(Un)educated

My Life as a Teacher, and Why You Should Never Become One

De: Francis Foster

Narrado por: Francis Foster

'Francis is doing for teaching what This is Going to Hurt did for medicine. Brutal, honest and laugh-out-loud funny.' Jimmy Carr

'A great subject covered by a guy unafraid to tell it like it is' Geoff Norcott

The class weren't laughing with me, they were laughing at me and there is no lonelier place for a comedian or teacher to be in. The lesson was over and everyone knew it. I looked down and realised that my flies were undone.

This is the reality of teaching.

Welcome to the reality of what it's really like to be a teacher - the pure, unvarnished truth of what it means to stand in front of a group of thirty kids and try and get them to do some work. It's not the inspirational vision you see in government ads; rather it's breaking up fights between warring East End grandmas, figuring out which student defecated in the sink, and dealing with prepubescent sociopaths intent on annihilating lessons week after week.

In brutal, hilarious and gory detail, comedian Francis Foster lifts the lid on the indignities, humiliations, rare triumphs and devastating blows he experienced as a teacher in some of the most notorious schools around the country. But so much more than a teacher's memoir, (Un)educated shines a light on the problems in the UK education system in uncompromising fashion, exposing how the most vulnerable children in society are being failed. And if you're not listening? Well, turns out it's not only your own time you're wasting.©2026 Francis Foster (P)2026 Little, Brown Book Group Limited

Things teachers feel deeply

A very compassionate and funny look at what it means to be a teacher. The stories were warm, funny and oh so true!

francis' sense of humor

the book was a great read , parts of it i cc would so relate to and other parts jist me me laugh.

Unpretentious and Authentic

The narration is a little rough around the edges technically, but it this actually serves to enhance Foster's self-effacing, humorous and occasionally heartbreaking remembrances.

I've enjoed Francis and his co-lunatic Konstantin "Brainiac 5" Kisin on their Triggernometry podcast for years. In this memoir, Francis drops his slightly more formal persona and is completely himself -- his British self. He didn't make things easy for us Yanks. I had to figure out a few things and a couple of jokes left skidmarks as they karoomed over my head.

The little effort it took me to translate things into American English was totally worth it. There's an American counterpart to everything in the U.K. Except universal health care. And the royal family. Well, we have a president who thinks he's a king.

Great book

It was very uplifting book. Very funny that’s what we need. I love Francis Foster. Great guy.

Captured the truth of teaching.

Sad to say that this is the experience that most teachers live in the US as well. Lack of support, resources, respect and an excess of blame, poor behaviour, expectations, paperwork and bureaucracy. You end up a husk of what you were. Sounds like all doom and gloom but, like with all teachers, there are points of greatness, humor and beauty. Well written, performed and a pleasure to read. Not going to lie, this book gave me way too many flashbacks.