Steve Kettle

Really enjoyed your photo; it gave the opportunity for the positive memories without the pressure. Thank you for posting.

Mam always took us, now I take my kids when we are up. This is the first Christmas without her and I just couldn’t do it in person.

Awesome. I’m glad you posted this as I couldn’t face going this year.

Passed my NPQSL - feeling pleased.

I’d second Carcassonne and Azul, Quest for El Dorado is also good. Have you tried looking at Shut up and Sit down or Dice Tower for reviews? Also for purchases try boardgameprices.co.uk as it links to local games shops and often has better deals than amazon.

Whose Bus Is It Anyway? Rethinking the “Right People” Metaphor in School Leadership I have recently be re-reading some books on leadership and came across advice that I think we have all heard before:

Whose Bus Is It Anyway? Rethinking the “Right People” Metaphor in School Leadership
open.substack.com/pub/stevenke...

As we the holidays draw to an end and middle leaders begin thinking about professional development. I thought a post on a model of teacher change may provide some thoughtful reading.

open.substack.com/pub/stevenke...

Veel sterkte. Ik heb mijn moeder eerder dit jaar verloren dus ik leef met je mee. Dingen gaat zo snel.

Part 4: Culture Craft – Aligning Staff Beliefs and Values Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum

The final part on my post about the Hidden Curriculum. This post discusses Schein’s primary and secondary mechanisms for creating cultural alignment.

open.substack.com/pub/stevenke...

Gibside's own liberty statue.

Wonderful place for a walk.

From the Dresden Files to Department Files: Using AI for Smarter Retrieval Practice "I'm not your bloody encyclopedia." — Bob the Skull, just before dispensing a lecture that would make Ofsted swoon.

New today: A post on using generative AI to support student retrieval practice.

open.substack.com/pub/stevenke...

Thank you for your kind words. Absolutely agree regarding humility.

What Faramir Can Teach Us About Real Leadership? In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien gives us two brothers—Boromir and Faramir, both charged with defending their kingdom against a rising darkness.

Here is something inspired by @musingsofadr.bsky.social's post from last week about great leadership.

#UKEd #EduSky

open.substack.com/pub/stevenke...

You're welcome.

Really enjoyed reading this, a timely link to Gutmann’s Unseen Leader, which I’ve been reading.

Really enjoyed this, very informative. Links to meeting science with sense making being one of the lenses to understand meetings (my MA). I've written about this for middle leaders on my substack (shameless plug).

Part 3: Magical Relics – Tools for Review If the hidden curriculum is a form of quiet magic, then every middle leader needs an arcane toolkit, a set of relics designed to reveal, test, and refine the spells that shape their domain.

Part 3 of Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum, provides some key questions to ask to review your hidden curriculum.

open.substack.com/pub/stevenke...

That’s exactly what made me put it down. Having read your post, I need to try again.

Congratulations, I’ve recently taken the same big step with my own substack. Enjoyed your first blog - always struggled with Moby Dick - and subscribed.

I wonder how many others heard someone they love say a version of "there's nothing here for you, pet."

NEW: Part 2 of my essay on Hidden Curriculum

Ouch! Hope he has a speedy recovery. (Side note - sleutelbeen, “Keybone” is collarbone?)

Oh no. Hope he’s OK despite the injuries.

Part 1: Whispers in the Walls - Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum Magic between the lines

Can you read the runes in your routines?

Part 1: Whispers in the Walls - Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum open.substack.com/pub/stevenke...

It's a common phrase in books on school culture. I've just used it in my (shameless plug) substack on Hidden Curriculum that should be posting on Tuesday.

Ik ook. Fijne vakantie!

The Magical Relics of Meeting Insight Five lenses with which to understand and improve meetings.

In the spirit of keeping a promise, I've decided to start a substack aimed at school leaders, primarily middle leaders. If you like a bit of fantasy metaphor with your organisation research / theory, check out my newsletter.

The Magical Relics of Meeting Insight open.substack.com/pub/stevenke...

After a rough year, I’m revisiting my MA research and considering writing a piece on meeting theory / science. #edusky #UKed Is anyone interested?

2 days left then the academic year ends for me. This has been the hardest year.