I'm a Teacher, Get Me Out of Here! [Hardcover]

"…fascinating and finely observed…"

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

"...spell-binding...I read it one jaw-dropping gulp..."

...funny and poignant... should be compulsory reading for successive secretaries of state and all senior staff at the DfES...

By turns hilarious, sobering, and downright horrifying, this book tells you the unvarnished truth about teaching. I'm a Teacher, Get me Out of Here contains the sort of information that you won't find in any school prospecti, government adverts, newspaper articles, or Hollywood film. In this astonishing memoir, Francis Gilbert candidly describes the remarkable way in which he was trained to be a teacher, his terrifying first lesson and his even more frightening experiences in his first job at Truss comprehensive, one of the worst schools in the country. Follow Gilbert on his rollercoaster journey through the world that is the English education system; encounter thuggish and charming children, terrible and brilliant teachers; learn about the sinister effects of school inspectors and the teacher's disease of 'controloholism'; spy on what really goes on behind the closed doors of inner city schools. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

This is my honest account of my first year of teaching, warts and all. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Francis Gilbert was educated at Sussex University, Cambridge University and completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University Of East Anglia, studying under Malcolm Bradbury and Rose Tremain. Since the early 1990s, he has taught in a variety of comprehensives in London. He gave up teaching in 1998, but resumed his teaching career in 2001; shortly afterwards he became Head of English, a post he held for six years before stepping down to devote more time to his family and writing. He currently teaches part-time English and Media at a comprehensive and is completing two new books, a school guide for parents and a novel, as well as creating some innovative learning resources for Naxos Audiobooks. He provides imaginative, personal and motivating consultancy work for schools and other institutions in the education sector; please email him if you are interested. He has published four books, written extensively for the national press, and appeared as a commentator on all the major TV channels and radio stations. His favourite appearance was with Johnnie Walker on Radio 2 when Sally was very nice to his young son, buying him a packet of crisps. All his pupils think his coolest appearance was on the Russell Brand show. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.