Dom W-D

If you studied physics and work outside academia now, please consider supporting the case against cuts to particle, Astro and nuclear physics in the UK @LucienHeurtier @Tevong industry-openletter-stfc.github.io/index.html

UK astronomy postdoc time down by 75% ! The people in charge must be (made) aware that this isn't a marginal cut. A 75% cut risks throwing away the future of a field where the UK is genuinely world-leading. This mistake will cause lasting damage to UK science!

A view from our international partners on the current disaster in U.K. science and its long lasting damage to our international reputation (if not fixed immediately). researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-europe…

I'm a Dr in physics, but in the UK... 📣Many researchers are facing the same reality: contracts ending, careers cut short, talent lost. 👥📉 UKRI needs to change course — now. 🧪🔭📡🛰️⚗️ If you’re affected, post your own photo and share this message. #stfc #ukri #saveSTFC

@DavidDidau @livetotravel78 sometimes damage is done and you quit teaching instead of changing...

@livetotravel78 Easy to say. Difficult for some.

“They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness…” The Great Gatsby Too many schools smash up careers and retreat into excuses. Staff are burned out, chewed up, and spat out by systems designed for control rather than care. And we wonder why no one wants to teach?

In my latest post I argue: ✅ Schools that churn through staff with casual disregard are squandering a precious resource. ✅ Intelligent accountability offers a blueprint for creating places where people want to work. ✅ Staff turnover should be a key measure of school health and of leadership quality.

@adamboxer1 to be fair this could be a good book ...

Also note that "criticism" doesn't necessarily mean "bad." E.g. if someone wrote a version of TLAC that was more suited to British schools, then the "criticism" isn't bad, it's just about context. >

Relevance to education: a few cases A new book is published about teaching and learning. What does it have in it that Teach Like a Champion doesn't already have? I open the book, and find it's just a repackaging. So...nothing? >

@norchcity 100% agree. A centralized communications system where parents can log in and email/contact would work better. Use phone calls when this doesn't work or at discretion of the teacher. This was a big workload problem for teachers and I'm not sure on the effectiveness of phone calls.

@petergates3 @norchcity also I don't think customer / client comparison to parent works ...

@petergates3 @norchcity I worked for a school where phone calls was part of school policy for pretty much any behavior problem. Parents complained about phone calls even when I tried calling at reasonable times - phone-calls are becoming outdated... reserve these for when emails are not responded to.

@MrARobbins @adamboxer1 This is a really good comparison. I think the main thing i'd like is to not lock young people into one path. If they decide to go vocational they should option to do other route later if they want.

@adamboxer1 This works in Germany but they have a more significant industrial base that makes both paths equally lucrative in most of the country. My own experience of teaching in this system is it created a mess based on poor understanding of what a student really wanted. Youngs future 2

I dunno...is year 9 too early to start funnelling students towards "technical" (read: non academic) routes? Haven't we tried stuff like this before?

Looking forward to reading this !

Okay I am going to do one of these things! If you want a free copy of Education’s Number 1 Bestseller, retweet this to enter your name. Then quote tweet it with a nice comment to double your chances. Winners will recieve a signed copy at their door. a.co/d/fDlRTJr

@RogersHistory This is similar post to what I wanted to write saved me time and well written !

🗑️ 10 things schools can bin off (IMO) because every little helps: Asking teachers to log behaviour incidents - get someone to come round to classrooms with a laptop and do the recording of incidents dictation style rather than asking a teacher to log into software and click about 50 buttons to log something, then blame them for not ‘why wasn’t it logged?’ - if a 5 period day, there is literally no time to log. Excessive morning briefings - email, zoom, record, whatever. But that 5 minutes also involves a 5-10 minute walk and then potentially afterwards a rush to a registration room and a more stressy start to the day. Also if morning messages are just a quick fire stress bucket, then this is just a horrible start to any day. Marking - just let teachers do what they want, if that means no marking, fine. Why? Limited evidence it makes much difference to outcomes. Compulsory twilights on CPD - let each teacher take ownership of their own CPD to do as and when they want to do it. Teachers will put the time in, let them dictate when that is. Flexible working rules from 2026 may spell the end for compulsory events of this sort. Mad Behaviour systems - don’t make teachers go through insanely arduous warning systems (that’s your 4th warning/C4/L4 etc) and then same children end up back in same room lesson after lesson. They get to 3rd warning, avoid getting sent out, restart again next lesson. Adds workload and stress. Phone calls home - demanding teachers call home and asking why they haven’t when behaviour is poor. Thee last thing a teacher has time or willpower to do after a full day is make a series of calls. By all means if teachers want to, fine, but if not - no. Static PPA - go flex - let teachers take PPA wherever they want. Oh, and if someone had a funeral, let them go to it. Recognising solid work - no bells and whistles, just consistently in and doing it in the classroom, not much outside? Great - that’s the core job. Please praise big style in an authentic way. Undertand what teachers are doing that goes unnoticed - the little convos that make a difference to a student but don’t tick any performative boxes. Little convos add up to lots of time - don’t punish teachers for doing this by then highlighting when they are behind on the easily visible stuff. Parents evenings and reports - just make them as incredibly easy as they can possibly be. Cut corners. Chill the hell out. There’s more than this but I may need to do a part two! 2️⃣

This is super cool! Nice to see actual research on AI as opposed to posts just telling me how it's going to revolutionise teaching

@bluesquarething @Strickomaster Lethal mutations of TLAC can be an issue especially when adopted across MATs. I think missapplied and missunderstood TLAC techniques can affect teacher workload and retention severely. But this is also the case for other lethal mutations.

@Strickomaster Yes, it is. Seems to be a bit of an issue that follows the book around a bit though. I imagine it’s just a trend and will be switch to something else in a few years. But I won’t see that.

@tm_maths @Whitehughes @mrsouthernmaths Gonna order this soon myself ! And word on a further maths one ?

Look at what's arrived! @Whitehughes @mrsouthernmaths

@elthebasket @edmunds_dr @ScienceAlan Who is eligible for the online one with Alan?

Given the lack of physics teachers out there, more teachers are ending up teaching out of specialism. I've been asked what the best course/CPD for non specialist teachers to teach KS5 physics is. Best recommendations?

@edmunds_dr David Farley iop online sessions, isaac physics, physics partners generally good cpd but not sure how much ks5.

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