Go See the Principal: True Tales from the School Trenches

This book was such an enjoyable read! Gerry Brooks does a great job of mixing humor with real-life experiences from the school world. It’s lighthearted, funny, and also very relatable if you’ve ever been in a school setting. I found myself laughing out loud at several parts. Highly recommend for teachers, parents, or anyone who wants a fun, honest look into school life.

Go See the Principal: True Tales from the School Trenches is by Gerry Brooks. I have been watching videos by Gerry Brooks on Youtube and loved them. I decided to learn more about him so Googled him. That was when I found out he had written two books. Only one was available on my Kindle, so I got it and ordered this one as a hard copy. I am so glad that I took the time to learn more about him and found these books. This one is just what a new teacher should read. It covers a lot of things; but in a funny way. I do have to admit that his videos are funnier. However, as a former teacher, I can easily see where he is coming from and basically agree with what he is saying. I just wish I had this prior to retiring. Unlike his videos, this is written in correct English but occasionally his Southern roots come through. Gerry takes information he learned in his years as a teacher and now as a principle and creates things that help make a teacher stronger and a principal look better. His primary interest, however, is the success of the students and the teachers. He has also included some suggestions from other teachers from other grade levels. This makes the book good for all levels of teaching. I suggest this book be one that new teachers and returning teachers read prior to returning to school in the fall. However, since school has already started, maybe read it prior to another break. It points out to remember, you are not in this alone. It would also be good for a book study or a book club.

Totally fell in love with this book! I love Gerry's honesty. I love that he is saying things that I have either said myself or heard other educators say. I love that he speaks to parents, teachers, and administrators. This book is pretty much written for everyone who wants to improve their life! I have been reading parts of this book to my two boys. They were laughing so hard last night when I was reading the substitute line while describing what life is like in a Kindergarten classroom. "What's the weather like outside?" "Fluffy". TOO FUNNY! They especially laughed at the Lunchables story and what it's like to serve in a cafeteria. "Get that shoe off your tray" is a phrase I have never heard somebody say after serving in the cafeteria. But, of course, Gerry goes there! What I love most about this book is that starting in the fall I will be working on my M.Ed. in Administration at Texas A&M University. WHOOP! I underlined so many parts and highlighted so many great points that I want to keep in mind while performing the role of an administration. Most of all, I want to remember to support my teachers and value their feedback. (Totally stole that from Gerry. Seems simple - but those two items are left out of so many schools.) Thank you, Gerry, for setting me up for success! You have inspired me and shown me that I can do this job while maintaining my humorous and positive personality. I see now that I don't have to change my values or personality just to become an admin. I can just be the person God created me to be and continue loving what I do by serving others!

Mr. Brooks is the principal at Liberty Elementary School in Lexington, Kentucky. Since Lexington is my hometown, I actually started watching his hilarious You Tube podcasts where he uses telephone calls with parents to entertain those of us who are or have been in the teacher ranks. When I saw that he had a book out, I had to have it!! The text is full of more funnies for a teacher, but there is some sound advice as well on how to stay sane in this career. The mixture of the two makes the book invaluable for any current teacher and a bit nostalgic for those of us who are retired. I had a great time reading it as a retiree. I bet anyone in the teaching field would!!

Gerry Brooks is one of my top favorite Instagramers to watch/follow. He’s hilariously good at stating the most obvious struggles in day-to-day elementary schools. I love his impressions of parents, administrators and teachers alike. He’s simply entertaining while being upfront with the challenges that arise in schools with little students. I loved the humor in this book. I can hear his heavy southern accent while reading many parts of this book. This was an enjoyable read. This book has great advice for parents, first year teachers and newly hired administrators. But for us, 15+ years of experienced teachers and administrators, many of the advice we could write our own book on. With that in mind, I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. (4 stars)

I am a fan of Principal Brook's videos. I was excited about reading his book. I have been a public school teacher for 40 years, going on 41. I have been a first-grade teacher for 32 of the 40 years. I don't need help with classroom management, teaching children, communicating with parents, etc., but I thought this book was so good I could hardly put it down. First, it's always good to be reminded or to validate the good things that are going on in our own classrooms. I thought it was great he included sections for ALL staff, not just teachers. For those that gave negative reviews...may I please read the books you have written and allow me to decide if you are writing anything "new" or "worthwhile" or that I can chuckle about when I am reading it. When I read the negative remarks the only thing I was thinking was that they were all written by jealous people who can't see humor anymore. I LOVE this book. I wish that we all could have a principal like him. So, if you want to read something inspiring, thoughtful, and FUNNY, read this book. Maybe some people need a little more humor in their lives. It feels great!

Brooks makes great parody videos and he shows in his book, “Go See the Principal”, that he actually knows a thing or two. My only child is graduating from high school this year and I believe I have witnessed or been part of every example in this book. I just wish he had written it 13 years ago! The book does not talk about pedagogy, so parents won’t get bogged down with any educational theories. It brings to light a lot of common sense ideas that hysterical parents aren’t able to see on their own. (And yes, most of us has had hysterical moments. If you haven’t then I had your share). As parents, we think about our child and then there are “the others”. “The others” cause all the problems. Truthfully, they don’t. Some of them are problems that you as a parent might have stirred up from something minor. This book is also good for educators, especially new ones. There are no new theories here, but reading things Brooks think are important enough to include in this book will help you from reinventing the wheel. I could see this being a fun and quick book club book for teachers. Bring lots of wine for that meeting.

I ADORE this book! As soon as I got my hands on The Bayside Bunch - Go See The Principal! I knew it needed to be shared! Soon to be featured on Barb’s Book Buddies (YouTube), the message is important and appropriate for MANY grade levels. The story is focused on what happens when Selwyn takes that long scary walk to the principal’s office, but it includes so much more! Published by La Sirena Books, The Bayside Bunch - Go See The Principal! includes humor, adventure, and friendship. On World Read Aloud Day, I read it to my sixth grade homeroom. A follow-up discussion included how we make assumptions about others and how unknown situations offer insight and perspective. The bold, animated illustrations add depth to the text and keep the reader engaged. This first book in a series introduces many memorable characters and I can’t wait to see the next adventures of The Bayside Bunch!

Hilarious

O livro fala aquilo que passa pela cabeça dos educadores mas não se pode falar para os pais, assim como reflexões sobre a profissão, famílias, alunos e Cultura escolar. Recomendo

Llego en tiempo y super bien

Super nice read for anyone in education

Gerry is so funny! My only disappointment is that most of his chapters in the book are direct transcriptions from his youtube videos.