You Suck, Sir: Chronicles of a High School English Teacher and the Smartass Students Who Schooled Him

by Paul Bae

Paul Bae is now a highly regarded comedian, podcaster, and the director of the Marvel Studios podcast Marvels, but he was once a high school English teacher. One day, during his student-teaching practicum, Paul Bae assigned weekend homework to the class.

"You suck," a student muttered.

Mr. Bae turned on his heel, approached the student. "What did you say?"

"Sorry. You suck, sir," the student replied.

Mr. Bae promptly returned to his desk, took out his teaching journal, and wrote down the exchange, which would become the first entry of hundreds of recorded encounters with students.

Over the course of twelve years of teaching English, "Mr. Bae" -- or more simply, "Sir" -- kept several journals in which he recorded conversations he had with his students. You Suck, Sir presents the best of those conversations. Ranging from outrageously funny to touchingly poignant, these vignettes are full of heart. Paul's stories are an irreverent, honest glimpse of teaching and learning and an inspiring peek into the connection one teacher has with his students. Both educators and anyone who has ever been a student will see themselves and their daily triumphs and struggles reflected here.

You Suck, Sir is the latest title to be published under the Robin's Egg Books imprint. Robin's Egg Books features some of the freshest, smartest, and above all, funniest writing on a variety of culturally relevant subjects. Titles in the imprint are curated and edited by comedian, playwright, and author Charles Demers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Education, Memoir, Canada

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2014

Reviews

[Saylor Rains · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny collection of stories from a high school English teacher that showcases so many things about students, including their youth and their growth, the evolution of their distinct personalities, their humor, and the bonds they form with their favorite teachers. This collection highlights the way teenagers can be unabashedly hilarious.

Being in my twenties, this book brought back a nostalgia for this time in our lives when we were constantly joking with, or making jokes on, our favorite English teacher in my school. The unique personalities of classmates, and the banter inside of classrooms. I thought the authenticity of those "face-palm" moments a teacher has when he realizes something is dated was perfectly funny. This was a nice, light-hearted book and an easy read.

You Suck, Sir makes you reminisce on your laughs in a time of growth, fun, embarrassment, and the other emotions in the mass kaleidoscope that is your youth.

Thank you to Paul Bae, Robin's Egg Books, and Edelweiss for giving me this review copy for an honest review.

[Vanessa Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a highly amusing and fun read. While I didn't necessarily laugh out loud at any of these stories, my brother (who is a high school teacher) did when he read a few of the stories so it might be funnier to those who also work with high school students.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone who works in a school could write a book similar to this. My friends and I often text each other stories of the ridiculous things students say. Neat to see how one teacher gathered it all together in a book. None of the stories made me laugh out loud, but they were humorous and overall this was a quick enjoyable read.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super quick read, basically a collection of “overheard” style anecdotes. Charming and laugh out loud funny but needs further editing to be poignant, also quite a few typos.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of brief conversations with or between students in the form of dialogue, with the exception of an introduction of a few pages and the occasional parenthetical remark. Don't be confused by the shape of the book, which makes it look like an ordinary work of prose, and a thick one at that. Instead, there is only about a conversation per page, and most of the page is usually wasted. It's a book that would have been much more self-revealing if it was more of a square shape. It's a fairly quick read; you could probably read the whole thing in one sitting without too much trouble.

This book is charming, and is more or less what you would expect from a teacher who is also a stand-up comedian: mostly funny, sometimes sad, sometimes heartwarming, and usually pretty mild. Paul Bae is using his power as a stand-up comedian to full effect. Often, the anecdotes don't end with the student, but him offering up another punchline or highlighting what's funny about what was just said.

I suspect that most people, except those excessively grumpy about the "educational system" for whatever reason, would enjoy this book.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have a teenager or teach teenagers or just like to remember what it was like to be a teenager, then this is an entertaining read for you. Garnered over years of high school teaching, these snippets of interactions humorously display the mind set and thought processes of those of a certain age. It's a quick and chuckle worthy read.

[Rebecca Lowry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read like a great sitcom. Got in some deep belly laughs. Definitely read my young self in a scenario or two. Made me miss high school for the most fleeting moment.

[Catherine Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very funny read. Actually, stand up comedy is an ideal avocation for a high school teacher — but they are a tough room. A really enjoyable light read.

[Lime · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found this to be quite mundane; having been a teacher I heard this type of stuff daily, and there were a lot of repeats in this book.
It would have been nice if he could have included some of the very intelligent and perceptive things that teenagers say...over the years I found students at all academic levels do have profound things to say occasionally. And these are the comments that stick with you.
Many of the dialogues are quite dated already. Heard the author on the radio and thought it sounded ok, but I was wrong!

[Ellen McClure · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who has worked with kids, you definitely have to read this. It made me laugh so hard, I remembered why I loved working with kids in the first place. Definitely a great read and something to break the "I can't find anything good to read" funk.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short, fun (and, as the blurb says - sometimes heartfelt) read.
It was conveniently organized by months in the school year, which made it less of just a dump of quotes.

A good book to read when you want to improve your mood.

If only more teachers were like Mr. Bae.

[Roboppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few things make me laugh out loud as much as these snippets from Paul Bae's experiences as a teacher.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!!!

A quick feel good type of book.

[Riley Wiebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This got me crying, laughing.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

simple, very fast read of humorous anecdotes of his students. students really do say the wildest things. enjoyed this as a teacher.

[Erica Char]

Parts were cute and I could see it being more fun to leave on a coffee table and flip to a story now and again. It’s not a cover to cover read for me, and being on library time…. Sorry :(

[Steffanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could really relate to some of the conversations that Paul Bae wrote about in his book.
I’m sure he was a favourite teacher of many, many young people, and one who was remembered for all time.

[Virginia Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Bae is a Korean Canadian stand-up comic, who for many years was also a high school English teacher. During his time in the classroom, he kept a diary of the funny - and touching - things his students said, now published in this book. This is a delightful read, sure to be popular with anyone who was a teacher, worked with adolescents, is the parent of an adolescents or ever went to school. In short, everyone.

[Clint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful snippets of conversation between a former Canadian teacher and his students. The teacher, who now helms a podcast, was relatively young, hip and properly sardonic — and wrote down what his students said. Though he didn’t continue in that career, he experienced what the best teachers do — students who return to tell them how much they appreciate them and their own feeling of having learned from the students just as they taught them. Fun to read!

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what the doctor ordered: this book is hilariously funny.

Former English high school teacher, and now comic-writer-actor, Paul Bae, chronicles the comments and conversations he has with his students in English class from September to the end of the school year. It’s page after page of humorous teacher-student exchange. It will make you laugh-out-loud!

[Sharen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The collection of anecdotes that happened to the author over the years teaching high school reminded me of my many years as a teacher. The day to day interactions that make the job so wonderful. I wish I had recorded some interactions - not to publish into a book - but to read years later and enjoy. Commend the author for having thought of this early in his career.

[Xavier University Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for any current or future teachers! Heartwarmingly and hilariously told, Bae gives accounts of some choice student comments during his stint teaching.

[Ronna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really funny. A quick read.

[Brenton Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is funny and charming.

I would have liked more from Bae himself.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny, and a little bit heart-warming. Exactly what I needed this week.