Adam Boxer
@adamboxereducation.bsky.social
Science teacher
Education Director at Carousel Learning
Teacher Trainer
Series Editor: Springboard Science
Education Director at Carousel Learning
Teacher Trainer
Series Editor: Springboard Science
Reposted by Adam Boxer
As someone with an interest in philosophy *and* school improvement, it felt like this blog was written for me! There’s lots to think about about even if philosophy is not your bag. open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
Autonomy, authority and anarchy: creating a better school culture
Most schools live with a quiet tension between what’s written in policy and what actually happens in lessons. Getting to grips with this tension is at the heart of creating an improved school culture.
open.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
As someone with an interest in philosophy *and* school improvement, it felt like this blog was written for me! There’s lots to think about about even if philosophy is not your bag. open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
It’s on my list!!!
NEW POST
On leadership, autonomy, and the disjoint between "what we say we do" and "what we actually do"
Check it out here and share if you can 🙏🙏🙏
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com/p/autonomy-a...
On leadership, autonomy, and the disjoint between "what we say we do" and "what we actually do"
Check it out here and share if you can 🙏🙏🙏
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com/p/autonomy-a...
Autonomy, authority and anarchy: creating a better school culture
Most schools live with a quiet tension between what’s written in policy and what actually happens in lessons. Getting to grips with this tension is at the heart of creating an improved school culture.
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:31 AM
It’s on my list!!!
Reposted by Adam Boxer
A much more satisfactory length for a run this week. Thanks!
(Also, a fascinating conversation with @mrarobbins.bsky.social which I think would be useful for anyone in middle management / coaching whether a teacher or not).
(Also, a fascinating conversation with @mrarobbins.bsky.social which I think would be useful for anyone in middle management / coaching whether a teacher or not).
NEW EPISODE
This week, we are joined by leadership maestro @mrarobbins.bsky.social, looking at the tensions and difficulties in leading schools and driving change. Not to be missed!
Tune in and share if you can 🙏🙏
open.spotify.com/episode/0320...
This week, we are joined by leadership maestro @mrarobbins.bsky.social, looking at the tensions and difficulties in leading schools and driving change. Not to be missed!
Tune in and share if you can 🙏🙏
open.spotify.com/episode/0320...
What's the key to unlocking teacher development? With Adam Robbins
open.spotify.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:03 AM
A much more satisfactory length for a run this week. Thanks!
(Also, a fascinating conversation with @mrarobbins.bsky.social which I think would be useful for anyone in middle management / coaching whether a teacher or not).
(Also, a fascinating conversation with @mrarobbins.bsky.social which I think would be useful for anyone in middle management / coaching whether a teacher or not).
Reposted by Adam Boxer
Great feedback to receive on a wet and windy Saturday of mock marking. This is why I do the job, school leadership doesn't have to be hard
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Great feedback to receive on a wet and windy Saturday of mock marking. This is why I do the job, school leadership doesn't have to be hard
NEW POST
On leadership, autonomy, and the disjoint between "what we say we do" and "what we actually do"
Check it out here and share if you can 🙏🙏🙏
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com/p/autonomy-a...
On leadership, autonomy, and the disjoint between "what we say we do" and "what we actually do"
Check it out here and share if you can 🙏🙏🙏
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com/p/autonomy-a...
Autonomy, authority and anarchy: creating a better school culture
Most schools live with a quiet tension between what’s written in policy and what actually happens in lessons. Getting to grips with this tension is at the heart of creating an improved school culture.
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:34 PM
NEW POST
On leadership, autonomy, and the disjoint between "what we say we do" and "what we actually do"
Check it out here and share if you can 🙏🙏🙏
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com/p/autonomy-a...
On leadership, autonomy, and the disjoint between "what we say we do" and "what we actually do"
Check it out here and share if you can 🙏🙏🙏
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com/p/autonomy-a...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
And the love letter for mini whiteboards continues. A thread....
As described in the blog, we still needed to iron out our consistent routines for how to use and show mini-whiteboards in the classroom and this week, as a staff, we agreed that.
As described in the blog, we still needed to iron out our consistent routines for how to use and show mini-whiteboards in the classroom and this week, as a staff, we agreed that.
Thank you to @adamboxereducation.bsky.social
and @laurastam for the final kick of inspiration yesterday morning to get this blog about mini-whiteboards finally out of my head and into the world.
Mini-Whiteboards: A Long-Overdue Rant (and Love Letter)
open.substack.com/pub/theeduca...
and @laurastam for the final kick of inspiration yesterday morning to get this blog about mini-whiteboards finally out of my head and into the world.
Mini-Whiteboards: A Long-Overdue Rant (and Love Letter)
open.substack.com/pub/theeduca...
Mini-Whiteboards: A Long-Overdue Rant (and Love Letter)
A Slice of Primary Leadership
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:52 PM
And the love letter for mini whiteboards continues. A thread....
As described in the blog, we still needed to iron out our consistent routines for how to use and show mini-whiteboards in the classroom and this week, as a staff, we agreed that.
As described in the blog, we still needed to iron out our consistent routines for how to use and show mini-whiteboards in the classroom and this week, as a staff, we agreed that.
NEW EPISODE
This week, we are joined by leadership maestro @mrarobbins.bsky.social, looking at the tensions and difficulties in leading schools and driving change. Not to be missed!
Tune in and share if you can 🙏🙏
open.spotify.com/episode/0320...
This week, we are joined by leadership maestro @mrarobbins.bsky.social, looking at the tensions and difficulties in leading schools and driving change. Not to be missed!
Tune in and share if you can 🙏🙏
open.spotify.com/episode/0320...
What's the key to unlocking teacher development? With Adam Robbins
open.spotify.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:47 AM
NEW EPISODE
This week, we are joined by leadership maestro @mrarobbins.bsky.social, looking at the tensions and difficulties in leading schools and driving change. Not to be missed!
Tune in and share if you can 🙏🙏
open.spotify.com/episode/0320...
This week, we are joined by leadership maestro @mrarobbins.bsky.social, looking at the tensions and difficulties in leading schools and driving change. Not to be missed!
Tune in and share if you can 🙏🙏
open.spotify.com/episode/0320...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
Thank you to @adamboxereducation.bsky.social
and @laurastam for the final kick of inspiration yesterday morning to get this blog about mini-whiteboards finally out of my head and into the world.
Mini-Whiteboards: A Long-Overdue Rant (and Love Letter)
open.substack.com/pub/theeduca...
and @laurastam for the final kick of inspiration yesterday morning to get this blog about mini-whiteboards finally out of my head and into the world.
Mini-Whiteboards: A Long-Overdue Rant (and Love Letter)
open.substack.com/pub/theeduca...
Mini-Whiteboards: A Long-Overdue Rant (and Love Letter)
A Slice of Primary Leadership
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Thank you to @adamboxereducation.bsky.social
and @laurastam for the final kick of inspiration yesterday morning to get this blog about mini-whiteboards finally out of my head and into the world.
Mini-Whiteboards: A Long-Overdue Rant (and Love Letter)
open.substack.com/pub/theeduca...
and @laurastam for the final kick of inspiration yesterday morning to get this blog about mini-whiteboards finally out of my head and into the world.
Mini-Whiteboards: A Long-Overdue Rant (and Love Letter)
open.substack.com/pub/theeduca...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
At a rugby club in small-town Leicestershire. This was on the window ledge in the toilet. Fearing the worst, I scanned the QR & opened it in an incognito window…
It’s a link to Amnesty International’s explainer on asylum & refugees 😍
It’s a link to Amnesty International’s explainer on asylum & refugees 😍
November 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
At a rugby club in small-town Leicestershire. This was on the window ledge in the toilet. Fearing the worst, I scanned the QR & opened it in an incognito window…
It’s a link to Amnesty International’s explainer on asylum & refugees 😍
It’s a link to Amnesty International’s explainer on asylum & refugees 😍
NEW EPISODE
Shorter one this time, and we deal with phone bans, pedagogy, rubbish senior leaders, and why Adam doesn't like the term "check for listening"
Tune in and share!
open.spotify.com/episode/78hi...
Shorter one this time, and we deal with phone bans, pedagogy, rubbish senior leaders, and why Adam doesn't like the term "check for listening"
Tune in and share!
open.spotify.com/episode/78hi...
Should one student with one phone mean you fail OFSTED?
open.spotify.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:52 AM
NEW EPISODE
Shorter one this time, and we deal with phone bans, pedagogy, rubbish senior leaders, and why Adam doesn't like the term "check for listening"
Tune in and share!
open.spotify.com/episode/78hi...
Shorter one this time, and we deal with phone bans, pedagogy, rubbish senior leaders, and why Adam doesn't like the term "check for listening"
Tune in and share!
open.spotify.com/episode/78hi...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
Good post as always, it’s good to think! 👍
NEW POST
Almost every school I know has a list of Teaching and Learning or curriculum "non-negotiables." But is that a good term to use in schools?
Please share if you can 🙏🙏
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Almost every school I know has a list of Teaching and Learning or curriculum "non-negotiables." But is that a good term to use in schools?
Please share if you can 🙏🙏
substack.com/home/post/p-...
November 3, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Good post as always, it’s good to think! 👍
Reposted by Adam Boxer
Yep, non negotiables = tick box culture.
Non negotiables constrain our amazing teams. We need to trust our teachers.
Also I think non negotiables get in the way of excellence.
Non negotiables constrain our amazing teams. We need to trust our teachers.
Also I think non negotiables get in the way of excellence.
NEW POST
Almost every school I know has a list of Teaching and Learning or curriculum "non-negotiables." But is that a good term to use in schools?
Please share if you can 🙏🙏
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Almost every school I know has a list of Teaching and Learning or curriculum "non-negotiables." But is that a good term to use in schools?
Please share if you can 🙏🙏
substack.com/home/post/p-...
November 2, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Yep, non negotiables = tick box culture.
Non negotiables constrain our amazing teams. We need to trust our teachers.
Also I think non negotiables get in the way of excellence.
Non negotiables constrain our amazing teams. We need to trust our teachers.
Also I think non negotiables get in the way of excellence.
Reposted by Adam Boxer
This rang true to me. I feel I've had more of a learning squiggle than a curve in my life as a teacher, and going against the flow can be exhausting and demoralising.
NEW POST
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
Getting worse at teaching
We talk a lot about how teachers get better at teaching, but don’t think enough about how teachers can get worse at teaching.
open.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This rang true to me. I feel I've had more of a learning squiggle than a curve in my life as a teacher, and going against the flow can be exhausting and demoralising.
NEW POST
Almost every school I know has a list of Teaching and Learning or curriculum "non-negotiables." But is that a good term to use in schools?
Please share if you can 🙏🙏
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Almost every school I know has a list of Teaching and Learning or curriculum "non-negotiables." But is that a good term to use in schools?
Please share if you can 🙏🙏
substack.com/home/post/p-...
November 2, 2025 at 6:56 PM
NEW POST
Almost every school I know has a list of Teaching and Learning or curriculum "non-negotiables." But is that a good term to use in schools?
Please share if you can 🙏🙏
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Almost every school I know has a list of Teaching and Learning or curriculum "non-negotiables." But is that a good term to use in schools?
Please share if you can 🙏🙏
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
NEW EPISODE
This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating.
Tune in and share here 👇👇
open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...
This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating.
Tune in and share here 👇👇
open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...
What's going on with recruitment and retention? With Jack Worth
open.spotify.com
October 24, 2025 at 6:05 AM
NEW EPISODE
This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating.
Tune in and share here 👇👇
open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...
This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating.
Tune in and share here 👇👇
open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
Very interesting (and a little sad)….the reason for getting worse was not what I was expecting.
NEW POST
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
Getting worse at teaching
We talk a lot about how teachers get better at teaching, but don’t think enough about how teachers can get worse at teaching.
open.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Very interesting (and a little sad)….the reason for getting worse was not what I was expecting.
Reposted by Adam Boxer
Enjoyed this post and would also add that having really felt as though I was stagnating a couple of years ago, it led to significant dissatisfaction. A new context made all the difference.
NEW POST
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
Getting worse at teaching
We talk a lot about how teachers get better at teaching, but don’t think enough about how teachers can get worse at teaching.
open.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Enjoyed this post and would also add that having really felt as though I was stagnating a couple of years ago, it led to significant dissatisfaction. A new context made all the difference.
NEW EPISODE
This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating.
Tune in and share here 👇👇
open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...
This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating.
Tune in and share here 👇👇
open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...
What's going on with recruitment and retention? With Jack Worth
open.spotify.com
October 24, 2025 at 6:05 AM
NEW EPISODE
This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating.
Tune in and share here 👇👇
open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...
This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating.
Tune in and share here 👇👇
open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...
NEW POST
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
Getting worse at teaching
We talk a lot about how teachers get better at teaching, but don’t think enough about how teachers can get worse at teaching.
open.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:43 PM
NEW POST
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
We talk a lot about getting better at teaching, but perhaps we don't talk enough about getting worse at teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/adamboxe...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
NEW EPISODE
This one was quite hard for me to do, as we talk about antisemitism in England, and the security measures that the Jewish community has to take in schools and synagogues.
Tune in and share if you can!
open.spotify.com/episode/18IO...
This one was quite hard for me to do, as we talk about antisemitism in England, and the security measures that the Jewish community has to take in schools and synagogues.
Tune in and share if you can!
open.spotify.com/episode/18IO...
Why do Jewish schools need security? Adam opens up about antisemitism
open.spotify.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:07 AM
NEW EPISODE
This one was quite hard for me to do, as we talk about antisemitism in England, and the security measures that the Jewish community has to take in schools and synagogues.
Tune in and share if you can!
open.spotify.com/episode/18IO...
This one was quite hard for me to do, as we talk about antisemitism in England, and the security measures that the Jewish community has to take in schools and synagogues.
Tune in and share if you can!
open.spotify.com/episode/18IO...
Reposted by Adam Boxer
👍👍👍
“Observing others is critically important work, and giving feedback is a privilege”
“Observing others is critically important work, and giving feedback is a privilege”
October 19, 2025 at 7:13 AM
👍👍👍
“Observing others is critically important work, and giving feedback is a privilege”
“Observing others is critically important work, and giving feedback is a privilege”
Reposted by Adam Boxer
On a road trip in #Laos this week and there are some looong drives! Starting on the latest They Behave For Me podcast but seeking your #EdusSky recommendations for anything else. @adamboxereducation.bsky.social @amymayforrester.bsky.social
October 18, 2025 at 1:19 AM
On a road trip in #Laos this week and there are some looong drives! Starting on the latest They Behave For Me podcast but seeking your #EdusSky recommendations for anything else. @adamboxereducation.bsky.social @amymayforrester.bsky.social
Reposted by Adam Boxer
"But observing others is critically important work, and giving feedback is a privilege. We have a professional and ethical duty to take it seriously, and the least we can do for our colleagues is to put in the hard yards to be ready to deliver it."
👏👏👏👏
👏👏👏👏
October 17, 2025 at 12:45 PM
"But observing others is critically important work, and giving feedback is a privilege. We have a professional and ethical duty to take it seriously, and the least we can do for our colleagues is to put in the hard yards to be ready to deliver it."
👏👏👏👏
👏👏👏👏
Reposted by Adam Boxer
Excellent blog on being able to observe lessons well. However, Adam may be disappointed to hear that I thought it was not that spicy 🌶️ a take. Pretty much Lemon & Herb on the Nando’s scale.
October 13, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Excellent blog on being able to observe lessons well. However, Adam may be disappointed to hear that I thought it was not that spicy 🌶️ a take. Pretty much Lemon & Herb on the Nando’s scale.
Reposted by Adam Boxer
"But observing others is critically important work, and giving feedback is a privilege. We have a professional and ethical duty to take it seriously, and the least we can do for our colleagues is to put in the hard yards to be ready to deliver it."
October 12, 2025 at 5:47 PM
"But observing others is critically important work, and giving feedback is a privilege. We have a professional and ethical duty to take it seriously, and the least we can do for our colleagues is to put in the hard yards to be ready to deliver it."