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The Secret Teacher
I will teach them literature, poetry, culture. I will teach them The Waste Land! I will be the Best Teacher Who Has Ever Lived! Or so The Secret Teacher thinks. On his first day at an inner-city state school he gets nuked.
The class he is made to cut his teeth on are an unruly mob stuffed with behavioural issues. There is:
Milosz, who is put in detention for committing the sin of Onan with a Pritt Stick
Kieran, the class rebel
Donnie, a hard-working kid desperate for approval
Mercedes, a volatile rude girl
and Salim, who loves Bollywood and the number 5.
Somehow, The Secret Teacher needs to enthuse this lot with a love of books. Or at least keep them sitting at their desks until the end of the lesson. And then he's got to deal with the Observations, marking, standardisations, book checks, OFSTED, Educational Consultants, spreadsheets, personal statements, school trips, strikes, class, race, love, death, birth, manhood, dry cleaning, the end of literary culture, the end of the Old World, the whole shebang ...
In this vivid account of his first few years in the classroom, The Secret Teacher grapples with the complicated questions of how to teach, how we learn - and how little he actually knows. He celebrates the world's greatest stories, the extraordinary teachers he has worked with, and the kids: bolshy, bright, funny and absolutely electric. The result is a book brimful of wit, insight and tenderness.
The class he is made to cut his teeth on are an unruly mob stuffed with behavioural issues. There is:
Milosz, who is put in detention for committing the sin of Onan with a Pritt Stick
Kieran, the class rebel
Donnie, a hard-working kid desperate for approval
Mercedes, a volatile rude girl
and Salim, who loves Bollywood and the number 5.
Somehow, The Secret Teacher needs to enthuse this lot with a love of books. Or at least keep them sitting at their desks until the end of the lesson. And then he's got to deal with the Observations, marking, standardisations, book checks, OFSTED, Educational Consultants, spreadsheets, personal statements, school trips, strikes, class, race, love, death, birth, manhood, dry cleaning, the end of literary culture, the end of the Old World, the whole shebang ...
In this vivid account of his first few years in the classroom, The Secret Teacher grapples with the complicated questions of how to teach, how we learn - and how little he actually knows. He celebrates the world's greatest stories, the extraordinary teachers he has worked with, and the kids: bolshy, bright, funny and absolutely electric. The result is a book brimful of wit, insight and tenderness.
321 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2018
44 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 3, 2018
The Secret Tracher follows an anonymous NQT during his first tumultuous years at an inner city school. We see the changing nature of the job, the politics and harsh working environments but most importantly we see the children he teaches and how he learns to adapt and learn from them to become a better teacher.
This was an ok read, perfect for this time of year as we gear up for ‘back to school’. The setting was explored well, and there’s the full range of characters from various background you would expect from an inner city school - from the overachieving or troubled pupil to the ‘perfect’ teacher. At times I found the author skimmed the surface of these characters, going into very brief detail about them before moving on to someone or something else. This meant I didn’t really get any kind of emotional attachment to anyone.
I also found the author a bit standoffish and condescending at times, meaning I struggled to connect with him too. He could come across as quite abrasive, making fun of some of the children he teaches and his colleagues in a way that was quite mean and unnecessary. It felt like he was laughing at the pupils and his colleagues rather than with them, which I didn’t like. I think that if we perhaps knew more about the author he would have appeared more ‘human’.
The writing also jumps from being quite engaging in places to just being a bit dull. I’m not a teacher myself, and have no interest to be, so the sections on the work aspect of the job as opposed to the more emotional side involving the children I just didn’t find interesting. It also doesn’t flow particularly well, with only a rough timeline of events over the course of a few years meaning it was hard for me to read.
I think I’ll stick to my preferred medical biographies, but this might appeal to those within the teaching profession who can perhaps relate to the highs and lows of teaching.
This was an ok read, perfect for this time of year as we gear up for ‘back to school’. The setting was explored well, and there’s the full range of characters from various background you would expect from an inner city school - from the overachieving or troubled pupil to the ‘perfect’ teacher. At times I found the author skimmed the surface of these characters, going into very brief detail about them before moving on to someone or something else. This meant I didn’t really get any kind of emotional attachment to anyone.
I also found the author a bit standoffish and condescending at times, meaning I struggled to connect with him too. He could come across as quite abrasive, making fun of some of the children he teaches and his colleagues in a way that was quite mean and unnecessary. It felt like he was laughing at the pupils and his colleagues rather than with them, which I didn’t like. I think that if we perhaps knew more about the author he would have appeared more ‘human’.
The writing also jumps from being quite engaging in places to just being a bit dull. I’m not a teacher myself, and have no interest to be, so the sections on the work aspect of the job as opposed to the more emotional side involving the children I just didn’t find interesting. It also doesn’t flow particularly well, with only a rough timeline of events over the course of a few years meaning it was hard for me to read.
I think I’ll stick to my preferred medical biographies, but this might appeal to those within the teaching profession who can perhaps relate to the highs and lows of teaching.
October 27, 2018
God this is good. Bloody hell.
August 18, 2017
As someone just beginning my journey in the world of education, this book proved thought-provoking as well as painfully funny. To me, some parts were quietly sinister but others showed why teaching promise to be such a fantastic job. Schools, after all, are places packed with human interaction and idiosycracy. The writing is accessible, as you would expect of any school teacher, but it certainly packs a punch. In particular, the author articulates the clash between his brimming idealism and the reality of state funded education. Outstanding! 5/5
October 10, 2019
took a while to get into but once half way through, i demolished it in an evening. it became really truthful, current, emotional and inspiring - will definitely be coming back to this!
August 24, 2025
An enjoyable read, which filled me with equal parts excitement and dread.
December 19, 2017
Brilliant. Apart from teachers invigilating exams, this is all true. Very witty. Pokes fun at all the right things although it ended too soon and therefore wasn't the ending I was expecting. Deserves a sequel.
August 21, 2017
I truly loved this book! Would recommend to primary AND secondary school teachers.
November 8, 2017
From a teacher: A completely realistic, heartfelt and funny commentary on the British educational system. Must read!
May 1, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed. The magic, mayhem and sometimes tragedy of being a teacher.
There isn’t another job like it. ❤️
There isn’t another job like it. ❤️
November 14, 2018
Somehow, The Secret Teacher needs yo enthuse his unruly pupils with a love of books. Or at least keep them sitting at their desks until the end of the lesson. Then he has to deal with the Observations, marking, standardisations, book checks, OFSTED, Educational Consultants, spreadsheets etc etc. In this vivid account of his first few years in the classroom, The Secret Teacher grapples with the complicated question of how to teach and unleashes humorous takes on the career as he goes.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I am enjoying the trend of anonymous accounts of careers and this is no different. Prepare to enter the classroom of a new teacher, see them fail to engage the class and see them slowly grab their attention and instil, if not a love, then an understanding of literature.
The Secret Teacher drops in plenty anecdotes as he details his first few years in the classroom, some are serious but are lot are humorous and insightful, I loved reading them and getting to know the different characters both in the pupils and the school staff. Despite everyone being anonymous, the characters of every person is captured really well and I could envisage that personality in the school scenario.
As well as entertaining us with amusing anecdotes, The Secret Teacher does provide some honest opinions on the current education system, whilst recognising its failings, he does offer some interesting insight into where we are today and the future direction of education. My one negative is this does read quite disjointed at times, the nature of the read means The Secret Teacher jumps about a lot, unfortunately this meant flow was lost a lot of the time and we get small excerpts of dialogue which if I am honest do not make much sense, nor do they bring much to the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The Secret Teacher provides us with an array of anecdotes from the classroom and I was entertained and interested by the points made.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I am enjoying the trend of anonymous accounts of careers and this is no different. Prepare to enter the classroom of a new teacher, see them fail to engage the class and see them slowly grab their attention and instil, if not a love, then an understanding of literature.
The Secret Teacher drops in plenty anecdotes as he details his first few years in the classroom, some are serious but are lot are humorous and insightful, I loved reading them and getting to know the different characters both in the pupils and the school staff. Despite everyone being anonymous, the characters of every person is captured really well and I could envisage that personality in the school scenario.
As well as entertaining us with amusing anecdotes, The Secret Teacher does provide some honest opinions on the current education system, whilst recognising its failings, he does offer some interesting insight into where we are today and the future direction of education. My one negative is this does read quite disjointed at times, the nature of the read means The Secret Teacher jumps about a lot, unfortunately this meant flow was lost a lot of the time and we get small excerpts of dialogue which if I am honest do not make much sense, nor do they bring much to the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The Secret Teacher provides us with an array of anecdotes from the classroom and I was entertained and interested by the points made.
June 13, 2022
For a while I wondered why I was reading it. I heard it was very funny, and it was indeed amusing, if also painful. However, as the Secret Teacher grows to care about his pupils, I as a reader grew to care about what was going on. It was very informative about the limitations and issues of the British school system, while also being a testament to the joys and trials is teaching itself. As someone who has wondered about teaching as a career, I found it very informative and insightful, and as someone who attended school (as I hope all of us did) it gave me a newfound appreciation for the men and women to whom I owe my education.
I enjoyed the stream of consciousness style when it popped up, and the random interjections of things that kids say. It felt very much like living the experience, and helped me empathise with how pervasive and all-consuming teaching can be: this explains why my brother-in-law waxes at such length about his pupils!
I enjoyed the stream of consciousness style when it popped up, and the random interjections of things that kids say. It felt very much like living the experience, and helped me empathise with how pervasive and all-consuming teaching can be: this explains why my brother-in-law waxes at such length about his pupils!
March 17, 2022
I thought I should do some research into teaching as it seems to be my new plan... I found the whole book very useful for that as it gives an engaging and mostly amusing account of class (and staff) room management, bureaucracy, work-life balance, the horror of OFSTED... everything. Very easy to read and undeniably helpful for anyone who wants an insight into the life of a teacher. My one gripe is that I found it a bit annoying to read at the beginning. I'm glad I stuck with it though. And props to 'Sir' for his honesty. I just enjoyed his observations (and warmed to him a lot more as an individual too) as the book/school year goes on. Definitely worth reading and some genuinely funny, poignant, inspiring moments.
July 26, 2019
As someone who is about to embark on an English teaching career, I picked this book up to see whether it could offer any insights. While I enjoyed the small amount of space dedicated to the secret teacher's time in the classroom and his interactions with the pupils, the book mostly scared me as to the rigorous requirements on teachers these days and the awful predominance of testing and OFSTED. So, if the secret teacher was aiming to put off potential new teachers, then his work is done!
March 31, 2024
I picked this up from my school library in preparation for my job next year and I loved it. Perfect for teachers or teachers-to-be: relatable, real, and chuckle-out-loud funny a few separate times. There are a few quotes from I wrote down from it too to keep in mind when I hit the inevitable lows of teaching.
June 8, 2021
Reminds me again why I don't want to go back to mainstream teaching!
August 23, 2019
This is an anonymous book. A teacher in an unnamed school tells it like it really was, hence the fact that there are no real identifying details. With an impressive combination of humour, pathos and reality, this is a book offering genuine insights into life in a school. The characters in the classroom are challenging and entirely realistic, representing all types of school student in depth, not just the clever and the difficult, a good cross section of the characters a teacher would encounter. The teacher starts with dreams and aspirations for transforming lives, or at least delivering brilliant lessons which excited and challenged everyone. As might be expected, for more than one class that does not transpire. Such is the nature of the book that the challenges do not only just come from the students; sometimes other teachers, including the senior management team, make life difficult. The language used by the students can sometimes be a little fruity, sometimes just bewildering, and in recognition of this there is even a glossary of words and phrases included in the book. Many familiar situations arise; using the wrong marker on the interactive white board, asking questions that no one will admit to knowing the sensible answer, students reacting noisy when they spot a teacher outside school. Most teachers know the way strange ideas are past down from on high, as when every class must include reference to “British Values”. The technological challenges are there, when the staff computer refuses to work properly, when detailed lesson plans disappear, when a classroom of computer using students will not cooperate. Parents want the best for their children, or just want a peaceful life. Some students are ambitious, some students just switch off, especially if home circumstances conspire against them.
As a teacher myself, I really enjoyed this less than respectful, sometimes painfully funny view from the classroom.
The book begins with the teacher starting his career as a Newly Qualified Teacher in a mixed school which includes some older staff, full of the quirks and habits of the long established. Our hero does not go in without ideas; post it notes for plenary activities, experience of a challenging placement, an awareness of what other NQTs really meant by their confident chat. As the book progresses his confidence ebbs and flows as an inspiring lesson is followed by one where no one listens, where the behaviour enforcement team is permanently present. Observation lessons are recalled in perfect, horrendous detail, but the solidarity of the staff in times of crisis is real. The social life of teachers is explored, as alcohol is taken but no grudges taken. New time tables, new school years and new classes present new challenges but also fresh rewards. A highlight of the book is a school trip to Oxford, where assumptions are made about a certain group of students, which are thoroughly overturned among the dreaming spires. The humour of a situation involving favourite students out in the world is brilliantly written. Well written, well paced and always interesting, I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in what really goes on in classrooms.
As students work their way through the school and other teachers leave or move on, conflicts and opportunities come and go. This is a painfully funny, completely authentic memoir of teaching in the twenty first century with all its challenges and rewards. The teacher begins by thinking that this is the best career in the world, and while there are some difficult moments, he discovers that it is really rewarding, always challenging, and rarely boring.
As a teacher myself, I really enjoyed this less than respectful, sometimes painfully funny view from the classroom.
The book begins with the teacher starting his career as a Newly Qualified Teacher in a mixed school which includes some older staff, full of the quirks and habits of the long established. Our hero does not go in without ideas; post it notes for plenary activities, experience of a challenging placement, an awareness of what other NQTs really meant by their confident chat. As the book progresses his confidence ebbs and flows as an inspiring lesson is followed by one where no one listens, where the behaviour enforcement team is permanently present. Observation lessons are recalled in perfect, horrendous detail, but the solidarity of the staff in times of crisis is real. The social life of teachers is explored, as alcohol is taken but no grudges taken. New time tables, new school years and new classes present new challenges but also fresh rewards. A highlight of the book is a school trip to Oxford, where assumptions are made about a certain group of students, which are thoroughly overturned among the dreaming spires. The humour of a situation involving favourite students out in the world is brilliantly written. Well written, well paced and always interesting, I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in what really goes on in classrooms.
As students work their way through the school and other teachers leave or move on, conflicts and opportunities come and go. This is a painfully funny, completely authentic memoir of teaching in the twenty first century with all its challenges and rewards. The teacher begins by thinking that this is the best career in the world, and while there are some difficult moments, he discovers that it is really rewarding, always challenging, and rarely boring.
April 6, 2021
This was really good at points, and honestly confused me at others.
Firstly – the love of teaching in this book combined with the sarcastic tone, at times making very serious points, was wonderful. I really got the sense of someone who loved the work and often found the job ridiculous, which made a lot of sense. It was a balanced, funny, quirky look at something both very rewarding and difficult.
For me, at times the tone just seemed odd. I’m very conscious that it might just be a sense of humour which I’m not quite getting, as (especially at the beginning) there were bits which were obviously given as a rose-tinted glasses perspective. But why? I had absolutely no idea, and for me the change in tone left me a bit lost.
At times the book seemed a little repetitive, and it became unclear as to what was going on. Again, this got better as I went through; either I adapted to the writing style or the author gained confidence. I am inclined to think it was the latter.
However, the kids were absolutely fantastic. I was going to call them ‘characters’, but it’s so clear that they are very much real people, albeit somewhat disguised. I laughed and cried, and really began to understand why teachers give so much for the troublesome students. So often they’re struggling with things we simply don’t see.
Overall, a heart-warming, although at times confusing, narrative about teaching in a state school. Makes me appreciate my own teachers a lot more!
Firstly – the love of teaching in this book combined with the sarcastic tone, at times making very serious points, was wonderful. I really got the sense of someone who loved the work and often found the job ridiculous, which made a lot of sense. It was a balanced, funny, quirky look at something both very rewarding and difficult.
For me, at times the tone just seemed odd. I’m very conscious that it might just be a sense of humour which I’m not quite getting, as (especially at the beginning) there were bits which were obviously given as a rose-tinted glasses perspective. But why? I had absolutely no idea, and for me the change in tone left me a bit lost.
At times the book seemed a little repetitive, and it became unclear as to what was going on. Again, this got better as I went through; either I adapted to the writing style or the author gained confidence. I am inclined to think it was the latter.
However, the kids were absolutely fantastic. I was going to call them ‘characters’, but it’s so clear that they are very much real people, albeit somewhat disguised. I laughed and cried, and really began to understand why teachers give so much for the troublesome students. So often they’re struggling with things we simply don’t see.
Overall, a heart-warming, although at times confusing, narrative about teaching in a state school. Makes me appreciate my own teachers a lot more!
July 19, 2018
I bought this book as I am about to pursue a career in teaching, and I wanted to read some real life accounts of it before starting my training. At the beginning of the book, I almost slammed it down and wanted to cancel my place at university for a job in marketing or something as equally unfulfilling, but as I read on, I began to see how and why this job is so worthwhile.
It was wonderful to read about how pupils such as Mercedes and Donnie, who might otherwise have slipped through the cracks, improved so much over the book and discovered that actually, there was something that they were good at.
In England, schools and senior management are too focused on results, observations and inspections. We see how the pressure impacts on teachers and pupils alike and this book also serves as a scathing critique of the way education in England is today - examples of this being a high turnover of staff (even dedicated staff like ‘HoD’, ‘Ho6’ and ‘Little Miss Outstanding’) and seemingly never ending classroom observations.
At the end of this book, I simply felt more eager to get into the classroom.
It was wonderful to read about how pupils such as Mercedes and Donnie, who might otherwise have slipped through the cracks, improved so much over the book and discovered that actually, there was something that they were good at.
In England, schools and senior management are too focused on results, observations and inspections. We see how the pressure impacts on teachers and pupils alike and this book also serves as a scathing critique of the way education in England is today - examples of this being a high turnover of staff (even dedicated staff like ‘HoD’, ‘Ho6’ and ‘Little Miss Outstanding’) and seemingly never ending classroom observations.
At the end of this book, I simply felt more eager to get into the classroom.
October 25, 2019
Exceptionally well written account of the first few years of an new English teacher's career in an inner-city London comp.
It's frequently laugh out loud (there are so many gems throughout) but also heart-wrenching - because so much of it about data, literature, the ancien regime, the relationship between SM and normal teachers, the workload, the joy of teaching young people and seeing them grow and develop, and everything else is true.
Couldn't recommend it enough; some of its insights might fly past a few non-teachers, and the author does take some liberties with his 'fictional' tale (i.e. some of the children are a bit too stereotypical, and yes, there's no way that an A-Level teacher would be allowed to invigilate their own exam) but I really did love this tale from the 'front-line'. The observations on CPD are worth the price of the book alone. Hilarious.
It's frequently laugh out loud (there are so many gems throughout) but also heart-wrenching - because so much of it about data, literature, the ancien regime, the relationship between SM and normal teachers, the workload, the joy of teaching young people and seeing them grow and develop, and everything else is true.
Couldn't recommend it enough; some of its insights might fly past a few non-teachers, and the author does take some liberties with his 'fictional' tale (i.e. some of the children are a bit too stereotypical, and yes, there's no way that an A-Level teacher would be allowed to invigilate their own exam) but I really did love this tale from the 'front-line'. The observations on CPD are worth the price of the book alone. Hilarious.
April 16, 2018
I'm a newish teacher, but not in UK. It makes me quite scared to even consider ever teaching in UK. It seems similar to what I've experienced, but far more pointless. At least I still have the ideology to believe that I am making a difference, whereas in this book, he seems to have given up much of the time.
However, there are some moments that show that he is doing a good job of reaching the students. It reads like a rambling diary, with bits left off, and some things the reader is expected to know. There are also some irritating made up words that are thrown in to seemingly show what a cool guy he is. They're sprinkled in here and there for no real reason that I can see. I hoped that the provided glossary might explain them, but they're absent. There's some real insight near the end, about how the teachers all grow with experience, and then gift their new colleagues with their wisdom, and how if most of the teachers jump ship, this can't happen so smoothly.
Yet, it felt a little hopeless, because it seemed to end on a bland note, without really explaining what would come next. Teachers around the world will probably find this funny, but it went on a little too long before it decided it should probably just stop.
One question I had though - it really seemed as though, apart from marking books, he did almost no preparatory work for lessons. Almost every teacher finds this the most difficult part of the job, particularly for the first few years, yet it's almost never referred to. He seems instead to fly by the seat of his pants and somehow manage to magic up lessons each day with no previous preparation.
However, there are some moments that show that he is doing a good job of reaching the students. It reads like a rambling diary, with bits left off, and some things the reader is expected to know. There are also some irritating made up words that are thrown in to seemingly show what a cool guy he is. They're sprinkled in here and there for no real reason that I can see. I hoped that the provided glossary might explain them, but they're absent. There's some real insight near the end, about how the teachers all grow with experience, and then gift their new colleagues with their wisdom, and how if most of the teachers jump ship, this can't happen so smoothly.
Yet, it felt a little hopeless, because it seemed to end on a bland note, without really explaining what would come next. Teachers around the world will probably find this funny, but it went on a little too long before it decided it should probably just stop.
One question I had though - it really seemed as though, apart from marking books, he did almost no preparatory work for lessons. Almost every teacher finds this the most difficult part of the job, particularly for the first few years, yet it's almost never referred to. He seems instead to fly by the seat of his pants and somehow manage to magic up lessons each day with no previous preparation.
June 16, 2019
I think I perhaps would have enjoyed this book more if I wasn’t actually a teacher.
At first when I started reading, it seemed promising. Lots of funny anecdotes about starting out in the profession as a trainee and then newly qualified teacher. However when it started talking about a shift in leadership, shifting goalposts from the government, and the fear of lesson observations and OFSTED, it just reminded me about the daily stresses of my own job. I felt a little patronised by the tone of the writing sometimes when he spoke about how to plan lessons. Also I found it rather strange that an English teacher writing a book about teaching can often go more than a page at a time without using a single full stop. But perhaps at this point I’m being hopelessly pedantic. Perhaps it was done for effect.
Usually when I read books, it is in order to learn something of other people’s lives, or to escape from my own stresses momentarily. I was hoping for a book that was much like it started; light-hearted classroom anecdotes, with a healthy bit of “this is good and bad about teaching”. If anything reading this made me think, “damn, need to make sure I’ve got this lesson finished” and prompted me to finish a data spreadsheet. Apart from that, it didn’t particularly inspire any kind of feeling in me. Maybe I’m being unfair.
I finished the book but I did consider stopping - not because it’s long or hard to read, but because I just found it a bit boring. I’d recommend it, but only if you’re not a teacher.
At first when I started reading, it seemed promising. Lots of funny anecdotes about starting out in the profession as a trainee and then newly qualified teacher. However when it started talking about a shift in leadership, shifting goalposts from the government, and the fear of lesson observations and OFSTED, it just reminded me about the daily stresses of my own job. I felt a little patronised by the tone of the writing sometimes when he spoke about how to plan lessons. Also I found it rather strange that an English teacher writing a book about teaching can often go more than a page at a time without using a single full stop. But perhaps at this point I’m being hopelessly pedantic. Perhaps it was done for effect.
Usually when I read books, it is in order to learn something of other people’s lives, or to escape from my own stresses momentarily. I was hoping for a book that was much like it started; light-hearted classroom anecdotes, with a healthy bit of “this is good and bad about teaching”. If anything reading this made me think, “damn, need to make sure I’ve got this lesson finished” and prompted me to finish a data spreadsheet. Apart from that, it didn’t particularly inspire any kind of feeling in me. Maybe I’m being unfair.
I finished the book but I did consider stopping - not because it’s long or hard to read, but because I just found it a bit boring. I’d recommend it, but only if you’re not a teacher.
May 6, 2019
I have to say, this was rather disappointing.
'Frequently laugh-out-loud funny.' - Times Literary Supplement and 'A light-hearted view of a newly qualified teacher's first year on the job... You will instantly warm to him, even as you laugh out loud at his struggles.' - The Pool is what is written on the back of my book, and I couldn't disagree more (I'd even point out it covers his first 3 years in teaching, not just his first). The Secret Teacher (as in the actual teacher, not the book) did grow on me somewhat throughout the book, but that wasn't hard given how much I disliked him to begin with. Maybe the thing that really bothered me about the book was that I couldn't relate as much as I wanted to, or the fact that it's quite negative about teaching. Whether realistic or not I couldn't comment, as I don't teach secondary (and if there was ever the faintest hope I might one day have wanted to do so, it has been completely crushed by the reading of this book). Also I am confused as to what was so funny in it.
It wasn't awful, but I wouldn't recommend - 1.5*
'Frequently laugh-out-loud funny.' - Times Literary Supplement and 'A light-hearted view of a newly qualified teacher's first year on the job... You will instantly warm to him, even as you laugh out loud at his struggles.' - The Pool is what is written on the back of my book, and I couldn't disagree more (I'd even point out it covers his first 3 years in teaching, not just his first). The Secret Teacher (as in the actual teacher, not the book) did grow on me somewhat throughout the book, but that wasn't hard given how much I disliked him to begin with. Maybe the thing that really bothered me about the book was that I couldn't relate as much as I wanted to, or the fact that it's quite negative about teaching. Whether realistic or not I couldn't comment, as I don't teach secondary (and if there was ever the faintest hope I might one day have wanted to do so, it has been completely crushed by the reading of this book). Also I am confused as to what was so funny in it.
It wasn't awful, but I wouldn't recommend - 1.5*
March 3, 2025
The Secret Teacher was the first book I read properly as an adult, and it couldn’t have been a better choice. Since I’m about to start teacher training, it felt like the perfect introduction to the reality of life in the classroom—both the highs and the challenges.
My aunt, who’s a headteacher, got it for me, and I’m really glad she did. The writing style was incredibly comfortable to read—engaging, honest, and full of real-life experiences that made it feel more like a conversation than a book. It gave me a real sense of what to expect in the profession, from dealing with students and staff to navigating the pressures of the job.
What I appreciated most was how relatable and unfiltered it felt. There were moments that made me laugh, moments that made me think, and plenty that reinforced why teaching is such an important and rewarding career. For anyone considering going into education, this is an insightful and easy read that I’d highly recommend.
My aunt, who’s a headteacher, got it for me, and I’m really glad she did. The writing style was incredibly comfortable to read—engaging, honest, and full of real-life experiences that made it feel more like a conversation than a book. It gave me a real sense of what to expect in the profession, from dealing with students and staff to navigating the pressures of the job.
What I appreciated most was how relatable and unfiltered it felt. There were moments that made me laugh, moments that made me think, and plenty that reinforced why teaching is such an important and rewarding career. For anyone considering going into education, this is an insightful and easy read that I’d highly recommend.
August 1, 2019
I enjoyed this book initially, but after the first 100 pages I feel the book dragged. I was so bored at the end, putting off reading because I couldn’t retain interest!
I often found myself thinking what is the moral of the secret teacher! What have I actually read in the last 300 pages?
From a teacher perspective ( I am an NQT primary school teacher ) I found the beginning of the book exciting and could relate to the author when he tried multiple approaches relentlessly and them not work with children.
However, I found that the author was too negative about his experiences with children! And complained about many aspects of teaching that you know about when you choose to be a teacher.
Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I was a secondary school teacher but after reading this book I still find myself thinking what it was that I actually read!
I often found myself thinking what is the moral of the secret teacher! What have I actually read in the last 300 pages?
From a teacher perspective ( I am an NQT primary school teacher ) I found the beginning of the book exciting and could relate to the author when he tried multiple approaches relentlessly and them not work with children.
However, I found that the author was too negative about his experiences with children! And complained about many aspects of teaching that you know about when you choose to be a teacher.
Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I was a secondary school teacher but after reading this book I still find myself thinking what it was that I actually read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2020
Read as part of my September challenge: a book that has a TV/Film adaptation
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An interesting read; much like the medical memoirs (like This is Going to Hurt) where there is serious and funny moments, this was very similar.
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Goes behind the inner mind of a teacher - when they are literally thrown under a bus and given an unruly bottom set Y7 class. Funny stories throughout. Like when there was an observation lesson with a Vice Principal.
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We all must have had a teacher that wrote on the interactive whiteboard with a marker pen and... Woo to the ICT staff who were on track to satisfy their data targets 🥰. Was ashamed of my name when it said any kid whose name begins with a K is bad news 😢
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Away from the story. Love the colour of the cover. And as an aspiring teacher, a really good read.
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#thesecretteacher #bookreview #bookstagram
⠀
An interesting read; much like the medical memoirs (like This is Going to Hurt) where there is serious and funny moments, this was very similar.
⠀
Goes behind the inner mind of a teacher - when they are literally thrown under a bus and given an unruly bottom set Y7 class. Funny stories throughout. Like when there was an observation lesson with a Vice Principal.
⠀
We all must have had a teacher that wrote on the interactive whiteboard with a marker pen and... Woo to the ICT staff who were on track to satisfy their data targets 🥰. Was ashamed of my name when it said any kid whose name begins with a K is bad news 😢
⠀
Away from the story. Love the colour of the cover. And as an aspiring teacher, a really good read.
⠀
#thesecretteacher #bookreview #bookstagram
May 24, 2025
I'm so glad I didn't do my teacher training/NQT year in an outstanding state school. The pressure this book details is just inhumane. I think things are probably better now one word judgements have been dropped (and no more individual teacher judgements) and the obsession with differentiated lesson plans and learning styles has disappeared. The book has some really entertaining scenes where things go wrong and the observation about A level students being too scared to think freely because of spoon-feeding practice in KS3-4 was apposite. I did find the writer annoying though - he came across as condescending towards the inner-city students and I felt his constant quoting of canonical literature at them outside of lesson a bit far-fetched (but maybe that's just how an an oxbridge graduate behaves)
March 4, 2018
This rating is very much a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’ I bought this book in late August when I was refreshed and eager once again, but I have only now finished it in March - my own fault for thinking it logical to read a book about work in my free time from work.
The Secret Teacher has some very relatable moments, and is fairly true to life; it shows that you will win some, you’ll lose some and that you will battle all the way through.
Side note: As a teacher I take issue with the over use of the word ‘discombobulated.’ I spend the first term of every school year training year 7 out of thinking this is the best word in the English language. I can only hope the author used it ironically, alas I fear that is not the case.
The Secret Teacher has some very relatable moments, and is fairly true to life; it shows that you will win some, you’ll lose some and that you will battle all the way through.
Side note: As a teacher I take issue with the over use of the word ‘discombobulated.’ I spend the first term of every school year training year 7 out of thinking this is the best word in the English language. I can only hope the author used it ironically, alas I fear that is not the case.
December 26, 2019
A fun, easy to read and insightful book. The author takes you through his journey from being a training teacher to a qualified professional. You go through an emotional roller coaster of laughter, sadness and anger. The book emphasises the importance of good teachers and how our current system is geared towards marks, leagues tables and tick boxes. The author fears we are moving away from just the love of learning (or reading) to pure practicality, which has an effect on the soul.
The banter between the teachers and the internal dialogue was witty and had me in stitches. A clever book that both entertains and tells the dark side of the British education system.
The banter between the teachers and the internal dialogue was witty and had me in stitches. A clever book that both entertains and tells the dark side of the British education system.
January 20, 2023
So many funny and relatable stories in this book. I like how the book details the author’s first day to exam day and the progression of his thoughts and confidence throughout his time in a school. I enjoyed the touching moments towards the end and the way the writer uses student dialect throughout the book for humorous purposes. Most if not all members of staff in a school have some similar heartwarming, funny or outrageous student experiences and will always hold the students they’ve worked with in their heart and minds- I think school staff should share more of these stories. The reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is that the story could be a tad boring In places from a reader perspective.
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