I found this through Netgalley.  I am a retired teacher.  I taught over thirty years.  Sometimes I still think about the things I was required to do.  The money I spent on my classroom and students.  The disrespect.  Odd thing is I really loved my job.  The kids who made me smile.  The magic moment you saw a child get it.  Seeing students you had become teachers.  Seeing them raising families.  Setting out in careers you never heard of when you were their age.  Then, I think of the sad ones who died.  The ones whose addiction was bigger than them.  The ones sitting in jail that you knew were on that path and wouldn't change.  
I left burned out.  Not from the kids.  From being treated horribly.  From not being able to deal with the class troublemakers because they can't be denied an education while their behavior denied all the others.  I worked in a Correctional setting 12 years.  The guards were little help.  I really liked the kids.  But trying to deal with other things in my life and watching out for everyone got to be too much.
I read this to validate all the teachers who get up everyday and do it.  Who lay awake and worry.  Who remember to smile because yours might be the only one a child gets all day.   
Everyone needs to read this.

Ever wanted to know the truth from our teachers, our kids teachers our grandkids teachers?! Then this is the book for you. Some stories are hilarious, others dad but true. and others welllllll, just read it. Morris does not disappoint with these stories at all. Maybe you'll look at your teachers with a more appreciated eye.

This book reaffirmed my respect for teachers while confirming I definitely don't have what it takes to be one. It was hilarious, disgusting, infuriating and heartbreaking all at once. With all the grief they get from students, parents, administrators, and sometimes other teachers, it's amazing anyone stays in the profession.

This was such a great book! I’m not a teacher but I loved reading all the stories that only teachers have!

Found this book confusing, and I frankly wanted to throw up every time I saw that cover (seriously couldn't have used something less disgusting?) But the array of stories in there, some turned out to be rather disturbing. Not dismissing that this is the reality of teachers, but it just felt 'off'. Even the foreword felt awkward, making me wonder 'why on earth would I want to read on when this is what I'll be reading about?' Just felt the approach could've been a tad different, less in your face, and a bit more streamlined throughout. Overall, this felt jumbled and confused

A jaded anthology of negative teacher experiences in the classroom. Not humourous or uplifting. I do not recommend What It's Really Like.

Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing me this eARC. If you are a teacher or planning to be a teacher, this book is highly recommended. 'What It's Really Like' by Jane Morris has a compilation of personal and anecdotal experiences in the life of a teacher. These range from hilarious to cringeworthy to sublime. Parent's remarks which range from funny to abusive to downright racist, administrators descended from hell and finally students who leave no stone unturned to make the teacher wish that she should have done something else with her life. 😀
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I requested this book because last year I read the cult classic 'Up the Down Staircase' which made me want more. The writing style is simple and funny but I wanted some more stories where children did something truly special. These instances are far and few but otherwise this is a good book for laughs. Beware you may not want to eat or drink after reading some real life instances of children being crappy, literally! I skipped these entries honestly. While this is not comparable to Up the Down Staircase, this one do have it's moments.

Oh man. I burned through this book in one sitting. As an educator, I did not find any of this totally shocking- though one part about a teacher's first day and many many kids vomiting was absolutely horrific. I am here to attest that these stories were hilariously truthfully written and I wish all parents would pick this up and just imagine for one day what it's like to be in our shoes. I also appreciate that this book also acknowledged the joys of our job. Obviously, we love what we do and it's not as thankless as everyone thinks. Do we make the most money in the world? Nah, but we rarely have a boring day at the office and we get to be a part of the lives of a lot of wonderful kids. I loved this. 5 stars. AWESOME!

Quite honestly, it scared me to think that other teachers have had experiences similar to my own.  However, it was also comforting to know that the issues faced in the many schools I've taught at aren't unique.  I will be sharing this book with colleagues, administration, parents and, most importantly, my friends. They often ask what it's like to teach and this book will offer an opportunity to start to understand the difficulties in our profession and a chance to laugh along with us.

As a retired teacher I thoroughly enjoyed reading the hilarious and often outrageous stories of classroom teachers. It is an honest depiction of what teachers across North America are dealing with in today's world.A worthwhile read for all!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC inn exchange for an honest review.

This collection of outrageous stories from teachers had me both laughing out loud and wincing in painful recognition.. 
From less-than-supportive admin, to Twilight Zone classroom situations, to batshit crazy parents, this book pretty much runs the gamut. It’s a short, entertaining glimpse of the most challenging profession out there. 
Not only was it thoroughly enjoyable, this book also helped reaffirm my decision to leave the classroom and pursue other things.

The stories in this book are a good look into the life of a teacher. I especially like how it had the positive and negative sides of teaching mixed in the stories. It is easy to focus on the bad parts of teaching, but there are a lot of good things too. Many of the stories made me feel less alone as a teacher; there was someone else that had an experience that made them shake their head.

Teachers are definitely the unsung heroes we don't deserve. Reading this book I laughed hysterically, sobbed, became enraged (all of it sometimes within 2 pages). I think this book is necessary. Jane Morris offers an inside perspective of what it is to be a teacher today, with tremendous obligations and pressures from administration, parents, and students while receiving little recognition or compensation. With What It's Really Like, Morris shows us the reality of being a teacher without the need of becoming preachy or standing on a soapbox; she does it with the most infallible of weapons: humor.

This book compiles a huge range of teaching stories - some horrifying and some humorous - from teachers across America. What this book does really well is effectively paint the picture of how challenging teaching can be when faced with students, parents and administrators - all with different expectations and value systems. 

However, as a teacher something about this book didn't sit well with me. I think it's because I couldn't quite work out what the author was trying to do: was I meant to laugh? Be outraged? Be sad? Whilst there were many stories which I recognised from my own and colleagues' careers and could laugh at wryly, there were other parts that didn't feel appropriate - whilst they might accurately reflect what can go on in the classroom, when written alongside humorous anecdotes, the overall message was disturbing. In particular there was a story where a child exhibited sexual behaviour and the teacher chose not to report it because it was so bizarre. I couldn't work out why this kind of story was included and it made me feel uncomfortable about the choices made by the teacher - but it didn't feel like that was meant to be the takeaway of the story. 

Overall I would say this is worth reading to show the challenges faced by many in schools on a daily basis, but perhaps it is too close to the bone for some teachers themselves.

Shocking, encouraging, mystifying, frightening, horrifying. All words that can be used to describe this book. Chock full of short stories and  observations on teaching. I thought that I had seen a lot in my own career, but holy smokes, teaching is something else!  After reading this, I have a whole new level of respect for teachers. Out-of-control students, demanding or uncaring parents, and little to no support from administration; it's all in here. I honestly do not know how teachers can keep their sanity, much less their jobs. A really good read! I have already recommended this book to several teaching friends.

What It’s Really Like is a must read for everyone, but especially for teachers.  No one truly understand the toll the job of an educator unless it’s another educator.  Our tribe understands and sees how motivational and demotivational the job is.  To help us not feel alone Jane Morris has collected and shared these stories of triumph and misery in What It’s Really Like.  You’ll laugh, relate, and get angry at these stories, because they are true!  These stories happen in our buildings in their own way, which is what makes What It’s Really Like a must read!

A blog compilation about one of the world's most entertaining professions. We often talk about how teachers don't get enough credit for all they do, and this book confirms that. Reading this will make you want to hug every one of your teachers (and if you're a parent, it will make you wonder, "Was that my kid???")

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What It's Really Like by Jane Morris is compilation of teacher true confessions.  I love the format - short stories, texts & emails - makes it easy to read and keeps it interesting.  Most of the entries cracked me up - a few had me shaking my head over the ridiculousness of today's education system and some just absolutely broke my heart :(   It's insane to KNOW that these crazy things happen - that parents expect ONE person (and its not them...) to be everything to their child and not support them at the same time???, that administrators do  whatever they have to do just to placate those with the biggest mouths (generally the same parents that don't PARENT) and the unrealistic expectations that the "state" puts on tests and progress  Our education system needs a serious overhaul - teachers should be able to TEACH.  This is a great book for any parent of a school aged child - and any legislator that has the POWER to control what goes on in the schools :(  My niece is a school teacher, as is my best friend - and I will be sharing this book with them. 
I was given this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was hilarious! An interesting snapshot of the bizarre, heartwarming, hilarious, dangerous and difficult job teachers do and what they are faced with daily in their classrooms. I loved the format of short stories mixed with insane emails from helicopter parents and students and emails from the unsupportive admins. I laughed out loud countless times and have a new appreciation for the profession!

This book was brilliantly hilarious and gave good insights to teaching, an understated profession! I laughed at a lot of the moments, got angry at others, and felt touched with the successes. I loved it.