest that this valuable biography be read prior to Sue Cowley's excellent "Getting the buggers to behave".

Francis Gilbert has written an excellent first book, and I look forward to a sequel covering his experiences at his second school, where he will (hopefully) compare and contrast both sets of experiences.

Fantastic
This book is very entertaining and a very easy enjoyable read. I read it in one evening because I couldn't put it down. It's only 200 pages long which is probably about right.

Yes as another reviewer has said it lacks analysis of the problems, but it's not that sort of book and if it had been it would be five times longer and very dull. It's based on the authors experiences and how he coped with the difficult teachers and pupils. Having just trained to be a teacher I found it spot on with many of the experiences I have had over the past year.

It is very funny and I highly recommend this book to anyone.