***TRIGGER WARNING for child neglect and abuse****
A memoir and call to action all in one, this is a truly devastating and hard-hitting story that will strike you to your core. The story of her life, Jaz dives deep into the poverty she experienced growing up. Neglected and abused by her own mother and stepfather, she was seemingly destined to fall between the cracks and disappear like so many who share the same kind of experience.
However, this all changed for Jaz because of five people, five teachers that saw her and the potential she carried. Each chapter focuses on a different teacher and highlights the things these teachers taught her including bravery, compassion, truth and audacity.
It’s a book that can change lives because it challenges the bleak outlook many have on the education system and those who experience or work within it. Not only is it a deeply troubling and raw journey, it’s also hilarious, which only gives it more of an impact. I personally love the take-aways from each chapter / teacher, for instance, being 10% braver in your decision-making as taught to Jaz by Mrs. Cook.
Each chapter has ten of these brilliant take-aways that are insightful, honest, funny and practical. The book acts like a guide to human connection, it’s a shining beacon of hope in a world that can seem really, really bleak. It’s also a kick in the back-side to stand up for what’s right and to voice your opinion when things are stacked against you or those that you care for. These are the things these teachers have taught Jaz, amongst many other things.
This is essential reading for anyone who works in an educational setting. It’s a shocking but truly uplifting testimony that demands to be heard.
Growing up in poverty, and neglected and abused by her own parents, Jaz Ampaw-Farr was destined to become a statistic. Her story was changed, however, by a handful of teachers who made the point of putting human connection first - despite the challenges of the education system.
Because of these people, Jaz went on to become a teacher, writer and international speaker who, through celebration and provocation, engages and galvanises educators into embracing the difference that they can make when they put being a human first too.
In Because Of You, This is Me Jaz shares her story - often harrowing but always uplifting - to show the ways in which the everyday heroes in our schools can empower those children who need their help the most.Suitable for all educators.
**Trigger Warning:** This book addresses themes of child abuse and neglect, which may be upsetting or triggering for some readers. If you or someone you know has been affected by similar issues, please take care when reading and consider seeking support.
'Jaz Ampaw-Farr’s book is shocking, searing, moving, enraging yet ultimately uplifting. All the right feelings we should be feeling when confronted by a story as powerful, and as honestly told as this. Jaz’s USP is her honesty, her refusal to bend the truth so it can be palatable or ‘presented’, and this is why her work always leads us by the gut, galvanising us not to tolerate what is unfair and unequal and disrespectful, and to gather the courage to call out the unacceptable. The heroes in her world are teachers and not just because hers helped her, but because she recognises and celebrates the fact that a teacher has the most important job in the whole world: the encouraging, the nurturing and the architecting of the next generation.' - Leslee Udwin, BAFTA multi award-winning producer/director, human rights campaigner, founder and executive chair at Think Equal
'Because of You, This is Me is a gut-punch of a memoir—raw, hilarious, and deeply moving. A must-read.' – Zara Janjua, presenter, journalist and writer
Author
About Jaz Ampaw-Farr
Jaz Ampaw-Farr is a writer, international speaker and self-described ‘resilience ninja’ whose enthusiasm is both infectious and hugely motivating. Her background as a stand-up comedian and teacher, combined with her commitment to empowering teachers, makes her talks both engaging and resourceful.
Named “The British Oprah” by US audiences, and three-time winner of Speaker of the Year, Jaz’s raw honesty and humour have already inspired millions through her viral TED talk and headline keynotes for organisations from Google to Gucci.
You may recognise Jaz from the BBC spelling show Hard Spell Abbey or, more recently, as a former candidate on The Apprentice.
