The School
The ups and downs of one year in the classroom
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4.6 • 55 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
One teacher. One school. One year.
Brendan James Murray has been a high school teacher for more than ten years. In that time he has seen hundreds of kids move through the same hallways and classrooms - boisterous, angry, shy, big-hearted, awkward - all of them on the journey to adulthood.
In The School, he paints an astonishingly vivid portrait of a single school year, perfectly capturing the highs and lows of being a teenager, as well as the fire, passion and occasional heartbreak of being their teacher. Hilarious, heartfelt and true, it is a timeless story of a teacher and his classes, a must-read for any parent, and a tribute to the art of teaching.
'In this eloquently written book Brendan James Murray has captured the good, the bad, the unjust and the fabulously inspirational about one year in a high school. It is raw, real and accurate story that lands on hope and deep gratitue for the exceptional teacher who teach with heart and soul.' - Maggie Dent, author of From Boys to Men
'By the second page you care, and from the fourth you are absolutely hooked. Murray wades into the nightmare lives that many Australian kids inhabit in our unjust and unequal society. He reminds us how schools and caring teachers can provide the only chance of a life that some kids have. A very moving book.' - Steve Biddulph, author of Fully Human
'I immediately want to give this book to every teacher I know. An outstanding work of non-fiction storytelling, Murray gives a voice to one of the most important yet undervalued professions in the modern world: teaching. Stunningly written, moving, and full of perspective-changing insights, The School is ultimately a story we should all pay attention to.' - Jessie Stephens, author of Heartsick
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NSW PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS THE DOUGLAS STEWART PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2022
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In his third book, Australian author and school teacher Brendan James Murray delivers an immersive and vivid account of one year at a Victorian high school. An elegant writer, Murray unspools the stories of his students through his own eyes, revealing the depth and fragility within them while offering insight into the burdens and heartbreak that teachers carry. There’s a sense of grimness and fear for these students from the very first page, simply because Murray captures the precariousness of teenage life so completely, as well as the shortcomings of teachers and educational institutions. It’s both an accomplished study in empathy and a frank reflection of the inequities in Australian society today.
Customer Reviews
Real and inspirational
A truly inspiring read that takes the blinkers off and opens your hearts.
Great book for any teacher, especially potential teachers!
This was a pleasurable distraction in a well deserved school holiday for any tired teacher. A reminder there is purpose and that purpose is noble and valuable!
Inspiring read.
Powerful, realistic and empathetic.