That's Not What This Book Is About

by Joanna Johnson

Embark on an emotional journey with Joanna Johnson as she navigates life's twists and turns, encountering remarkable individuals and absorbing life-changing insights along the way. Prepare to dive into your own memories, finding solace and inspiration in the enduring forces of love, strength, and human bonds that resonate throughout this captivating story!

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir

150 pages, ebook

Published June 28, 2025

Reviews

[Christie Reaume · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is NOT what I thought it would be about but it was well worth it! I’m not a teacher but I suspect her views on education will help guide my parenting. Joanna could run the world, in my opinion!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a excellent and inspiring book. I read it in a day and I followed Joanna on tic tok I am 69 and would have loved her a teacher. She clearly loves her job and her approach to education and her students is so inspiring. I truly hope she has another book maybe stories about Grandma Ruby.

[Belinda Storms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Joanna's tiktok sarcasm so much, I had to get her book. And that wasn't even what the book was about ;) great read! Thanks for such wonderful insight and the many lives you are changing.

[GM Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, I book marked quite a few pages and underlined parts that encouraged me to think about my own pedagogy. I believe Jo’s writing and stories helped solidify her thoughts on treating people with kindness, providing opportunities to learn from each other, and live in a better world that we ourselves can make. I gave it 4 stars because I wanted more. Maybe I just want to sit in a room with her and ask her how she meets curriculum standards without creating Google Slides to push information. I think I create strong relationships with students, and families, but I was wanting more of the details of HOW she is such a great teacher, but maybe ‘That’s not what this book is about’ ;) I would happily read more if Jo keeps writing.

[Susan Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Joanna speaks from the heart of a true educator. If you know, you know. We've all lived it: the excitement, the frustration, the joys of seeing students grow, the overwhelming tiredness. A quick first read, but a book you will go back to again and again and again.

[Maura Hassan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, this book should be used as a blue print for the educational world wide.

[Bakios · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Our mission is simple. Engaging students. Well, it is even more than that. We believe in investing in students’ well being. We believe in educating the entire child - mind, body, and soul. We are working to change parameters to meet the needs of ALL students. We believe that all students can achieve if given a fair chance.” Truth!

[Lacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read!

Forward, Honest, Direct, Informative, & the right touch of Sarcasm!

A Keep-it-Real Read with some personal stories to enlighten the Reader!

Love the commitment to Learning & Educational Knowledge that will always be life-long skills!

[Emma Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an insightful read on Joanna Johnson’s experiences growing up as a kid, in her career, as an athlete, and just an overall human and how that has impacted her view of the world and perspectives on teaching.

Notes:

“Creating resilient, kind children involves a combination of nurturing their emotional well-being, teaching them important life skills, and modeling positive behavior.”


Letting students address you by their first name…
* signifies a culture where respect is cultivated through actions and leading by example rather than formal titles
* success stories rooted in the belief that respect is earned through deeds and character
* addressing kids by their first names and letting them address you by your first name fosters a sense of equality and mutual regard in the educational community
* can lead to more open communication, stronger relationships and a more relaxed learning community where students feel comfortable expressing themselves

kids don’t show up in September blank slates, but rather stories of who they are and what they’ve lived.

without a genuine understanding of our students we cannot hope to effectively educate them.

“I must hone my listening skills and delve deeper to comprehend my students, often reading between the lines more than I had initially expected.”

“Giving a voice to your child, showing them respect, listening to them, and empowering them could be one of the most impactful things you could ever do.”

Respecting children even when we don’t fully comprehend their actions

You can’t teach students heart but you can help them find theirs.

Don’t make them read out loud, don’t set them up to lie, and encourage work ethic.

“How can I instill the ‘love of the game’ in students when the game itself is evidently flawed?”

[Lisa Witte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across Joanna’s TikTok page Unlearn16 a couple years ago. Absolutely love her content! She’s a truly awesome Political Science teacher at a private school in Ontario, Canada. Her storytelling is so on par! Her viewpoints are amazing. Her love language is sarcasm which I find very entertaining! In her book she shares pivotal moments of her life that plays huge parts of why she’s an educator. Also in her book she has QR codes linked to You Tube videos that further explains each chapter. Oh yeah she autographed my copy! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ Highly recommend this book!

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting and while initially I thought the idea of the "Class is in session" QR code was a cute idea (especially since she is a teacher) when I clicked on it they are 35 to over an hour YouTube videos. If they were short 5-10 minute extensions on the chapter that would be one thing but, these videos added approximately 6 hours to the book I wanted to read. If she had that much more to say on the topic she should have made the book longer. It was only 139 pages. It would not have overwhelmed the reader.

[Leah-Jo Mercer-Sbrega · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Joanna! Her TikTok’s are amazing with a wealth of information. This book was definitely not what I thought it was going to be. I listened to the audio version with Jo as the narrator. She’s super funny and I love how she went off script many times but this is not what this review is about. This book had memories of her growing up which I enjoyed but then we got into teaching and students and that’s when she lost me. Although, I did stay tuned in because she was entertaining. I am hoping to hear more podcasts from Joanna.

[SGiusti26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I was younger or Joanna wrote this book 25 years ago. I could have used her wisdom when my daughter was young. In fact, I could’ve used that wisdom when I was young. Her heart-centered, simple and direct approach to relating to and teaching young people should be the basis of every school everywhere. I also love the “Class is in Session” videos at the end of every chapter, bringing us along for the ride.

[What Angie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy watching Joanna on TikTok, so I bought this book. I'm pretty sure there was an error in one of the pages, tried to email/DM/sent message on TT about it.

I homeschool my son, I'll def take a lot of the advice into consideration. I've been successfully "unschooling" for over 10 years now. However I'm fully aware of their opinion on this type of schooling.

Hopefully I can get this signed next month at Fan Expo.

[Silke Vee Visconti · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent, read in one day, with your voice in my head. the lessons, your shared experiences.. thank you. the most impactful lesson was the student defending her right against the clothing policy at school .. what an articulate, well prepared argument . we can learn alot from our youth if we just take the time.. keep up the great work Joanna.. your students are very lucky to have you in such a supportive environment like Metro Prep .. our public system should sit up, listen and adapt..

[ROXANNE SONNEK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Joanna on Instagram and enjoy every reel I have seen!! She is educated, funny, and her love for others, especially Grandma Ruby and her mom is enduring! I listened to her book on audible and I am so glad I did! She veers away from the book and adds more insight to what she was writing about by explaining it further or quite honestly just thought of something else “but that’s not the what this book is about” lol.

[Coreen Yama · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent writing. With real life experiences she has journeys on. Love and positivity flow like water as she takes life experiences and illustrates how human experience can influence the curriculum for students. I’m not a teacher but believe we are all teachers in some form ( mothers, mentors, ) so this book will help all of us develop a better understanding of how to achieve more positive outcomes. However a big theme is the growth is the motivation not perfection.

[Marisa Rank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy and fun read. Includes deep insights into how people learn. QR codes to videos at the end of each chapter are a nice touch. They are a great opportunity to hear Johanna dive even deeper into the topics discussed in the chapter.

[Lisa Healey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If all teachers were like Joanna and all kids had parents who had her same philosophy, we’d live in a much different world. Most people do not have the same privilege, but we can strive to head in that direction.

[Doris Thomsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast read. If you follow unlearn16, you will enjoy this book.
I'm sure there are some grammatical errors here that Jo would put on her whiteboard and rip apart. But that's what everyone loves about her.

[Lee-anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good listen on audio and one I flew through. Joanna writing felt so honest, and easy to sink into, making it a great choice for an audiobook.
Loved the little camos from Anna.
I’d absolutely pick up another book by Joanna Johnson if she writes more.

[Mandy Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like their content on social media, you'll dig the book. It's a keeper.

[Lois Rooney-Giurin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning, innovative and thought-provoking. Exactly what education needs tight now, and not a minute too soon!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting, inspirational, educational read! I love watching Jo's TikToks so I knew I had to read her book and I definitely wasn't disappointed!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this lady!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A have been following this Canadian author on social media for a while and her clever insights didn’t disappoint.