Customer Reviews

It's a Teacher's Life!: A Collection of Poems Set in a Girl's Private School

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Free verse has become a universal mode for expressing thoughts, feelings, reality and unreality for many. Some writers write very bad verse (I find myself in this category), while others have mastered its form and are able to use it as a sharp tool, a soft pillow for pleasing landings and most importantly, sharing the many little pieces of their world with others. Helena Harper is quite obviously one of those with the skill and the feelings to accomplish the last mentioned.

It's A Teacher's Life is a small volume of free verse telling her story; her experiences and her thoughts during the time she taught at an all girls school in England. Now I judge poetry, in any form, by a few simple standards. First, is the author conveying her or his true feelings about and for the subject being addressed? Secondly, does the subject touch me; can I relate to what the author is trying to tell me. Thirdly, does the author use metaphors and similes that are realistic? As an example, if the author suddenly tries to compare a walking stick to some dead Etruscan God that no one but one extremely familiar with Etruscans and walking sticks could possible relate to, much less understand, then it is a useless attempt at communication. (Walking sticks possibly; Etruscan Gods, well that is rather problematic for most of us). The obscure becomes irrelevant, the more obscure; the more irrelevant and the fewer there are to enjoy and appreciate the author's work.

Fortunately for me, and for all of us, Ms Harper has fulfilled each of my requirements and given us an understandably work that most of us can perfectly relate to, even if all of us are not in the teaching profession. I have to admit that without exception I enjoyed each of the twenty offerings in this wonderful little book. As I read each piece, I could actually feel the happiness, frustrations, and indeed a twinge of anger and sadness here and there. Her obvious love for the children comes through, as well as her rather sardonic, caustic and realistic view of many of them, and her complete confusion and non-acceptance of many of the modern "things" that fill our lives is also shown. Her impatience with the mundane meetings, parents that to a certain extent make life difficult for both teacher and child, and the endless institutional requirements is quite apparent. Readers should not expect that each and every image presented here is a "happy' little glimpse into the life of a teacher, there are very realistic and rather whimsical "down" moments.

The teachers feed off the food
and the words of thanks
that fall occasionally from
pupils' and parents' lips.
These scraps of appreciation
satisfying momentarily
While thoughts of doing
something worthwhile
surface - though just temporarily -
until fatigue overwhelms
and drives the teachers home...
The meager morsels of gratitude
becoming rarer each year,
yet somehow teachers survive
on this diet of starvation
for year after year

Read these lines well. While we find here the words of a very dedicated individual, we also pick up just a bit of justifiable bitterness. Again, these words touched me, they communicated and I could relate; I could feel. On the other hand, there are many light moments expressed in this work to which I could also relate. That is one of the strong aspects of this collection as a whole; we get a taste of both the up and of the down. I must warn you though; due to the small size of the little volume and the author's propensity to use, at first glance, to use simple and easly understood language, a reader may be tempted to rip through this one. That is a big mistake as there is much more here than meets the eye!

This is a wonderful collection of poems that were written from the heart. This work would be an absolute wonderful gift for any teacher in your life; it would be a wonderful gift and read for anyone wishing to understand not only teachers, but all people who dedicate their lives to service.

Love this this small glimps into a remarkable woman's life, and I do hope more is to follow.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

This delightful collection of poems by a teacher in a private girls' school in England captures the highs and lows of teaching in a "caring environment/ where pupils are looked after/ and cherished." Always fearful of alienating the parents, the school still tries to serve as an impartial judge of the students' progress, even when those students are sometimes "pampered dears." Author Helena Harper describes the grand old building which serves as the school's physical setting, with its staffroom ("a place of refuge" from the hectic schedule) and workroom (with its broken photocopier and occasional gossip), but she also describes her "family of workroom colleagues" who become, during the school year, "an indefinable whole--/ a close, invisible/ community of the soul."

Reflecting on the speed of life for faculty who never seem to have enough time, especially when a school assembly runs late, a test has to be graded, or a deadline is nearing, Harper shows the care with which teachers prepare lessons, mark papers, deal with parents, stay up late developing all the necessary paperwork for the inspectors who certify the school, and always put their best faces forward as they encourage young children and help them become adults.

Her wryly breezy poetic style also captures the sights, sounds, and smells of an elderly building filled with busy, young children and hard-working employees--the motherly matron/nurse, who dispenses advice to both the students and the faculty; the departing cook, whose chuckles, laughs, and lack of complaint make her a true Joy; Emilio, a "caretaker of immense rarity" from Spain, who has worked (slowly) for thirty years fixing whatever needs to be fixed and who is now retiring to Spain; and Amy the Able, the Queen of Resources, who is the school's efficient administrative assistant.

Despite the busy-ness and the late-night work, a teacher's life in this small, nurturing school, is just about ideal, and Harper celebrates her happiness there. Teachers have the supplies they need, students are expected by the school AND their parents to study hard and do their work, parents attend meetings, off-campus field trips provide a break in the hectic routine (and create their own headaches), and everyone involved seems to be on the "same side." Life is relatively peaceful, a far cry from inner city turmoil and high pressure suburban AP programs. Harper's lovely memorial to an almost lost way of life celebrates the best intentions of teachers and schools--and their successes. n Mary Whipple

Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul: Stories to Open the Hearts and Rekindle the Spirit of Educators
Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Teachers
The New Yorker Book of Teacher Cartoons

"It's a Teacher's Life!" is a short, elegant and whimsical collection that explores in poetry a year in the life of a teacher at a private school for girls in England. The language and experiences are British indeed, but the author's feelings, frustrations, and hopes touch on the universal. The author, Helena Harper, worked for two years in banking before deciding to become a teacher. The reader learns Harper's thoughts about her chosen profession through poetry.

The little book consists of twenty poems and eighty pages together with several small sketches which illustrate the themes of the poetry. The sketches add much to the book. The collection begins with a poem called "The School Ethos" in which Harper gently satirizes "the caring environment" free of discipline or criticism which her school tries to offer its charges. The book then proceeds from the beginning of the school year to the end. It concludes with a poem titled "The End-of-Year-Bash" which describes the speeches, recognition and refreshment that celebrate the end of the year of hard work in teaching and learning. At the end of the celebration, Harper reflects, as she does frequently in the book, on the passage of the year and its meaning. She concludes "It's just a divine mirage/ enticing us to play/ in this amazing, incredible human fray!"

The book describes the teacher's life in the classroom and out in the endless cycle of preparing and giving lessons, performing collateral duties at the school, attending trips and programs, and trying to please administrators, parents and overseers. Harper offers good character sketches of many people in the school, including the Head of Music, Mr. Cress, the German teacher, the long-suffering matron who selflessly eases both students and staff through a multitude of aches and pains, the cook, Joy, who is a favorite of the author, the caretaker, Emilio, who leaves the school after 30 years of service to return to his native Spain, and "Amy, the Able", the office administrator whose name speaks for itself.

For all the whimsy and lightness, Harper is at her best in her reflections of her role as a teacher and its significance. An example is the concluding passage from the "End-of-Year-Bash" quoted above. In a poem called "The Workroom" Harper describes the chore of lesson preparation with her colleagues. The poem concludes with an almost mystical passage of the unity of purpose that binds those in academic life:

"Unrelated they may be,
but an invisible strand,
like the air each breathes,
ties them together
and makes them as one -
no longer separate beings
but different aspects of
an indefinable whole -
a close, invisible
community of the soul."


In a poem called "The Lesson" describing the difficulty of classroom teaching, Harper again concludes with a meditative passage:

"that's the reward
for hours and hours of work
and patience,
a reward of infinite measure,
a priceless, unlimited treasure."

As a final example, at the conclusion of a poem called "The Exam", the students complete their work, the docents receive the exam books, and Harper reflects on the process:

"The teachers follow,
and silence reigns once more,
broken only by
the great illusion of time,
ticking indefatigably
in the phantom human mime."

In a short, light way, Harper's book explores the frustrations of the teacher's life. Through the short-term difficulty and travail, she captures something of its significance as well. This is a delightful little book.

Robin Friedman

Helena gives us a fresh insight into what it's like to be a teacher. The approach is sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical, always delightful.

I could almost smell the wood from the building, and hear the excited chattering between classes. I could also feel the rush of the hectic lives of teachers.

This is a tasteful and delightful collection of poems. Well worth the cost!

As an American teacher in a public high school system, I was amazed at how similar my teaching experience was to that of Helena! She has absolutely captured the essence of what it is like to teach "over there" and over here. The meetings; that caffeinated sanctuary that we call the Teachers' Lounge; the tests, evaluations, and special events; the prep and duties; the adults, the kids; the highs, the lows; those motivating crumbs when we need it most--all are represented in Helena's captivating style. As I read, I found her use of language, story telling, and sardonic wit vividly re-created my classroom days as well. In short, "A Teacher's Life" is a fun read, and would be a great gift for both current and retired teachers in the U.S. or U.K.!

The world of teaching is certainly a unique one, and no one outside the realm of education can have a full appreciation of the myriad different facets of teachers' everyday lives. In the pages of It's A Teacher's Life...!, though, those of us who have always wondered exactly what teachers do all day long - as well as after school hours - finally have the chance to learn all about preparing lesson plans, grading test papers, attending field trips, and so much more.

A brief, yet enjoyable collection of poetry, It's A Teacher's Life is written in clear, descriptive language, adding to its appeal to those who may not readily embrace the genre. Also, author Helena Harper's impressive use of rhyme and rhythm further emboldens an already strong presentation of engaging verse. Perhaps the most salient aspect of Harper's collection, though, is the passion with which she tackles topics of all kinds, not only exposing for the reader the multifaceted nature of a teacher's life, but also expressing the pure joy that she derives from living it - sure to inspire readers to have a greater appreciation for their own chosen professions, regardless of what they may be.

Though it may be rife with challenges, difficulties, and unforeseen setbacks, life as a teacher is just as full of rewards and moments of sheer pleasure, and thanks to It's A Teacher's Life, students and non-students alike now have a full panoramic view of that life in delightful detail. A pleasant, eye-opening read.


Wendy Paulson
Apex Reviews

I ordered this book on-line since I am a teacher myself. I was interested to see what a book of poetry on teaching would contain. I really found it to be a breath of fresh air in the hoopla of preparing for State Testing. Ms. Harper really gives the reader a teacher's perspective in a humorous fashion. You can really understand the everyday ups and downs a teacher goes through each day or week, and even during the school year.

It was wonderful to see that in the world of teaching, you're not alone in your dedication. I really enjoyed her variation of subjects relating to the field such as "The Workplace", "The Trips"(Field Trips), "The Staffroom", and "The Duties". Her book has you travel through the school year experiencing all of the trials a teacher faces. Many of my students were startled by my laughter during DEAR(Drop-Everything-And-Read)Time as I chuckled again and again.

For American readers, it may be a bit different from the school experiences in the States. The school setting is a girls school in England, and may describe school format and procedure different from American Schools. But it does make it interesting in the sense that you can learn what schools are like in other countries.

When I was offered the chance to read this little collection, I nearly turned it down. Light verse isn't really my thing. But there was something about the samples on the author's web site that caught my eye and ear and I decided to take her up on her kind offer.

And for all that it still isn't exactly my cup of tea, I am glad that I had the chance to read it. Harper has a pleasant voice, wit, and a good eye for imagery. There are moments that reach nicely past her gently humorous tone into something fine.

I'm not sure that this would really appeal to the average reader with no interest in the vicissitudes of teaching in a private girl's school. But it would make a wonderful gift for the right person-- teacher or parents of young girls in particular.

It seems, in the creation of "It's a Teacher's Life," Helena Harper has developed a new form - what can only be called the anecdotal poem. No one in academia would ever consider the warding over teen aged girls a walk in the park, but in these Vignettes in Verse Ms. Harper has imbued the process with a sense of stalwart humour and a marvelously controlled clarity of vision over the process...
A must read for anyone in the teaching profession and absolutely ANYONE "blessed" with young girls in the family.

It's A Teacher's Life...by Helena Harper is a delightful and humorous book of poetry about the hardships, trials, and drama of a teacher's career.

As parents, we have all heard our whiny adolescent pop through the door straight from the bus complaining about the horrible assignment his or her teacher just assigned, "Due Friday! My teacher stinks!"
What a breath of fresh air to read this book and appreciate the situation from a teacher's perspective! In the 5th poem, 'Lessons,' we find that students can be more demanding than teachers! "When will we get our homework back?" What a funny poem!

In other passages, the exhausted teacher must deal with absentee homework, sassy mouths, wrong answers, dress code issues, student complaints, and the list goes on and on...

Sometimes, I'm ashamed to admit, we parents aren't always so understanding when it comes to understanding the teacher. The School Ethos, the first poem and my personal favorite states "When an incident occurs, surprise is expressed for how could that be when all are so wonderfully caring?" Don't you get it, parents?!? The teachers do care! Which is why discipline is a necessity!

This funny book of poetry also tells of other dedicated school staff, including the school nurses, the janitor, and my favorite, the lunch lady. I do wish our school's lunch ladies were as pleasant as Joy!
We find out in this book that a teacher's career is accompanied by loads of drama, not only from the students affairs, but also with staff room gossip and complaints from fellow teachers! I do hope the poor teacher who recites these poems doesn't find her job this terribly miserable! She should realize she is a hero to parents and students everywhere!
Teachers, parents and especially students should all read this funny and insightful book about a teacher's life!