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Learn Me Gooder
In this sequel to Learn Me Good, Jack Woodson (no longer a green behind the ears teacher) returns to recount another school year’s worth of challenges, triumphs, and mishaps with a brand new cast of wild and crazy students.
Six years have passed, and this time around, Jack gets a talking monkey sidekick, a beautiful love interest, and a top-secret undercover CIA assignment to Uranus. (Well, ONE of those things is true, anyway). There are witty quotes, riotous stories, and more twists and turns than M. Night Shyamalan’s small intestine.
Through email correspondence with Fred Bommerson, Jack talks about PTA fundraisers gone awry, unnatural food chains, and how any action can be made acceptable as long as “it’s for science.” With subject lines such as “Diarrhea of a Wimpy Kid,” “Green Eggs and Math,” and “Houston, we have a word problem,” it’s perfect for reading in small chunks or one long session.
Six years have passed, and this time around, Jack gets a talking monkey sidekick, a beautiful love interest, and a top-secret undercover CIA assignment to Uranus. (Well, ONE of those things is true, anyway). There are witty quotes, riotous stories, and more twists and turns than M. Night Shyamalan’s small intestine.
Through email correspondence with Fred Bommerson, Jack talks about PTA fundraisers gone awry, unnatural food chains, and how any action can be made acceptable as long as “it’s for science.” With subject lines such as “Diarrhea of a Wimpy Kid,” “Green Eggs and Math,” and “Houston, we have a word problem,” it’s perfect for reading in small chunks or one long session.
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First published August 17, 2011
21 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
John Pearson
5 books48 followersJohn Pearson was born just outside of Washington, DC, but moved to Texas as quickly as he could. Growing up with a passion for math, science,and calculator watches, he obtained engineering degrees and basketball(watching) accolades from Duke University and Texas A&M. His first job out of college was designing small solid-state heat pumps, where his cubicle simply was not big enough to contain him. When the engineering market went sour, he decided to try his hand as a teacher, and he educated one diverse group of kids after another, mostly in math and science, but also in Star Wars quotes, bad puns, and life in general.Those students (the Good, the Bad, and the Apathetic) provided the material for Learn Me Good and its sequels. He now uses his mad math skills as an analyst in a really tall building downtown.
John Pearson won the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament in 2013 and lost to the eventual grand winner in the Tournament of Champions in 2014. He was an alternate in the 2019 All-Stars Tournament and fulfilled that role admirably.
Pearson enjoys reading, watching movies, and playing games in his free time, and he has made several videos with his son Andrew, including the Pearson Olympics and the May Gladness series, all available on YouTube. He also updates the Learn Me Good page on Facebook with funny memes, anecdotes, and observations. All educators,teachers, and people who love humor are welcome.
John Pearson won the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament in 2013 and lost to the eventual grand winner in the Tournament of Champions in 2014. He was an alternate in the 2019 All-Stars Tournament and fulfilled that role admirably.
Pearson enjoys reading, watching movies, and playing games in his free time, and he has made several videos with his son Andrew, including the Pearson Olympics and the May Gladness series, all available on YouTube. He also updates the Learn Me Good page on Facebook with funny memes, anecdotes, and observations. All educators,teachers, and people who love humor are welcome.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
August 24, 2011
For those who read "Learn Me Good," you know exactly what to expect from "Learn Me Gooder." If you liked the first book, you’ll like this sequel. If not, the sequel isn’t for you, either. Everyone else, read on.
I’ve been wondering lately if I’m losing my sense of humor, at least where books are concerned. I find plenty to laugh at in books from non-humor genres. Snappy, smart-ass dialogue and funny situations that are part of a bigger story still unleash the chuckles. But most of the books I’ve read where being funny was their main aim have fallen short. They’ve had funny parts. They’ve also had irritating, stupid, and even infuriating parts. "Learn Me Gooder" has convinced me it is still possible to make me laugh the whole way through and alleviated my concerns about that missing sense of humor.
The book is structured as a series of chronological emails from John Woodson, a fictional elementary teacher, to his former coworker, Fred Bommerson, who still works for Woodson’s former employer. Each email has a subject line that is usually humorous, often a play on words that relates to the subject. One example is “That doesn’t make any cents,” as the subject for an email where Woodson tells Boomerson about trying to teach his class the relative values of US coins. Each email is “signed” with a name that follows the same pattern, “Seven Dollar Billy” for the last email and “Add’ em Ant,” for an email about teaching addition.
These added touches add to the funniness and give a hint of Pearson’s sense of humor and wit, but the body of the emails is where the real fun lies. The situations described are, if not totally true, at least totally believable. Although drawn from Pearson’s actual teaching experiences, "Learn Me Gooder" is fictionalized and, at times, the author takes literary license for a better story. Pearson combines school happenings with his inner dialogue, then stirs in comparisons to his former coworkers and comes up with comedy gold. Although each email is a discrete unit, like a small chapter, the book doesn’t read like a series of emails. Pearson’s students and even his former coworkers become like characters in a novel as we follow the students’ progress through the year. Likewise, in references to Bommerson and his other ex-coworkers, Pearson integrates them into the story too. (Sometimes the adult world isn’t that much different than elementary school.) If you have children, work with children, or have ever been a child, I think you’ll find "Learn Me Gooder" just the thing to tickle your funny bone.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
I’ve been wondering lately if I’m losing my sense of humor, at least where books are concerned. I find plenty to laugh at in books from non-humor genres. Snappy, smart-ass dialogue and funny situations that are part of a bigger story still unleash the chuckles. But most of the books I’ve read where being funny was their main aim have fallen short. They’ve had funny parts. They’ve also had irritating, stupid, and even infuriating parts. "Learn Me Gooder" has convinced me it is still possible to make me laugh the whole way through and alleviated my concerns about that missing sense of humor.
The book is structured as a series of chronological emails from John Woodson, a fictional elementary teacher, to his former coworker, Fred Bommerson, who still works for Woodson’s former employer. Each email has a subject line that is usually humorous, often a play on words that relates to the subject. One example is “That doesn’t make any cents,” as the subject for an email where Woodson tells Boomerson about trying to teach his class the relative values of US coins. Each email is “signed” with a name that follows the same pattern, “Seven Dollar Billy” for the last email and “Add’ em Ant,” for an email about teaching addition.
These added touches add to the funniness and give a hint of Pearson’s sense of humor and wit, but the body of the emails is where the real fun lies. The situations described are, if not totally true, at least totally believable. Although drawn from Pearson’s actual teaching experiences, "Learn Me Gooder" is fictionalized and, at times, the author takes literary license for a better story. Pearson combines school happenings with his inner dialogue, then stirs in comparisons to his former coworkers and comes up with comedy gold. Although each email is a discrete unit, like a small chapter, the book doesn’t read like a series of emails. Pearson’s students and even his former coworkers become like characters in a novel as we follow the students’ progress through the year. Likewise, in references to Bommerson and his other ex-coworkers, Pearson integrates them into the story too. (Sometimes the adult world isn’t that much different than elementary school.) If you have children, work with children, or have ever been a child, I think you’ll find "Learn Me Gooder" just the thing to tickle your funny bone.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
April 11, 2015
I was quite skeptical at first about a sequel, fearing that it wouldn't match up to the first one, but I must say this book is just as endearing and funny as the first one.
I read most of it on trains and airplanes on my recent trip, and I am sure that many people thought I was quite insane, sitting in a corner somewhere with a book and laughing like a maniac.
I loved this book. Great job Mr. Pearson :)
I read most of it on trains and airplanes on my recent trip, and I am sure that many people thought I was quite insane, sitting in a corner somewhere with a book and laughing like a maniac.
I loved this book. Great job Mr. Pearson :)
November 2, 2011
What a fun read! Clever laugh out loud moments. Tales from the 3rd grade class room told from a fantastic teacher who is on the front line. Told over the course of a school year through an email exchange with a former co-worker who isn't a teacher. Loved the format & it's a great read for anyone especially teachers & parents.
August 21, 2011
Memoirs are my favorite genre. I love learning about people's lives, hearing their stories, digging into themselves with them. I find the whole genre fascinating. I first heard about this author when I stumbled on a post on his blog and bought his book, Learn Me Good, after reading a funny and heart-filled blog post. I got distracted and it took almost a year before I finally read it. I won't rehash it, but I absolutely loved it. Heck, I even bought a paperback copy for the teachers at my kid's school to read and pass around (they continue passing it around and giggling madly).
John's latest offering is one of the best made follow ups that I have ever read. In some ways, it's more of the same, but in other ways, it's an expansion into John's life as a teacher, his life as a writer, his trademark humor and his heart. I believe there are several ways you could take this book after reading it. You could take away that it's a group of humorous stories by a teacher. That's that. BUT I think if you are truly reading this book (and especially if you know anything about the teaching profession and/or have read his first book), you're going to walk away with so much more of Mr. Pearson.
I laughed when I read this book. It's no secret that the author has an amazing sense of humor. He's just downright funny. Yeah, sometimes he tries too hard - but he's a bit of a geek, so he pulls it off very well.
I also smiled when I read this book. You can feel the genuine love that he has for his students. He actually cares about them and their welfare and he enjoys every minute of his career (well, okay maybe not ALL of it - but every moment in the classroom!).
I also cried when I read this book. Cried with laughter, of course, but also for a few tender moments when the author's heart really shined through. Oh, he keeps throwing humor at us to try to hide it, but it's there and you cannot help but feel honored that he's sharing this with us.
I also was confused when I read this book. This is a tough one for me because I get the memoir thing. His memoirs are about his time in the classroom. But I love that he gives us insight into his personal life a little as well (his dating life, etc). What I really am confused about here is that I want more. I realize that borders on prying, but I feel like there's more to HIS story and it makes me curious. But I also don't want him to spoil it and take himself too far out of the classroom. I think this may be why the email format of these books work so well, he's able to drop notes about what he does with his buddy as well as what's going on in his life and quickly move on to his teacher life again before we get too bogged down. As I said, I'm confused on what I want here.
At the end of the day, this is a hilariously written, absolutely beautiful memoir that makes me realize that not all books are straight forward. Sometimes you have to dig down into them to read between the lines.
I highly highly recommend this book to just about anyone. If you're looking for a teacher gift, I think this would be a great idea to give someone (well, the set of two). If you want something funny to read, this is it. If you just want something to read that is easy to put down and pick up, yet un-put-down-able, well, this is the book for you as well. Seriously. Just go read it. This book falls onto my "Must Read" list for the year.
Mr. Pearson - you done good.
Note: John did offer me a preview copy, which I did indeed read. I still bought a fresh copy, with my own funds, to have in my Kindle account. It really was just THAT good.
John's latest offering is one of the best made follow ups that I have ever read. In some ways, it's more of the same, but in other ways, it's an expansion into John's life as a teacher, his life as a writer, his trademark humor and his heart. I believe there are several ways you could take this book after reading it. You could take away that it's a group of humorous stories by a teacher. That's that. BUT I think if you are truly reading this book (and especially if you know anything about the teaching profession and/or have read his first book), you're going to walk away with so much more of Mr. Pearson.
I laughed when I read this book. It's no secret that the author has an amazing sense of humor. He's just downright funny. Yeah, sometimes he tries too hard - but he's a bit of a geek, so he pulls it off very well.
I also smiled when I read this book. You can feel the genuine love that he has for his students. He actually cares about them and their welfare and he enjoys every minute of his career (well, okay maybe not ALL of it - but every moment in the classroom!).
I also cried when I read this book. Cried with laughter, of course, but also for a few tender moments when the author's heart really shined through. Oh, he keeps throwing humor at us to try to hide it, but it's there and you cannot help but feel honored that he's sharing this with us.
I also was confused when I read this book. This is a tough one for me because I get the memoir thing. His memoirs are about his time in the classroom. But I love that he gives us insight into his personal life a little as well (his dating life, etc). What I really am confused about here is that I want more. I realize that borders on prying, but I feel like there's more to HIS story and it makes me curious. But I also don't want him to spoil it and take himself too far out of the classroom. I think this may be why the email format of these books work so well, he's able to drop notes about what he does with his buddy as well as what's going on in his life and quickly move on to his teacher life again before we get too bogged down. As I said, I'm confused on what I want here.
At the end of the day, this is a hilariously written, absolutely beautiful memoir that makes me realize that not all books are straight forward. Sometimes you have to dig down into them to read between the lines.
I highly highly recommend this book to just about anyone. If you're looking for a teacher gift, I think this would be a great idea to give someone (well, the set of two). If you want something funny to read, this is it. If you just want something to read that is easy to put down and pick up, yet un-put-down-able, well, this is the book for you as well. Seriously. Just go read it. This book falls onto my "Must Read" list for the year.
Mr. Pearson - you done good.
Note: John did offer me a preview copy, which I did indeed read. I still bought a fresh copy, with my own funds, to have in my Kindle account. It really was just THAT good.
August 31, 2011
I was jealous of Jill! ;) Jack is such a great guy. I love these books... hilarious!
September 14, 2011
Loved this book! Just like the first one, it's full of funny and cute stories from the life of a 3rd grade math teacher. What could be better than that? :)
December 29, 2011
A few years ago, I picked up John Pearson's book, Learn Me Good, during a rather difficult year of teaching. His fictional book about a teacher (Jack Woodson) writing to a friend about all the craziness of teaching elementary school was a helpful reminder that some years are like that, and there is a way through it: finding your sense of humor.
I then found John's blog and even guest-wrote a post once. It was a nice connection.
Now, he is back with Learn Me Gooder, and I am making my way through this book with another wide smile on my face. His Jack Woodson character is like that voice in the back of my mind (the funny one) who shakes his head in exasperation at standardized testing, the quirky character of his students, the oddness of some parents and the head-banging-against-the-wall frustration with the "system" that often seems at odds with what is best for kids.
As I read this book, I am going to try to add updates here.
(PS -- John send me this one as a review PDF copy but I made no promises to give him a gooder -- eh, I mean -- good review. Still, Learn Me Gooder is an enjoyable read so far.)
Kevin
I then found John's blog and even guest-wrote a post once. It was a nice connection.
Now, he is back with Learn Me Gooder, and I am making my way through this book with another wide smile on my face. His Jack Woodson character is like that voice in the back of my mind (the funny one) who shakes his head in exasperation at standardized testing, the quirky character of his students, the oddness of some parents and the head-banging-against-the-wall frustration with the "system" that often seems at odds with what is best for kids.
As I read this book, I am going to try to add updates here.
(PS -- John send me this one as a review PDF copy but I made no promises to give him a gooder -- eh, I mean -- good review. Still, Learn Me Gooder is an enjoyable read so far.)
Kevin
March 29, 2013
Over the years I have joked with my students that I was going to write a book called What I Learned in Fourth Grade. I don't have to now as this book is that one. Pearson is a mathematics teacher. Only a teacher could find the humor that makes other teachers chortle aloud as I did numerous times while reading this.
This is by no means a literary tour-de-force, but elementary school teachers will undoubtedly connect with this tale. We have all taught Marcus's, Tiny Annas, etc. Pearson's witty e-mails to his former non-teaching colleagues are spot on! The commentary on the "hoe" mimics a real-life event that I had my first year teaching.
I am not certain how connected non-teachers would be to this. Some will certainly think the stories are stretched to tall tale proportions; the rest of us know better. The only questionable thing was Pearson seems to be able to suspend students as a teacher; that would seem to necessitate an administrator in schools I am familiar with.
Nevertheless, this provided a much needed light read as I head into standardized testing season. I welcomed the diversion.
This is by no means a literary tour-de-force, but elementary school teachers will undoubtedly connect with this tale. We have all taught Marcus's, Tiny Annas, etc. Pearson's witty e-mails to his former non-teaching colleagues are spot on! The commentary on the "hoe" mimics a real-life event that I had my first year teaching.
I am not certain how connected non-teachers would be to this. Some will certainly think the stories are stretched to tall tale proportions; the rest of us know better. The only questionable thing was Pearson seems to be able to suspend students as a teacher; that would seem to necessitate an administrator in schools I am familiar with.
Nevertheless, this provided a much needed light read as I head into standardized testing season. I welcomed the diversion.
January 5, 2012
Ok, so I'm biased, because I'm close friends with the author. But I can say with confidence that he is a fantastic teacher and writer. This is his sequel to Learn Me Good which is told in the format of emails to a former co-worker (he changed from the corporate technical industry to being an elementary school math teacher). The names and details have been changed slightly to protect the real people, but these stories come from real life! Plus, this book has a romantic plot thread running through it, because, in addition to the funny and heartfelt stories about the tales of the classroom, it's about how the author met his wife. I recommend it to anyone! It's like a book of short stories, so it's easy for a busy person to read in installments.
July 17, 2012
Jack Woodsen, a techie turned third grade math teacher, documents an entire school year through e-mail messages with his co-worker Fred. The class is apparently so developmentally challenged by the subject that each day offers new adventure in the society of public education. Jack attempts to liven up his lessons with real life situational word problems, often with interesting results coming from his students. There is a strong sense of humor throughout; some of this as one would suspect come straight out of the bathroom. A very lighthearted perspective on education that modern day teachers can relate to. This would also be a quick, fun book for young adult readers.
April 29, 2012
I liked this book even more than "Learn Me Good". I am sure that Mr. Woodson cares about his students in both books but it is even more apparent in this second one. I am not a teacher but I know many teachers and they have all told me similar stories. As with Pearson's first book some of these incidents were so funny that I laughed out loud while reading them. I tried to read some outloud to my wife (a second grade teacher) and laughed so hard a couple of times I could not get the words out. I really enjoy the e-mail format of both books. I am hoping for a 3rd installment. (Maybe "Learn Me Bestest" for a title?)
January 22, 2012
What a riot! I loved this book for so many reasons. I enjoy the references to movies et al ESPECIALLY to THE GOONIES (my all time favorite). In addition, as a special ed. teaching assistant for many years, I could identify (and could have written) some of the anecdotes. The book may have been fiction, but to me it was reality in its truest form.
Following the turn of the last page (borrowed, again from my daughter), I promptly added the book to my Kindle so I could return to Jack's classroom at will.
Following the turn of the last page (borrowed, again from my daughter), I promptly added the book to my Kindle so I could return to Jack's classroom at will.
December 3, 2011
I read the first book Learn Me Good several months ago & just about died laughing. But I certainly didn't expect Learn Me Gooder to be even better. It was. I usually read at night after my kids are in bed. More than once my 11 yr old woke up to the sound of me laughing so hard I was crying. A highly recommended read for anyone who has kids or who teaches kids!
December 28, 2011
Funny follow-up to Learn Me Good. After reading the first book I started following his blog and I actually enjoy it more than the books. The real everyday humor of the classroom is funnier than the polished humor of his books.
Read
March 5, 2022This was the funniest book I have read in a very long time. I got so into it that I was reading it at work (trying to hide my kindle) but I probably gave myself away by rolling on the floor laughing!!!
April 3, 2013
Just as good as the first one. I couldn't put this book down. I laughed, I cringed, I feared for my own daughter who will be starting school next fall. I know that not all of it is true (obviously), but I can see kids that I know in a lot of these characters. Funny!
October 11, 2011
I enjoyed this second helping as much, if not more than the original. A GoodRead for teachers, parents, grandparents, or anyone with exposure to the contemporary third-grader. It will make you laugh.
December 8, 2011
I started reading this as soon as I finished Learn Me Good a couple of days ago. Some parts felt more forced than the first book, but it did have plenty of laugh out loud moments by the end.
April 21, 2012
An outstanding humorous book. Teachers of any grade level will appreciate the author's insight of the life of a teacher.
April 25, 2012
This was a great read! If you read the first book Learn me good, then you will enjoy this one!
April 26, 2012
Not quite as funny as the first one, but still funny enough to make tear come out of my eyes occasionally. Loved it!
June 2, 2012
Entertaining. I have a continuing appreciation of the patience that elementary school teachers must exhibit. And not just patience with the kids - parents too!
July 12, 2012
Funny sequel about teaching underprivileged kids. The part about Pluto cracked me up.
July 17, 2012
More of the same from Learn Me Good. Good teacher read.
September 26, 2019
Great reminiscing
As a former school nurse in Dallas, I fully remember my experiences with the Dallas kids in public school. I feel that he might have whitewashed a little bit, but his writing brought back wonderful memories of working with those kids. I laughed at several instances where only a person who has worked with children in school could share . His dedication to his profession and love of kids truly showed .
As a former school nurse in Dallas, I fully remember my experiences with the Dallas kids in public school. I feel that he might have whitewashed a little bit, but his writing brought back wonderful memories of working with those kids. I laughed at several instances where only a person who has worked with children in school could share . His dedication to his profession and love of kids truly showed .
January 26, 2018
Laugh out loud funny
As a retired teacher, I really enjoyed this. The love for kids shines through as does the frustration with them. If you are a teacher, read this book. You will find many recognizable stories in this book. Hope he writes many more of these hilarious stories.
As a retired teacher, I really enjoyed this. The love for kids shines through as does the frustration with them. If you are a teacher, read this book. You will find many recognizable stories in this book. Hope he writes many more of these hilarious stories.
February 15, 2023
As an educator, this really made me laugh! Enjoyable and so relatable
October 28, 2021
I read Learn Me Good quite a few years ago, but I've remembered it as a fun, light-hearted read that still tugs at your heartstrings from time to time. Learn Me Gooder was very similar, but I guess it's just the case of the sequel usually not living up to the original...probably mostly in my mind. But, if you liked Learn Me Good, you'll like this one too.
February 5, 2018
The book started out pretty strong, the witty sign-offs being my special favorite. Jack's kids are hilarious, his frustration entertaining, and his love for teaching shines through it all. Reading about the American elementary education system is also fascinating (it's so much more laid back than India!). I also love the format - quirky emails are so endearing!
But at about three-fourths of the way, the style and content started feeling repetitive and the school year was stretched thin to increase the page count. By the end, the author seems to have run out of all ideas - the award ceremony at the end of the school year read like it had been copy pasted from 'Learn Me Good'.
I would have given this book a 3.5stars, but 4 is too much for it. So 3 it is!
But at about three-fourths of the way, the style and content started feeling repetitive and the school year was stretched thin to increase the page count. By the end, the author seems to have run out of all ideas - the award ceremony at the end of the school year read like it had been copy pasted from 'Learn Me Good'.
I would have given this book a 3.5stars, but 4 is too much for it. So 3 it is!
January 27, 2014
Another enjoyable book by John Pearson based loosely on his teaching of the third grade at an inner city Dallas grade school. His fictionalized account of one year in one of his third grade classes is told through the teacher, Jack Woodson's e-mails with his former engineering co-worker. Very entertaining!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews