Maxine Blake

Don't Poo in the Pudding Bowl Maxine Blake

They never taught me how to handle this during teacher training at university.

I work in a world with hormonal teenagers, inappropriate proposals, the full spectrum of bodily odours and the odd indecent exposure."



Ever wondered what life is like as a teacher? Or what happens on school or college trips? Perhaps you've speculated on what your teacher really thought about the students?



Don't Poo in the Pudding Bowl answers these questions and more! Including 34 real-life stories about teaching teens in Sheffield, this book reveals exactly what happens behind those school doors. Maxine Blake, a teacher for 37 years, takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of classrooms, school trips and student shenanigans, with plenty of awkward, embarrassing and laugh-out-loud funny moments along the way. From students escaping out of windows to conversations about farting pigeons, these stories will have you clutching your sides with laughter.

This is a memoir, most participants have given permission for their names to be used, where they have not, their names have been changed.




Captivating, moving and side-splittingly hilarious, Don't Poo in the Pudding Bowl is a must-read full of insights about the life of a teacher. Welcome to life in the classroom!




A collection of short stories describing teacher/student interactions interjected with comedy moments, drama and of course teenage toilet humour. Don't Poo, is a humorous memoir, collated throughout Maxine's years of teaching. Perfect for your coffee table, bathroom reading or a dinner party conversation starter.

A great gift for those parents who ever wandered what their children get up to in and out of their classrooms whilst at school or if you want to re live your childhood shenanigans with your friends. A reminder for teachers of what they've been through and more importantly, what is left to come.