I felt seen with this book. It's funny, it's honest, and it's a love letter to the teachers that, I think any year, but specially this one, are stretched beyond belief.

I loved the book. I laughed out loud frequently, and shared some of the funny stories with colleagues. I think we all have similar experiences (mine are with graduate students, so quite different, but still, very very similar in occasion -- I might not have told anyone that their son "liked a bit of incest", but I tend to put my foot in my mouth quite often, and I'm sure I can come up with something similar). I drew lots of parallelisms between Wilson's experience as a primary and high school teacher (and those of the educators around him) and the experiences of academic staff in universities in the UK, where instead of Ofsted there's TEF and REF, and NSS, and just as many metrics to measure performance and student satisfaction. The mini-chapter on "how to cheat Ofstead" resonated with my experience attending many of our departmental meetings.

In summary: I think everyone who's a parent with a child in school should read this book to give them a view of what it's like to be on the other side, and everyone who's an educator might also enjoy it, at least because you'll feel less lonely.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

When I first got hold of this I had high hopes, then I got a bit worried in case it turned into a 'ooh, look at me, aren't I a good teacher?' exercise. In the end I had needn't've worried because it's a great memoir. I found myself agreeing with many of his gripes and tittering along with the funny moments.

Let That Be a Lesson by Ryan Wilson is an eye-opening account of what it is really like to be a secondary school teacher in Britain. It gives an insight into daily life, relationships with fellow colleagues, provides entertaining stories of interactions with students and it is unapologetically political in terms of addressing the things that desperately need changing and updating within the education system. It reminded me a lot of This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay, which is definitely a compliment! I think that most readers will be able to relate to the content of this book, whether they are a teacher, have children in school, or have just been to school themselves. The chapters are short, diary-style entries which keep your attention and made me want to read “just one more”.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Everyone who knows, knew or lives with a teacher or who has children who are in the education system - especially at Secondary school level should read this book! What a fabulous insight into the life of a teacher and the pressure put upon teaching staff by governmental policies, procedures and red tape when the real focus should be on the children and the common sense approach to teaching that most teachers would much prefer. Ryan writes extremely well and doesn't hold back from admitting his own failings - some often extremely funny as he journeys through his first years as a secondary school teacher. Although there are many laugh-out-loud moments there are also tender and poignant issues involving much loved colleagues who suffered tragedy in their own lives. It is clear from his writing that Ryan was a dedicated teacher who loved his students and was well respected by them so it is such a shame that he, and many other teachers like him, are leaving the profession because of the impossible pressures put upon them to comply with daft 'fads' and box ticking exercises that clearly are not in the students' interests. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have a family member who teaches in a secondary school so am used to hearing about the highs and lows of the profession. My congratulations to Ryan who has a talent for making his readers laugh, cry and sympathise with all in his profession - and for teaching us all a lesson that we may not have been fully aware of. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a pre-release copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

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.

picked this book for two reasons. One, I had just finished watching the TV series Teachers and Two, Adam Kay said it was 'A frank, funny and long overdue ode to teachers and teaching'. I haven’t even read This is Going to Hurt but the rave reviews for it mean I definitely will and in that case I do appreciate his review of this book!

I know this is a book about the English school system but this cements my knowledge that even though I’d like the school holidays, the actual teaching would not in fact suit me. Talking in front of a class. No thanks! Patience with young people - I wasn’t blessed with much!

This is a very honest account from Ryan Wilson on the highs and lows of teaching in secondary school. He recounts his journey from student teacher to head of English. His frustrations at the politics that care more about statistics and data than the children’s education and welfare.

His interactions with his fellow teachers and the pupils are heartwarming, hilarious and at times harrowing. The chapters are short and to the point but for some chapters I wanted a bit more. Testament to the writing I guess!

Like I’ve said even though this is about the English education system, I imagine the workload and stress is much the same here in Ireland. Hats off to you teachers.

A brilliant, funny, poignant and insightful read. I love the layout and the order of the chapters. I love the anecdotes and the people we get to know. It not only resonates with teachers, but everyone who has experienced the UK’s educational system. I recommend this to all.

Having a few friends who work in schools and also parents who work in schools, I was really looking forward to reading this book from the insight of a teacher. What I didn’t expect with this book was to be truly taken back to my childhood. Ryan talks about things in his books that I found myself relating to so much. The author provides a very entertaining insight into the world of a trainee teacher. He doesn’t just explore the marking of the papers, but explores difficult topics such as race, sexuality, different classes. This is a great book that not only provides laughs, but also gives so many useful insights into the difficulties of the teaching profession.

This was a great read and I think it would be enjoyed by anyone who has been or is currently a teacher, especially those that teach English. I loved Wilson's enthusiasm for his job and clear devotion to it: a born teacher. As I read on I marked so many funny stories which I know many teachers will have experienced similar examples: Sean and the Ofsted 'deal'; covering colleagues classes (or not!); teaching travel writing; decoding teacher speak during parents evening and report writing. Some of the stories were very short, brief anecdotes, really, and I wanted more!

But there are the serious and throught-provoking moments: Wilson's experience with Martha, a complicated pupil of primary school age; the obsession with data being the driving factor behind too many decisions rather than the lived experience of teachers in post; the reality of school budgets; illness and death of respected colleagues... it is evident that life in any school is complex and demanding.

The book is sobering at the end. How did we get there? I felt like I had lived so many lives during the duration of this read and that there is still so far for education to go. This is a book which reminded me of Adam Kay's 'This is going to Hurt' pithy humour based on lived experience with an important message for us all.

As an ex-teacher I know that most of us have suffered most of the goings on described here. Very well written, highly descriptive and funny and poignant equally.
Thank you for a review copy which I enjoyed reading.

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.

Humorous and insightful look at teaching in an inner-city school. As a retired teacher myself, I could empathise with Ryan Wilson’s look at teaching. He writes with enthusiasm for what is undoubtedly a difficult job and one which gets harder with time. His many humorous anecdotes where hugely enjoyable and totally believable. He appeared to have an excellent rapport with the children he taught and also respect from his colleagues. The writing was easy to follow with short chapters for each situation. I also found the stories involving both Liz and Zoe extremely moving and poignant. Ryan himself was obviously a great teacher. What a pity he left the profession feeling tired and jaded. Too many men and women are trained in this profession but cannot ultimately stay in the job because of unrealistic pressures. This book goes some way to dispel the myth that teaching is an easy job with short hours and long holidays. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

Let that be a lesson is described as a frank and funny ode to teachers but what I read is an education system on the brink, there wasn’t as much about the children as I would of liked but there is a lot about how teachers are over worked and expected to spend countless hours inputting data on the nations children and as Ryan states every child is different and the one module teaching does not suit everyone and as such our children suffer. This book will definitely make you question and debate our education system but about half way through I did start skimming through parts of it as there is only so much moaning about Ofsted & Michael Gove etc that I could put up with. What it does show though is we need more teachers with passion like Ryan, Liz & Zoe to educate the children of the future and less bureaucracy and it’s a shame all teachers are being so let down.

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.

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.

The highs and lows of a teaching career are brought vividly to life in this compelling and often amusing account of life at the chalk face from former teacher, Ryan Wilson. Although generally more wryly amusing than packed full of belly laughs, Wilson's book is nevertheless a good and anyone who has ever attempted a teaching career themselves should find plenty here to relate to. Wilson's book also gives the reader plenty of food for thought on subjects ranging from the after effects of Michael Gove's disastrous stint as Education Secretary to the simple question of why so many talented individuals who seem born to teach are nevertheless often driven out of the profession by a system which increasingly favours the demands of data collection, Ofsted inspections and other bureaucratic obstacles over the needs of the pupils being taught.

Funny (as in actual laugh out loud funny), heart warming and thought provoking on what it takes to be a teacher including the highs and lows. Loved how I could pick this up at any point and it would make sense and wouldn’t be confused about anything. The sections about Liz and Zoe were especially well written. For anyone that doubts teachers work hard then this is a must read; tbh it’s a must read for anyone who’s been through education in the UK!

I usually reserve 5 stars for books that leave me reeling with that wow factor and the knowledge I will remember the book for a long time after. This one gets my 5 stars because, as a now happily-retired primary teacher and mother of a currently stressed and close to burned-out secondary teacher, I was in a constant state of either vocalised virtual head nodding or full blown laughter. So much of this book resonated with me: the constantly changing goal posts of government policy, the erosion of trust in the professionalism of teachers and of course, the sheer joy of imparting some level of knowledge to funny, quirky, ultimately, for the most part, fabulous kids. I would recommend this book to anyone in the profession as a reassuring crutch to feeling you are not alone in your questioning despair at the system keeping you from sleeping at night. And to parents, who should gain a true insight of what goes into the daily routine of the teachers you might be criticising for policy implementation that is beyond their control. And the joy of this book is that, as serious as it is in its annihilation of the system, it is also laugh-out-loud funny and self-deprecating too. Ryan Wilson tells many stories against himself, not failing to tell tales of his own naivety and comic mis-handling of classroom situations as a young newly qualified teacher. Highly recommended.

From someone like me who has been a primary school governor, and now is a teaching assistant, I know how Mr Wilson feels and he has the ability to write about education today with a huge depth of knowledge.

The whole book is a joy to read with lots of humour, tinged with frustration and some sadness. I am also from the 'school' that agrees teachers work hard but are constantly challenged by statistics etc., the children in their care being let down by U-turns on policy and lack of funding. Another reviewer has agreed with me that "it's a book which is often funny, but its message is more important than the laughs." Nevertheless, well worth a read.

Yes, Mr Gove deserves all the criticism aimed at him and, yes, an all party political body should be set WITH teachers on it!

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for the chance to read and review.

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.