Let That Be a Lesson: A Teacher's Life in the Classroom
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- Author：Ryan Wilson
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Summary
The malodorous horrors of Sports Day。
Bracing yourself for Parents' Evening。
Refereeing teenage relationship dramas。
This is not what you see in the adverts。
From the age of eight， Ryan Wilson dreamt of being a teacher。 This is the inside story of his time at the chalkface， from fresh-faced trainee with grand ideals to exhausted assistant head battling ever-changing government demands。 It is a tribute to the colleagues who befriended him and to the chaotic， brilliant， maddening students who inspired and enraged him。 From Sean， the wannabe gangster with a soft heart， to David， the king of innuendo， and terrifyingly clever Amelia。 And， above all， it's about the lessons they taught him: how to be patient and resilient， how to live authentically and how to value every day。
Bracing yourself for Parents' Evening。
Refereeing teenage relationship dramas。
This is not what you see in the adverts。
From the age of eight， Ryan Wilson dreamt of being a teacher。 This is the inside story of his time at the chalkface， from fresh-faced trainee with grand ideals to exhausted assistant head battling ever-changing government demands。 It is a tribute to the colleagues who befriended him and to the chaotic， brilliant， maddening students who inspired and enraged him。 From Sean， the wannabe gangster with a soft heart， to David， the king of innuendo， and terrifyingly clever Amelia。 And， above all， it's about the lessons they taught him: how to be patient and resilient， how to live authentically and how to value every day。
Reviews
Caroline Kerdouci
，
Schooldays。 Some of the best days of your life or some of your worst？ Ryan Wilson’s insightful memoir of his days teaching in two state secondary schools will open your eyes to the type of individuals willing to take on the role of educating future generations and the more memorable students who either brighten or darken their days！ From trainee to his very first day standing at the head of a classroom and his progression through the ranks into senior management Ryan Wilson is candid about a pro Schooldays。 Some of the best days of your life or some of your worst？ Ryan Wilson’s insightful memoir of his days teaching in two state secondary schools will open your eyes to the type of individuals willing to take on the role of educating future generations and the more memorable students who either brighten or darken their days！ From trainee to his very first day standing at the head of a classroom and his progression through the ranks into senior management Ryan Wilson is candid about a profession that attracts a lot of negative publicity。 Like Ryan， I too as a child loved to play at being an imaginary teacher， writing on my blackboard， talking to non existent pupils sat in front of me but never did I harbour a desire to turn that childhood game into a career。 My sister on the other hand， despite being warned by those in the profession not to travel down that route （ and this would be the late 1980’s！） did just that， teaching in a primary school setting before opting to educate preschoolers。 So I’ve witnessed first hand the dedication， the long hours， the total commitment to a job from which she never switches off， planning， preparing， answering endless emails whilst family life has to take a backseat。 I admire anyone in a similar position to the likes of Ryan Wilson and my sister， never understanding why sections of the public believe teaching is a cushy 9-3 job with endless holidays， nor the attitude that “those that can do and those that can’t teach”。 Written in an anecdotal， self deprecating humorous style Ryan Wilson regales the reader with tales from the coalface， his obvious love for teaching， his fellow colleagues and his students and his dedication and enthusiasm shining through every single memory that’s made its way onto these pages。 Feeling like a fly on the wall I laughed along at his initial naivety， impressed by how quickly he adapts and learns， muddling his way through all the while keeping his fingers crossed he doesn’t make too many faux pas！ It truly is a baptism of fire and I felt grateful not to be in his position because this job is not for the faint hearted。 I know he’s cherry picked the most entertaining， amusing anecdotes to engage his audience but even then a day in his life sounds exhausting and draining。 Clearly Ryan Wilson was an inspirational teacher， at pains to impart his love for English literature to all his students regardless of their ability。 To spark interest and enthusiasm amongst students whose disadvantaged backgrounds can often hinder progress through the educational system must be highly rewarding so it’s heartwarming to read of some of the success stories （Chloe） rather than the failures （ the year everyone’s grades were lower than expected）。 Obviously it helps that Ryan Wilson was surrounded by equally inspiring colleagues， the more experienced passing on their nuggets of wisdom which left me feeling how lucky these students were to be taught by Mr Wilson and co。 I couldn’t help but reflect upon my own school days when a great primary education gave way to a mediocre two years in a large state secondary before transferring to the local grammar school and eventually university。 BUT never did my teachers resemble anything like that of Ryan Wilson。 At best they were mildly supporting and encouraging but at worst they filled me with fear and dread， doing absolutely nothing for my self confidence。 I blame one particular maths teacher entirely for my life long hatred of the subject and I even dropped out of my English ‘A’ Level class thanks to the sarcastic， condescending and belittling nature of the teacher in question。 This all just goes to show how important a role teachers play in shaping childrens lives。 A* to Mr Wilson and C minus to the lot who had the pleasure of marking my work！ Not only is this memoir funny and enlightening but is moving and poignant too。 My favourite anecdotes centre around Ryan’s relationship with mentor Liz and his fellow rookie teacher Zoé whom he shares many a laugh with over the years， helping each other through the highs and lows not only in their professional lives but in their personal ones too。 You get a glimpse on the man he is outside of the school gates rather than just this saintly， idealistic advocate for the teaching profession as a whole。 Inevitably it’s with a sinking feeling you learn that the higher up the ladder Ryan Wilson climbs， the less involved he is with what really matters， data crunching， ticking boxes and endless paperwork taking priority。 Enthusiasm and his inherent love for the job dwindles as the level of frustration at how many hoops he is expected to jump through on a daily basis increases， understandably taking its toll。 Is it any surprise to read the statistics about the numbers leaving the profession？ Absolutely not！ Any memoir regarding the teaching profession is going to include a political commentary on the current state of the education system and whilst Ryan’s reflections are impassioned I don’t think there’s anything new in what this ex teacher has to say。 The dreaded Ofsted inspections， the budget cuts， the ever changing goalposts as Secretaries of states come and go ，changes to the grading of exams leading to confusion and yet more mountains of paperwork are all problems we are familiar with， teachers and parents alike。 How do you go about changing a system that in my opinion is designed to be one size fits all， with so many students slipping through the net or lost in a vast system which doesn’t always recognise their individual strengths as opposed to their weaknesses？ You won’t find the answers here， although the suggestions Wilson makes are pragmatic， requiring the involvement of society as a whole。 Regardless of the politics I’d like to think the school environment is a more nurturing， inclusive and supportive place to be rather than the one I remember， populated with more teachers akin to Ryan Wilson than those who clearly detested their job and their students！ Overall this is a well written （ why wouldn’t it be！！） enjoyable read， opening the door on classroom life and the struggles the profession faces。 Last year I read Fran Hill’s “Miss What does Incomprehensible Mean？” and to be honest this memoir is very similar， in terms of writing style and content。 Although easy to read， the briefer anecdotes especially lend an abrupt stop start feel to the reading experience which does mean you can pick it up and put it down without losing the thread。 For anyone thinking of embarking on teacher training it might possibly leave you heading in the opposite direction！ But as Zoé would say， I have utmost REPSECT for those who have given their all， and those who continue to do so in their role of educating， guiding and nurturing our offspring into adulthood。My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jamie Willows
，
Fantastic read！ If you want the real inside scoop into life as a teacher then Ryan Wilson does not disappoint。 From hilarious incidents and endearing pupils to a glimpse inside the results obsessed education machine in while our heroic teachers have to work， this book had it all。 Ryan was able to give both an insider peek into the class room （and staff room！） and give a concise birds eye view of our education system as a whole， making for a thoroughly enjoyable read。 Hoping there will be a seque Fantastic read！ If you want the real inside scoop into life as a teacher then Ryan Wilson does not disappoint。 From hilarious incidents and endearing pupils to a glimpse inside the results obsessed education machine in while our heroic teachers have to work， this book had it all。 Ryan was able to give both an insider peek into the class room （and staff room！） and give a concise birds eye view of our education system as a whole， making for a thoroughly enjoyable read。 Hoping there will be a sequel！ 。。。more
Bekah B
，
Oh my gosh what a fantastic book this is。 Let That Be A Lesson was everything I expected it to be。 It was full of funny stories from the author's time in teaching， from him being a student Teacher right up until he leaves the profession many years later。 It also provided a fascinating insight into what teaching actually involves including the incredibly frustrating red tape and policies that determine how they do their jobs。 My absolute favourite take away from this book is the hilarious mental Oh my gosh what a fantastic book this is。 Let That Be A Lesson was everything I expected it to be。 It was full of funny stories from the author's time in teaching， from him being a student Teacher right up until he leaves the profession many years later。 It also provided a fascinating insight into what teaching actually involves including the incredibly frustrating red tape and policies that determine how they do their jobs。 My absolute favourite take away from this book is the hilarious mental image of Ryan standing in front of a class of teenagers whilst a sex scene is projected onto his face！ Ha ha ha ha。。。。。。。 I loved how this book was written in bite sized anecdotes， it made for easy and fast reading。 I wasn't left waiting long for the funny moment or the ending of the story。 This format also meant that I wanted to keep reading to discover the next story and I just couldn't put the book down。Obviously the book can't be pure comedy as we all know there are some down sides to teaching， such as dealing with difficult and disrespectful pupils， knife crime in schools， pupils facing poverty etc And then added to those Ryan talks about the Teacher friends he made and unfortunately their deaths。 So there are some sad moments that bring the difficulties of life in a school to the attention of the reader。 I'm not someone who has ever thought that teaching is an easy job and even I was surprised to learn about a few of the difficulties。 They just hadn't even crossed my mind， especially the times when the school were dealing with Government policy changes and issues with Ofsted。 Overall an excellent well written， easy read book that I highly recommend。Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Paromjit
，
Ryan Wilson provides an insightful and entertaining glimpse into the teaching profession， from his beginnings as a naive trainee English teacher in 2005 at a Cambridgeshire Fens school， a baptism of fire， getting his first probationary teaching position in a leafy market town， right up to the time he makes the decision as a burned out and frustrated assistant head at a challenging inner London school to leave teaching。 Organised into short bite-sized anecdotes that make for easy reading， this wi Ryan Wilson provides an insightful and entertaining glimpse into the teaching profession， from his beginnings as a naive trainee English teacher in 2005 at a Cambridgeshire Fens school， a baptism of fire， getting his first probationary teaching position in a leafy market town， right up to the time he makes the decision as a burned out and frustrated assistant head at a challenging inner London school to leave teaching。 Organised into short bite-sized anecdotes that make for easy reading， this will resonate deeply with former and current teachers， the joy and trials of the classes he teachs， and the constant， often ill judged， political diktats coming from the likes of Michael Gove as Education Secretary， the pressures of Ofsted inspections， and the savage funding cuts。Wilson covers a range of aspects of schooling， the parents that can on occasion be so trying with their complaints and sexism， the stellar mentoring of probationary teachers by the extraordinary Liz， his close friendship with fellow teacher， Zoe， the strong supportive teaching community， and the wide array of students he encounters。 There are numerous hilarious incidents， from the bizarre 'chat up' methods， to the many errors that Wilson makes which he makes no efforts to conceal， and which lends an authenticity and humanity to his account。 There are the incredible students he encounters， such as Amelia and Chloe， and the many who come from struggling， deprived and/or problematic family backgrounds， and favourites of his， such as the wonderful Kieron。Wilson gives us a glimpse into the difficulties of coming to terms with his sexual orientation， and his delight when he sees student Zofia unashamedly and confidently talking of her sexuality in a inspiring talk she delivers。 There is the heartbreak of Liz and Zoe's cancer diagnoses and their courageous handling of their illness。 This is a wonderful read that will captivate many readers and prove to be a particularly helpful and enlightening book for those thinking of becoming teachers and for trainee teachers。 It is such a shame and a damning indictment of the state of British education that Wilson， who had never wanted to be anything but a teacher in his life， should be leaving the teaching profession。 He concludes by offering advice on what it would take to help schools and education。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Jason
，
A funny， warm moving and above all， passionate memoir on his teaching days。 Although sadly no longer a teacher he gives a reasoned case for how education could， and indeed， should be done in England。 The recollection of his teaching days are at times laugh out loud。 These are tinged with moments of sadness including the passing of two colleagues。 His love of teaching and seeing pupils succeed， whatever their ability， comes through clearer in the book。 Criminal shame that he left teaching mainly A funny， warm moving and above all， passionate memoir on his teaching days。 Although sadly no longer a teacher he gives a reasoned case for how education could， and indeed， should be done in England。 The recollection of his teaching days are at times laugh out loud。 These are tinged with moments of sadness including the passing of two colleagues。 His love of teaching and seeing pupils succeed， whatever their ability， comes through clearer in the book。 Criminal shame that he left teaching mainly due to the government obsession with grades and data。 。。。more
Helen
，
Having worked in education every word of this book resonated with myself。A true insight in to gaining a PGCE， training placements and how you dive in as part of necessity。Pupil centred learning， looking at the whole picture， practical skills are becoming things of the past。Education is now a business not about the pupil and this book explores through personal experience how this has come about。
Leona
，
Wilson lets us step into his shoes， giving us a brief glimpse at how much the teaching profession is undervalued by the public and at times politicians。 Most of us wouldn’t have the patience or stamina to survive the demands on their time。 Being a teacher clearly has some powerful rewards， but the observations that Wilson shares， highlights the unacknowledged challenges that teachers deal with on a daily basis。 You will laugh along at his misadventures & amusing anecdotes， share his frustration Wilson lets us step into his shoes， giving us a brief glimpse at how much the teaching profession is undervalued by the public and at times politicians。 Most of us wouldn’t have the patience or stamina to survive the demands on their time。 Being a teacher clearly has some powerful rewards， but the observations that Wilson shares， highlights the unacknowledged challenges that teachers deal with on a daily basis。 You will laugh along at his misadventures & amusing anecdotes， share his frustration of the damage that is being done by the funding cuts & constant changes to assessments， and well up at the poignant moments when your heart breaks for the author and his friends。 I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I requested this book， but I was very glad that I was given a copy as it was insightful and stirred my emotions， which is always a good response。 I loved the cover design as well， it’s very eye-catching。I received a copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Fiona Mccormick
，
If only all teachers could be like Ryan Wilson！ This is a wonderful book， I loved it。 It should be compulsory reading for any incumbent Education Secretary。This book has short anecdotes about his teaching career， his pupils and his fellow teachers。 At times hilarious， other times utterly heartbreaking， this book was so well written it was a joy to read。 Although there were many lighthearted stories about the author's time in teaching， it shone a light on so many serious issues that need addressi If only all teachers could be like Ryan Wilson！ This is a wonderful book， I loved it。 It should be compulsory reading for any incumbent Education Secretary。This book has short anecdotes about his teaching career， his pupils and his fellow teachers。 At times hilarious， other times utterly heartbreaking， this book was so well written it was a joy to read。 Although there were many lighthearted stories about the author's time in teaching， it shone a light on so many serious issues that need addressing in today's educational climate。 Brilliant read。 。。。more
Sharon
，
A funny interesting account of a newly qualified teacher， the lows and highs of our education system， students， and parents。A lighthearted view of the work that teachers undertake daily and how this increases as a teacher takes on more responsibility。Well worth a read。
Tony S
，
Reading this was a bit like a busman's holiday but very relatable。 It follows the journey from a student teacher through their teaching career。It has many laugh out loud moments that are totally relatable to in the classroom。 It is a poignant reminder about why teachers teach and how much is given to the profession。It outlines all that is wrong （and much of what is right） in todays education system and the way Education seems to be a political football that gets constantly changed by those that Reading this was a bit like a busman's holiday but very relatable。 It follows the journey from a student teacher through their teaching career。It has many laugh out loud moments that are totally relatable to in the classroom。 It is a poignant reminder about why teachers teach and how much is given to the profession。It outlines all that is wrong （and much of what is right） in todays education system and the way Education seems to be a political football that gets constantly changed by those that have never taught in their life。 I am in no way politicising the book but every teacher （and I am sure public sector worker） can relate to the constant changes that are often not for the better。The changes do not overshadow what is a funny and great book and shows the humanity in teaching and the way students can achieve their best with a great guide。 。。。more
Chris
，
There are plenty of books from people documenting their experiences in previous professions， I have recently read work from a former midwife and a junior doctor。 But when in the early chapters you learn of students latest chat-up techniques， involving finely cutting up pubic hair and Shakespeare being reenacted with rolled up scripts， I suspected that I was on to a winner。The book is written in short chapters， perfect coffee table material， it never takes longer than a couple of minutes to read There are plenty of books from people documenting their experiences in previous professions， I have recently read work from a former midwife and a junior doctor。 But when in the early chapters you learn of students latest chat-up techniques， involving finely cutting up pubic hair and Shakespeare being reenacted with rolled up scripts， I suspected that I was on to a winner。The book is written in short chapters， perfect coffee table material， it never takes longer than a couple of minutes to read a chapter， my only criticism is that on occasions， I would have liked a little more ‘Meat on the bone’。 The book is mainly humorous， but also has its times when it is both poignant and sad。My favourite tales involved a projection on a face and a special little girl with a water jet。This book is extremely easy to read as well as giving an ‘insider view’ in the World of education。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK， Vintage for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest， unbiased review。 。。。more
Ace
，
This is now the second memoir of a teacher I have read and I have to say that I loved every word。 Growing up， school was such a massively formative experience for me in both good ways and bad， well I'm sure it's the same for most people。 I do have very mixed memories about my teachers but I'll be the first to admit that as students， we were very shielded from the pressures that they faced。 We were told about Ofsted， when and why they would be in our classes and how important it was to remain 'no This is now the second memoir of a teacher I have read and I have to say that I loved every word。 Growing up， school was such a massively formative experience for me in both good ways and bad， well I'm sure it's the same for most people。 I do have very mixed memories about my teachers but I'll be the first to admit that as students， we were very shielded from the pressures that they faced。 We were told about Ofsted， when and why they would be in our classes and how important it was to remain 'normal' as they visited our lessons but it wasn't really a big deal to us。 Little did we know how many hoops there were to jump through and how many seemingly random changes were being made to teaching as a profession。 I know the statement "Those who can， do， those who can't， teach" generally paints teachers in a negative light but I think nothing could be further from the truth in real life。 It takes a certain kind of love， passion and determinism to become a teacher and stick with it。 For me it'll always be one of the hardest （and probably most rewarding） jobs in the world。 。。。more
Jordan
，
Ryan Wilson has always wanted to be a teacher。 Teaching isn't his second career choice because he 'could not do' or because 'Teach First' came knocking。 Wilson is very clear that teaching has always been what he has been aiming for。 This book is full of anecdotes and reflections on his ten years teaching secondary school pupils before he decided that he couldn't take it anymore。Nobody who knows anything about teaching in the UK will be surprised by the troubles Wilson writes about。 The statistic Ryan Wilson has always wanted to be a teacher。 Teaching isn't his second career choice because he 'could not do' or because 'Teach First' came knocking。 Wilson is very clear that teaching has always been what he has been aiming for。 This book is full of anecdotes and reflections on his ten years teaching secondary school pupils before he decided that he couldn't take it anymore。Nobody who knows anything about teaching in the UK will be surprised by the troubles Wilson writes about。 The statistics， moving targets and report writing that seem to pervade every moment not spent in a classroom。 However， Wilson seems to be able to choose exactly the correct stories from his tenure to illustrate his troubles and leave me thinking about them long after I finished his book。 His pithy observations and stories make this a very readable book that is perfect for the odd moments in your day when your first instinct is to check Twitter。Although I enjoyed this book as an insight into the teaching profession I didn't think there was a lot of information in it that was very new to me。 I couldn't help comparing it with Kate Clanchy's book 'Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me' which was very divisive when being reviewed but contained more actionable information and insight into how education and society mix。 Wilson has written a very palatable book by comparison， but he is helplessly beating against the waves of the system and by the end of the book it's his overwhelming sense of frustration， rather than passion and ideas for change， that I am left with。Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my ARC copy。 。。。more
Sarah Smith
，
Initially the diary style of this book took some getting used to but a short way in I was totally with the author and feeling his pain and frustration at the education system and the way government ministers keep changing the goalposts leaving teachers struggling to comply with box ticking and lessening the education experience for our children。Having worked in education finance for many years， I am fully aware of the seemingly ever rising tide of budget restrictions leading to staff shortages m Initially the diary style of this book took some getting used to but a short way in I was totally with the author and feeling his pain and frustration at the education system and the way government ministers keep changing the goalposts leaving teachers struggling to comply with box ticking and lessening the education experience for our children。Having worked in education finance for many years， I am fully aware of the seemingly ever rising tide of budget restrictions leading to staff shortages meaning not enough adults in place to support the pupils， but this book added clarity to the "chalk-face" issues that brings on a day to day basis， and then （of course） the human issues we all have to face which either get in the way of our working life， or we haven't the capacity to give the attention they are due。We need more teachers like Ryan to stand up for schools， teachers and pupils。 He is far better placed than any government minister to decide what is best for the future of our education system！ 。。。more
Tracy
，
Working in the education field， a lot of this book was very familiar to me， but the bit I really enjoyed more was about the progression up the line towards being in management。 It is very good to read the thoughts of those there trying to implement the constantly changing things thrown at them by politicians from course changes， exam changes to budget constraints。A very good read and highly recommended！
Maria Flaherty
，
'Let That Be A Lesson' is honest， funny and my favourite non-fiction book this year！'Let That Be a Lesson: A Teacher’s Life in the Classroom' is written by Ryan Wilson a former and experienced teacher based in the UK。 Commencing during his year of teacher training， until his year final as a teacher， Wilson discuss both the highs， lows and the many， many varied moments in between。 From classic advice such as "Don't smile before Christmas" （and I can confirm that this is TRUE！） to learning how to 'Let That Be A Lesson' is honest， funny and my favourite non-fiction book this year！'Let That Be a Lesson: A Teacher’s Life in the Classroom' is written by Ryan Wilson a former and experienced teacher based in the UK。 Commencing during his year of teacher training， until his year final as a teacher， Wilson discuss both the highs， lows and the many， many varied moments in between。 From classic advice such as "Don't smile before Christmas" （and I can confirm that this is TRUE！） to learning how to set appropriate targets， this book is an honest insight into the life of a teacher。 Wilson does not attempt to overly dramatise his work， which would be easy or mock a much maligned profession but instead walks that delicate balance of honesty and humour in difficult situations。 Well worth a read， for everyone - whether you are a teacher， parent or otherwise！ 。。。more
Sarah
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I previously read and loved both ‘this is going to hurt’ and ‘can you hear me？’ Memoirs of a junior doctor and paramedic respectively。 As such I was really excited to read this and whilst it did not disappoint， it did not quite hit the highs I was hoping for。The book is formatted into chunks that are short and sweet， making it the perfect book to pick up and put down between daily activities。It is very well written and I enjoyed the interweaving longer storylines relating to his colleagues and R I previously read and loved both ‘this is going to hurt’ and ‘can you hear me？’ Memoirs of a junior doctor and paramedic respectively。 As such I was really excited to read this and whilst it did not disappoint， it did not quite hit the highs I was hoping for。The book is formatted into chunks that are short and sweet， making it the perfect book to pick up and put down between daily activities。It is very well written and I enjoyed the interweaving longer storylines relating to his colleagues and Ryan’s personal battles with his sexuality。There are some very funny moments in this book but I felt the balance between those and the overwhelming issues facing teaching and education left me a little flat。 。。。more
Catherine
，
I found this a very humorous take on what’s it’s like to be a teacher in secondary education。 At times I did find myself laughing at some of the memories。 On the whole a very accurate account of teaching。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to see an arc of this book。
Ceecee
，
In this ode to teaching so much here resonates to a former teacher like myself。 I think this should be required reading for Secretaries of State for Education， Ofsted and anyone who thinks teachers knock off at 3。30！ I suspect though， that Covid homeschooling may have dispelled that illusion。 Like Ryan， teaching is all I ever wanted to do， like him and probably countless others， I had a Mrs Webb who made the Scottish Play one that has always lived vividly in my head and I can still recount chunk In this ode to teaching so much here resonates to a former teacher like myself。 I think this should be required reading for Secretaries of State for Education， Ofsted and anyone who thinks teachers knock off at 3。30！ I suspect though， that Covid homeschooling may have dispelled that illusion。 Like Ryan， teaching is all I ever wanted to do， like him and probably countless others， I had a Mrs Webb who made the Scottish Play one that has always lived vividly in my head and I can still recount chunks of it。 Like him I’ve spent long hours marking， planning， fretting and all the rest of it！ Philosophically， he and I are completely on the same page and so I lap his memoir up！ The excitement， the fear， the grind， the building experience of tricks in your armoury to deal with those tricky customers， the highs， the lows and the laughs， yes， plenty of laughs。 I think being in Ryan’s classroom must have been an amazing experience because his love of literature and his empathy with his students positively shines like a beacon through the pages。 Every school has a Kieron or three and we always remember them！ I laugh out loud at some of his recollections， cry at others and applaud his move to an inner city London school with all the challenges that presents。 I love his wry comments （and true！） about the bonkers need for a primary child from the age of seven to know what a fronted adverbial is， which especially hits home as I attempt to embrace the rigours of the primary literacy curriculum during lockdown home schooling。 Gah！！！！ How to switch a child off education， eh？？！！ The success of students like Chloe makes all the hard work worth while and that’s why teachers work themselves into the ground。 Overall， a very readable， varied and interesting memoir of s wonderful profession。 Some chapters are a bit short， it’s a maybe bit disjointed in the telling but that’s a small criticism as it gives an excellent oversight of the reality of the job。 With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK， Vintage， Chatto and Windus for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review。Please don’t ask me to explain a fronted adverbial because I still haven’t a scooby-doo。 However， I like millions of others have managed to successfully navigate through life without knowing！！！ 😂🥴 。。。more
Nat Eveleigh
，
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book。This is a teachers first hand account of life in the classroom。 The author shares brilliant and comedic stories from the classroom， and he mixes that with real emotion from his personal life and the wider school life， including budget cuts， and how to keep Ofsted and the Government happy。 He discusses changes fed from higher up that put immense pressure on schools and teaching staff。 The past year has shown us that teachers a Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book。This is a teachers first hand account of life in the classroom。 The author shares brilliant and comedic stories from the classroom， and he mixes that with real emotion from his personal life and the wider school life， including budget cuts， and how to keep Ofsted and the Government happy。 He discusses changes fed from higher up that put immense pressure on schools and teaching staff。 The past year has shown us that teachers are unsung heroes， and deserve a lot more than this country currently gives。 The writing was excellent， and wrote as if you were having a long conversation with the author。 It made me giggle in places， and made me well up in others。 I enjoyed the roller coaster ride。 And reading his encounters were a real eye opener。 When you drop your little angels off at the gates in the morning and ask the teacher for a quick word that that’s another thing to add to their every growing to do list。 The book shows how much extra work teachers put in from their own free time to make education the best it can be。 A great， easy， humorous read！！ 。。。more
Mavis
，
A warts and all view of the education system。 I found it very thought provoking and could see and agree with him why he is dissatisfied with the politics involved and the stress caused。 There are some parts which are laugh out loud funny （literally） and moments of true sadness and all so well written。 I’m sure many teachers will appreciate the book but I do hope it has a wider audience， as it deserves。 Written in almost diary like segments， I found it hard to put down; with lovely descriptions o A warts and all view of the education system。 I found it very thought provoking and could see and agree with him why he is dissatisfied with the politics involved and the stress caused。 There are some parts which are laugh out loud funny （literally） and moments of true sadness and all so well written。 I’m sure many teachers will appreciate the book but I do hope it has a wider audience， as it deserves。 Written in almost diary like segments， I found it hard to put down; with lovely descriptions of his interactions with pupils both as a class and individually。 I learned a lot about modern teaching while reading it too！Thanks to Vintage and NetGalley for an ARC。 My opinions are my own。 。。。more
Emma Nelson
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Reading Ryan Wilson's 'Let that be a lesson，' I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion。It's a no holds barred true account of his teacher journey - from a student through to his departure。It's incredibly well written and so absorbing - it's as though Ryan is sat next to you regaling you with stories of how his day went inside the classroom。As a teacher - I found myself agreeing with his viewpoints regarding how the government monitors and governs education。 As a human - there w Reading Ryan Wilson's 'Let that be a lesson，' I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion。It's a no holds barred true account of his teacher journey - from a student through to his departure。It's incredibly well written and so absorbing - it's as though Ryan is sat next to you regaling you with stories of how his day went inside the classroom。As a teacher - I found myself agreeing with his viewpoints regarding how the government monitors and governs education。 As a human - there were also times where I found myself tearing up when he introduced us to the colleagues that had made such an impact on his life。 A must-read for all in education。 。。。more
Angela Thompson
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Let That Be a Lesson ， and it certainly was ！ I'm convinced I would have never made teaching as a career because I simply would not have had the patience to deal with a class of ， sometimes ， unruly children。Having said that I am in awe of people like Ryan Wilson ， who clearly is an excellent teacher any pupil should be proud to have him as theirs。The book was a great insight to the highs and lows of teaching ， and there was plenty of both 。A must read for any parent and person thinking of takin Let That Be a Lesson ， and it certainly was ！ I'm convinced I would have never made teaching as a career because I simply would not have had the patience to deal with a class of ， sometimes ， unruly children。Having said that I am in awe of people like Ryan Wilson ， who clearly is an excellent teacher any pupil should be proud to have him as theirs。The book was a great insight to the highs and lows of teaching ， and there was plenty of both 。A must read for any parent and person thinking of taking it up as a career。 。。。more
Janet
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Date reviewed/posted: July 5， 2021Publication date: August 19， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you have personally decided to basically continue on #maskingup and #lockingdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。 Plus it is hot as all heck and nothing is more appealing than sitting in front of a fan w Date reviewed/posted: July 5， 2021Publication date: August 19， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you have personally decided to basically continue on #maskingup and #lockingdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。 Plus it is hot as all heck and nothing is more appealing than sitting in front of a fan with a kindle！I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review。 From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。The malodorous horrors of Sports Day。Bracing yourself for Parents' Evening。Refereeing teenage relationship dramas。This is not what you see in the adverts。From the age of eight， Ryan Wilson dreamt of being a teacher。 This is the inside story of his time at the chalkface， from fresh-faced trainee with grand ideals to exhausted assistant head battling ever-changing government demands。 It is a tribute to the colleagues who befriended him and to the chaotic， brilliant， maddening students who inspired and enraged him。 From Sean， the wannabe gangster with a soft heart， to David， the king of innuendo， and terrifyingly clever Amelia。 And， above all， it's about the lessons they taught him: how to be patient and resilient， how to live authentically and how to value every day。I don't know how parents cans deal with their kids， much less having to deal with helicopter parents who text all the time and get peeved if you do not answer back within 30 seconds。。。I know teachers who deal with this and parents who do this。 Add in social media， drama and I am glad that I am in a research library most of the time and not dealing with that all the time。 Some of the time， yes， not all。。。thank you powers that be。 （A Ph。D。 in education taught me that the parents are， well， as challenging as their kids are， and I did my in-class placements BEFORE the internet and social media！） This is a book that parents should be required to read before they make that text or ask for special favours - and one that teachers should read to know that they are not alone in their horrors and stress。 （I admire the teachers in the UK 1000x more than those in Ontario， Canada， my other home but that is a whole BOOK in itself！） It is a quick read but an excellent read - take it to the beach （or your back yard， porch or balcony） and enjoy the dying days of summer。 Just wear your SPF110 and keep 6 feet apart from others！I will recommend this book to those parents and teachers along with friends， family， patrons， book clubs， and people reading books in the park as we do … I have had some of my best conversations about books down by the Thames！As always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it ✏✂ ⌨ 🎨 📚 。。。more
Emma
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If you've read This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor， then you'll know how fascinating it is to get insight into such an unappreciated and criminally underfunded profession。Ryan Wilson sets up his tale in the same fashion， as short， diary style entries ranging from the heartrending to the hilarious。 He shows us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows， revealing precisely what it's like working within an education system that government incompetence seems determined to dest If you've read This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor， then you'll know how fascinating it is to get insight into such an unappreciated and criminally underfunded profession。Ryan Wilson sets up his tale in the same fashion， as short， diary style entries ranging from the heartrending to the hilarious。 He shows us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows， revealing precisely what it's like working within an education system that government incompetence seems determined to destroy。 Just like Adam Kay， Ryan Wilson has created a call to arms。 Despite how hard teachers are working， they， and the children in their care， are being let down by U-turns on policy， lack of funding， and misinformation fed to the media。 It's a book which is often funny， but its message is more important than the laughs。One for everyone to read。ARC via Netgalley 。。。more
Nicola
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