A review by rrrebekahmay
Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy

2.0

I'm not ready to review this book yet because I'm still processing my thoughts. I'd say overall it's a good introduction to the British state education system and some of the problems in it, but this book is littered with Kate Clanchy's internal bigotry and biases. She's constantly making bizarre comments and comparing her middle class life to the working class kids she teaches in strange ways. She goes on a tangent about how working class people are fat and her working class students can't think long term so will have a biscuit instead of being thin??? And they can't think of the long term goal of being thin like they can't think about the long term goal of university??? Then there's a wildly confusing section where she's talking about a pretty girl being trouble because boys won't respect her boundaries and has to change to stop getting attention but never addresses that this is a serious problem? I'm still a little mad about it all.

I might come back and review this when I simmer down but for now, I'd say it's an ok memoir but it feels a little exploitative. Also don't be fooled by the Orwell Prize win, this book isn't very political at all.