Fearghal Kelly

Facing the past I never used to really understand the appeal of Instagram. It sounded like something I'd like, but I just couldn't get into it. I'd posted a few photos from my adventures, but whenever I went onto it I used to mainly get quite questionable content on my feed. I eventually learned that you have to train the algorithm by liking the sort of content you actually want to see, which back then was mainly sea kayaking related.

Moments in Recovery: Facing the past

A sense of achievement I'm on my lunchtime walk through the woods, which wasn't something I was able to do before. It's about six months since my amputation and things are going well. I'm in a lot less pain now, and crucially, my pain is lower than it has been for years. As a result, I'm beginning to feel that I'm transitioning from 'recovering from an amputation' to 'being an amputee'.

Moments in Recovery: A sense of achievement

Facing the future I'm stressed. Again! What is it this time? It's Monday evening and I'm in a right grump. It doesn't seem right as I've had an amazing weekend doing lots of things for the first time since my op, but something's not quite right. It could be that I've had a frustrating evening trying to update my wife's laptop, without success. But that doesn't quite add up.

Moments in Recovery: Facing the future

Don’t get your hopes up It's new leg day! Whilst I'm getting on well with my current leg, I've had it since six weeks after my operation so it's absolutely massive. After the amputation your stump is very swollen and very gradually it comes done over time. So when you get cast for your first leg, they have to make it big enough so that you can get it on.

Moments in Recovery: Don't get your hopes up

A third type of recovery I'm so exhausted. It's a not a pleasant form of tiredness, I feel drained. I didn't think going on holiday would be so hard! It's about four months since my operation and we've gone abroad on holiday. After being stuck in the house for almost a year, apart from my hospital stints, we decided it would be good to get away in the summer.

Moments in Recovery: A third type of recovery

You had one job Why am I so suddenly so stressed? You would think getting your leg amputated would be the most stressful thing you could do in a year, but apparently not! It's now three months since the operation and my blood pressure is through the roof. I'm beginning the process of formally returning to work and getting ready to go abroad on a holiday, but I'm surprised just how much these two things are affecting me.

Moments in Recovery: You had one job

Mind the gap It's about three months since my amputation and I'm getting on well with the prosthetic leg. To begin with it was very challenging to use as my stump was so swollen. Every morning I would have to squeeze it into the leg and add lots of 'socks' throughout the day as it shrunk. By the end of day it wasn't too painful, but it swelled back up overnight and I'd start the whole thing again the next morning.

Moments in Recovery: Mind the gap

Are you interested in developing approaches to youth voice in your context? Check out Education Scotland's Youth Voice Toolkit online launch event on Wednesday 27 August 2025 16:00-17:00: education.gov.scot/events/youth...

Withdrawing I knew this was coming, but it’s still a massive shock. This is my fourth time coming off oxycodone over the past thirteen years, but I still can’t quite believe how awful it is. I thou…

Moments in Recovery: Withdrawing
momentsinrecovery.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/w...

Strapping in for the journey In the weeks immediately following my operation I was very lucky that so many friends and family either visited me when I was in hospital or reached out by phone. A common theme of many of these di…

Moments in Recovery: Strapping in for the journey
momentsinrecovery.wordpress.com/2025/06/24/s...

Opening the curtains It’s a couple of months since my operation. In that time I’ve not really had to fully look after myself, let alone anyone else. This weekend my wife and daughter are away for a few nigh…

Moments in Recovery: Opening the curtains
momentsinrecovery.wordpress.com/2025/06/17/o...

A length of the pool From previous surgeries I’ve learned the value of keeping as active as possible whilst waiting for the op. Swimming in particular is great for me, if I can manage it. Whilst I was unable to u…

Another moment from my recovery, this time in the pool: momentsinrecovery.wordpress.com/2025/06/10/a...

The drainpipe It’s about nine weeks since my amputation, about four since I got home from the hospital and two since I’ve had my prosthetic leg. I’ve not attempted too much since getting it as …

Coping with feeling overwhelmed by a trip to the pub:
momentsinrecovery.wordpress.com/2025/06/03/t...

Under the sheet It’s 9.30pm. I’ve been back on the ward for four hours and I’ve still not had a look under the sheet. I’m surprised that I’m so hesitant to peek. I’ve been consi…

A new post on my new 'Moments in Recovery' blog in which I first look at my freshly amputated leg.
momentsinrecovery.wordpress.com/2025/05/29/u...

Moments in Recovery

...I don't want anyone to get a shock when they next see me!

I've begun a new blog where I plan to share some of the moments which have influenced my recovery: momentsinrecovery.wordpress.com

I've been very quiet on here recently as I've been off work for quite some time for health reasons. Due to an old injury, I've had to have my left leg amputated below the knee. I'm still recovering from the surgery but I'll hopefully be able to make a return to work in the coming months...

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My amazing wife @aileenkelly.bsky.social has started a new blog where she's begun to explore coaching in the context of parenting. There's some really interesting posts on there already which are worth checking out: caladhcoaching.com/blog/

Just got an email from my first coaching client. I worked with them last year on developing the confidence to give presentations. Today, they led whole school training and emailed to thank me for helping them overcome this fear. This is why I love coaching!

Understanding Teacher Leadership: A Survey of the Field Research in Educational Administration and Leadership | Volume: 9 Issue: 4

An open access article with four interesting themes of Teacher Leadership:
1: includes ongoing classroom responsibilities
2: involves work & impact beyond one’s own classroom
3: manifests through formal and informal roles
4: is a collaborative, interactive endeavor
dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/real/...

‘A brave professional space’: the shifting identities of educators pursuing Master’s studies in leading professional learning The ‘brave professional space’ was described by a participant of a small-scale study investigating the experiences of five Master’s students of a Scottish university course on leading professional ...

"A brave professional space:...," Zoè Robertson, Hannah Grainger Clemson, Kevin Brack, Rosemary Grady, and Fraser McCallum explore how Master’s courses help educators balance system demands, ideals, and relationships while developing as leaders. 📖 Read more: edin.ac/3CaVACq

Are you a teacher in Scotland?

Check out this series of fun & friendly professional learning events from the Pedagoo team 👇

Hello folks. I’m here too! If you know me from elsewhere it’ll be lovely to connect. 😊

Teacher Quality Through the Lens of Hiring Routines: Dualistic Preferences, Oxymoronic Conditions and Pragmatic Solutions Hiring is an essential managerial task in acquiring qualitative teachers for qualitative outcomes in schools. The process is shaped by a range of different factors – from individual preferences of ...

Today's open access journal article is around the factors which shape the recruitment practices of headteachers:
"...from individual preferences of teacher quality in principals, to contextual and recourse-based factors in wider structural arrangements"
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Seeking all small rural secondaries - looking to connect re curriculum and offer? Want to learn how other small secondaries broaden the offer ?

Reconceptualizing effective professional development for teachers: shifting from causal chains and generativity to complexity and employee-centrism Focused on the epistemic development of the teacher professional development research field, this conceptual paper presents a European perspective that promotes a wider conceptualization of profess...

This open access article follows on really well from the one I shared yesterday, especially if you're looking for intellectual stimulation! To be honest, I found this one to be a challenging read, but it's really left me thinking...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

I got 7/12 (but with the help of a 16 year old!)

If you're interested in finding out more about engaging with practitioner enquiry, have a look at this open access resource:
education.gov.scot/professional...

Intellectual wellbeing: the pursuit of freedom in the professional learning of teachers In this article we advance a new way of theorising professional learning and development through the concept of intellectual wellbeing, or noetic syntonia, which we define as the positive sense of ...

This is a fascinating open source article on the place of 'intellectual wellbeing' in the professional learning of teachers. For me, there are a lot of synergies here with the benefits of engaging in practitioner enquiry:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Wow! Looks amazing. AI couldn't generate a more Christmassy image 🎄

Middle leaders’ facilitation of teacher learning in collaborative teams There is an increased focus on schools and school systems to develop teaching teams to improve school teaching and learning practices. As such, effectual school leadership has become synonymous wit...

A quite practice orientated open access article on how middle leaders facilitate teams of teachers:
"...middle leader facilitation is (1) a democratic process; (2) consequential to how teacher teams operate; and (3) socially contingent."
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....