Ever wondered what it’s like to be a supply teacher? This is the book for you! Artist and illustrator Guy Newmountain, a time-served teacher at the chalk-face for 25 years and a familiar sight to thousands of pupils across the spectrum from nursery to sixth form, tells a succession of school-related anecdotes with a healthy dose of self-deprecating humour. Some are hysterically funny and a few sad; others heart-stopping and deadly serious…Guy even bares his soul regarding personal heartbreak and professional mistakes that others can learn from. An evocative snapshot of real life, every word, even the title – spoken by a tiny infant – is true. A powerful insight into how varied an experience supply teaching can be, the book covers both pros and cons of the vocation, as the author relates a host of unpredictable situations encountered – good and bad – offering a tantalising, honest and refreshing window onto a largely hidden world…
Guy Newmountain, aptly described by a former college tutor as a ‘funnyology’, is a man who steadfastly resists categorisation. Artist, illustrator, animator and occasional DJ, he is, most notably, a teacher who has worked in over 100 different schools across the entire age range; with a breadth of experience rare in the profession. A guilty cola drinker with a fascination for contemporary fonts, TV title sequences, pioneering music videos and retro sci-fi, he swims a mile each weekday, grapples with a life-size Dalek and Wurlitzer jukebox and is rarely seen far from a black Labrador Retriever.
Customer
Reviews
11 reviews
-
Lovely book, reminiscent of a James Herriot novel in the world of education
Lovely book - little bit reminiscent of a James Herriot novel in the world of education
-
Funny and Entertaining Read
Excellent understanding of teaching in schools with lots of humour.
-
A great read, very relatable to working in education with some real laughs along the way.
-
A sparkling witty read!
The guy really captures the trials and tribulations of a life in teaching!
It is told in a series of funny, heartwarming stories that really bring his experiences to life.
Surely a must for all teachers!
-
It's often said there's a book in all of us ...
Therefore it didn't come as any great surprise to find that at a reunion this weekend in London, my brilliantly creative and somewhat unconventional dear friend shared his accomplishment of getting his first book published Guy Newmountain and I studied together at DMU (then Leicester Polytechnic).
On graduating, Guy took what work he could in his specialist field of illustration and filmmaking.
A notoriously difficult industry to enter, Guy, like many of our fellow graduates eventually had to broaden his career and took a PGCE in order to qualify for teaching. And there begins his story ...
titled: Please can I go to the toilet Go? this book is a comical compilation of experiences he faced as a supply teacher in Leicester.
This powerful and evocative read gives an honest account of Guy's struggles. At times you'll find yourself roaring with laughter, at other times squirming with embarrassment as you empathize with his tribulations of being 'the new teacher' to a class of rebellious Year 10s.
So this morning I want to celebrate and share my dear friend's achievement and encourage anyone who is looking for a truly entertaining read to get this wonderful book - available on Amazon.
Huge congratulations to you Guy. Whilst the education system may not always be perfect, I've no doubt your patience, compassion, and unique comedy will have contributed to making the school days of many children a whole lot more enjoyable.
-
This book is wonderfully written, collated, and illustrated. It describes the professional highs and lows of a dedicated teacher intertwined with glimpses of his own personality. A very dedicated man with a remarkable memory of events and an ability to engage the reader in the style of his writing.
-
Witty and thought-provoking. Filled with humour and pathos in equal measure. Loved it!
-
I knew nothing of the life of a supply teacher but Guy’s book has given me an insight into the trials and tribulations as well as some of the rewards.
At times an emotional rollercoaster- one minute I’m laughing out loud, the next I’m horrified and then the hairs on the back of my neck go up.
Never a dull moment
-
Sparkling stories from the front of the class. A selection of amusing, poignant, and sometimes terrifically painful accounts held within the snapshots of one man's life.
-
An extremely well-written, engaging, and realistic account of Guy Newmountain's recent experiences in over 100 Leicester schools, this book is both humorous and painful. It is divided into short chapters each illustrated by one of Guy's designs.
Although supply teaching is anathema to the majority of teachers because of its unpredictable nature and lack of ongoing stable relationships with students, Guy, an Artist and Graphics teacher chose this path because he saw it as his only alternative to the reams of bureaucracy demanded of him and all our teachers by the present Government's policies. He has taught across the age range from 4 years old to Sixth formers, many pupils from diverse local communities, some starting school with very little English yet he shows an extraordinary ability to be instantaneously creative and attentive to each pupil. He is particularly compassionate towards those who do not fit the "norm" He has an in-depth knowledge of pop music and popular culture which often enables him to get onto the adolescent wavelength. His sense of fun and ability to perform roles endeared him to younger children and he sometimes overheard children pointing him out to a parent as“My favorite teacher”
Much of the book appears to be a reflection on his inner thoughts and feelings, as well as on his educational principles and past behavior over 20 years; perhaps a cathartic way of expiating some uncomfortable events and learning from them.
It is also a critique of the current supply teacher system. Guy is highly critical of the profit-making motives driving the supply teacher agencies who would often give an inexperienced young teacher work in preference to him because her hourly rate of pay was considerably less than his. Educational criteria related to suitability for the post did not appear to be a consideration.
Val Simanowitz(ex-teacher)
-
I enjoyed reading this book. It is wonderfully written with excellent illustrations. Thought-provoking, amusing and sometimes painful. Guy gives an honest account of his personal experiences, the rewards and drawbacks of supply teaching.
Write a Review
