A warm, funny and semi-autobiographical story in the tradition of James Herriot, about a year in the life of a Yorkshire primary school in the late 1970s — the kids, the parents and the young, inexperienced headmaster Jack Sheffield.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
Miss Barrington-Huntley took off her steel-framed spectacles and polished them deliberately. ‘Mr Sheffield,’ she said, ‘after careful consideration we have decided to offer you the very challenging post of headmaster of Ragley School’. It's 1977 and Jack Sheffield arrives at a small village primary school in North Yorkshire. Little does he imagine what the first year will hold in store as he has to grapple with: Ruby, the 20 stone caretaker with an acute spelling problem Vera, the school secretary who worships Margaret Thatcher Ping, the little Vietnamese refugee who becomes the school’s best reader and poet Deke Ramsbottom, a singing cowboy, father of Wayne, Shane and Clint, and many others, includinga groundsman who grows giant carrots, a barmaid parent who requests sex lessons, and a five-year-old boy whose language is colourful in the extreme. And then there's beautiful, bright Beth Henderson, a deputy head, who is irresistibly attractive to the young headmaster... ‘Heartbeat for teachers’ Fay Yeomans, BBC Radio
About the Author
Jack Sheffield was born in 1945 and grew up in the tough environment of Gipton Estate, in North East Leeds. After a job as a 'pitch boy', repairing roofs, he became a Corona Pop Man before going to St John's College, York, and training to be a teacher. In the late 70s and 80s, he was a headteacher of two schools in North Yorkshire before becoming Senior Lecturer in primary education at Bretton Hall near Wakefield. It was at this time he began to record his many amusing stories of village life. He is now a full-time writer with a number of articles, and Teacher, Teacher is his first novel. He lives in York. Visit his website at www.jacksheffield.com.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not hilarious, but charming,
This review is from: Teacher, Teacher (Paperback)
The author, Jack Sheffield, was a headteacher of two schools in North Yorkshire in the late seventies and eighties. At that time he recorded his everyday adventures in a logbook. Now, almost thirty years later, mister Sheffield has made a novel out of his recordings from back then.The book consists of twentytwo chapters that each depict a typical school happening. For example, we read about the parents' evening, dress up parties, local farmers challenges, snow hazards, camping, and so on. There are numerous characters that we get introduced too, including all the teachers, a number of pupils, their parents, and even local villagers. While the cover of the book says this story is "a hilarious account of a year in the life of a village school", most of all I found this to be an endearing retelling of an old fashioned era. The stories are all so innocent, so sugary sweet, and each and every time all ends well. It is clear that Mr Sheffield looks back at his time as headteacher with fond memories. The result is that this book is most suited as bedtime stories for children, not as a comedy for adults. That being said, the book has a charming feel, and is sure to bring a smile to your face at some points. And for those who liked this book, two sequels have appeared.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Teacher, Teacher!,
By beaglies2 (Webkinz World) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Teacher, Teacher (Paperback)
Absolutely awesome book of an academic school year from school master's point of view. Once I started reading, I couldn't put this book down. Lively entertainment, wonderful characters from a master writer Jack Sheffield.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Back in the good old days. . .,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Teacher, Teacher (Paperback)
Mr. Sheffield tells the timeless story of teaching, in his case in l977, in a Yorkshire primary school. From my own experience in Middle America during the same era, there is no reason to doubt a word. All the right words come to mind--heartwarming, refreshing, encouraging. Just a pleasure on every page.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
