Ryan Wilson

let-that-be-a-lesson

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Kate-Atkinson

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

Let That Be a Lesson

Penguin Shop: 3 Clothbound Classics for £33

Not just funny and constantly surprising - but touching, poignant and personal too

A book spoken from the heart, the heart of a born teacher. In turns, honest, self-deprecating, enlightening, moving, and funny... This is a powerful and important book.

Brilliant... It's funny, it's profound and it's a cautionary tale

Laugh out loud funny - every teacher who reads it will cringe with empathy

This entertaining memoir of 10 eventful years at the chalkface further illuminates the debt of gratitude we owe teachers

A genuinely joyful book and a celebration of teaching

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School & College Leaders

A frank, funny and long overdue ode to teachers and teaching

A delightfully frank and funny book - with a very serious message

An ode to teaching: hilarious, inspiring and so terrifyingly true

A hilarious love letter to teaching - and to teenagers. It throws open the doors to the staff room and our ears to the gossip inside. As someone who was a nightmare as a teen, it made me think of the teachers who championed me, regardless, and the influence they had on my adult life. A timely celebration of the importance of teachers

If you want to know what the world of schools and classrooms is really like, this is your book. An unputdownable account of Ryan Wilson's teaching years that describes the absolute reality of teaching in UK schools including the good parts, the bad and all that is ugly. I was captivated by Wilson's honesty and vulnerability and loved reading and exploring every minute of this familiar world

Andria Zafirakou, 2018 Global Teacher Prize winner

Ryan Wilson passes with flying colours and earns an A-grade for his debut book... If anyone has read Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt... Ryan's terrific tome strikes a similar funny, feel-good and frank tone

A pleasant and heartfelt account of one man's brief journey into and out of education... unquestionably funny... poignant and very personal

Very funny, often inspiring, occasionally tragic - and a timely reminder of the unforgettable influence of great teachers

A Teacher’s Life in the Classroom

This is Going to Hurt in the classroom: a memoir of ten years in teaching

'A frank, funny and long overdue ode to teachers and teaching' Adam Kay

Brought to you by Penguin. 
 
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. 
 
'Hilarious, inspiring and so terrifyingly true' Lucy Kellaway 
 
'A hilarious love letter to teaching - and to teenagers. It throws open the doors to the staff room and our ears to the gossip inside' Christie Watson 
 
© Ryan Wilson 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Ryan Wilson was born and grew up in Northern Ireland where knew from an early age that he wanted to be a teacher. Straight out of university, he did a PGCE at the age of twenty-one and, after his training, spent five years teaching in a comprehensive school in Essex before leaving for a Head of Department job in London. He loved every aspect of teaching - the planning, the kids, the colleagues, the material, even the marking - but after a decade of budget cuts, hyper-accountability and unsupportive governments Ryan eventually left teaching to go back to university and now works as a radio producer and reporter. He has written about education for the Guardian and the Times Educational Supplement, including taking on the mantle of the Guardian's Secret Teacher.

Let That Be a Lesson

A Teacher’s Life in the Classroom

Format:

Buy the book from:

Not just funny and constantly surprising - but touching, poignant and personal too

A book spoken from the heart, the heart of a born teacher. In turns, honest, self-deprecating, enlightening, moving, and funny... This is a powerful and important book.

Brilliant... It's funny, it's profound and it's a cautionary tale

Very funny

Laugh out loud funny - every teacher who reads it will cringe with empathy

This entertaining memoir of 10 eventful years at the chalkface further illuminates the debt of gratitude we owe teachers

A genuinely joyful book and a celebration of teaching

A frank, funny and long overdue ode to teachers and teaching

A delightfully frank and funny book - with a very serious message

An ode to teaching: hilarious, inspiring and so terrifyingly true

About Ryan Wilson

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter