Mark Goodrich
@markgoodrich.bsky.social
Was a lawyer, now a primary teacher. Interested in politics, chess, citizenship and education especially reading and maths. Has lived in 🇯🇵🇰🇷and now in 🇱🇦. https://open.substack.com/pub/markgoodrich
Pinned
Do we do what we say we do?
Last year I downloaded a habit tracker app.
substack.com
Hi #Edusky - it's time for my #Saturday3 and I thought I would focus on the nitty-gritty of school life this week. First, this thought-provoking piece from @claireharley.bsky.social on whether we do what we say we do...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
At what point will the BBC stop describing this guy as an “academic” because he hasn’t been one for ages? Absolute nonsense to boost credibility of someone who is now a professional far-right grifter.
Academic unveiled as Reform by-election candidate www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Academic unveiled as Reform by-election candidate www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Academic Matt Goodwin unveiled as Reform UK's by-election candidate
The Greater Manchester seat of Gorton and Denton became vacant after Andrew Gwynne stepped down for health reasons.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 27, 2026 at 3:00 PM
At what point will the BBC stop describing this guy as an “academic” because he hasn’t been one for ages? Absolute nonsense to boost credibility of someone who is now a professional far-right grifter.
Academic unveiled as Reform by-election candidate www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Academic unveiled as Reform by-election candidate www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Oh, Elon Musk has just followed me. I am sure this is because he has heard about my campaign to get teachers off X and it isn’t an impersonation account.
January 27, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Oh, Elon Musk has just followed me. I am sure this is because he has heard about my campaign to get teachers off X and it isn’t an impersonation account.
Reposted by Mark Goodrich
My Twitter/X account has been hacked, and I can no longer access it. In other words, I'm no longer on Twitter/X and any new messages aren't from me. You can still follow me on BlueSky. Please spread the word here and also on Twitter/X.
January 25, 2026 at 6:04 PM
My Twitter/X account has been hacked, and I can no longer access it. In other words, I'm no longer on Twitter/X and any new messages aren't from me. You can still follow me on BlueSky. Please spread the word here and also on Twitter/X.
Hi #EduSky - it wws incredibly hard to pick a #Saturday3 this week. I normally save about 5-8 that look interesting to read and this week, I have read 15 or so! Anyway, here were 3 that I particularly enjoyed…
January 24, 2026 at 10:31 AM
Hi #EduSky - it wws incredibly hard to pick a #Saturday3 this week. I normally save about 5-8 that look interesting to read and this week, I have read 15 or so! Anyway, here were 3 that I particularly enjoyed…
Great to see someone thinking seriously about curriculum in KS3. It’s part of tackling the disengagement that sets in. We also need to think about how to transition kids more successfully from top of primary to Yr 7 in other ways.
There are 3 ways we can improve provision at Key Stage 3.
First, stop treating KS3 as a warm-up for 'serious' work at KS4.
When we do that, we lower the intellectual bar, often without realising it.
/1
First, stop treating KS3 as a warm-up for 'serious' work at KS4.
When we do that, we lower the intellectual bar, often without realising it.
/1
January 24, 2026 at 2:12 AM
Great to see someone thinking seriously about curriculum in KS3. It’s part of tackling the disengagement that sets in. We also need to think about how to transition kids more successfully from top of primary to Yr 7 in other ways.
I don’t really agree with the 3 main heretical thoughts but this one is entirely correct. Hardly ever read a serious non-fiction book without thinking it could have been edited a lot. #BookSky
One bonus, heretical thought: if you’re interested in a topic, a long essay can be more informative than a (non-fiction) book.
There is a silly publishing convention that a "serious" book needs to be 300 pages++. The result is tomes that are mostly filler.
Might the 5,000-word New Yorker be better?
There is a silly publishing convention that a "serious" book needs to be 300 pages++. The result is tomes that are mostly filler.
Might the 5,000-word New Yorker be better?
January 23, 2026 at 12:43 PM
I don’t really agree with the 3 main heretical thoughts but this one is entirely correct. Hardly ever read a serious non-fiction book without thinking it could have been edited a lot. #BookSky
Thar she blows!
(Interesting to me that the numbers just keep steadily growing with only minor fluctuations now)
(Interesting to me that the numbers just keep steadily growing with only minor fluctuations now)
January 23, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Thar she blows!
(Interesting to me that the numbers just keep steadily growing with only minor fluctuations now)
(Interesting to me that the numbers just keep steadily growing with only minor fluctuations now)
One of my questions about this is whether YouTube would count as social media? Primary and teen kids use it that way but are we really going to prevent the from accessing it at all?
“Because explicit images are so common now, I think the police view is, ‘Well, that’s another one’”
How would a social media ban for U16s impact schools? Plenty support it, but some worry about negative impacts.
Excellent @cerysturner.bsky.social article below
www.tes.com/magazine/new...
How would a social media ban for U16s impact schools? Plenty support it, but some worry about negative impacts.
Excellent @cerysturner.bsky.social article below
www.tes.com/magazine/new...
Would an under-16s social media ban help schools?
The government is considering restricting or banning children’s use of social media. How might this impact schools?
www.tes.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:12 AM
One of my questions about this is whether YouTube would count as social media? Primary and teen kids use it that way but are we really going to prevent the from accessing it at all?
This may not be the best platform to ask but does anyone know how much the BTS tickets are going to be when my daughter gets to the front of the queue? She is surprisingly close…
January 22, 2026 at 1:13 PM
This may not be the best platform to ask but does anyone know how much the BTS tickets are going to be when my daughter gets to the front of the queue? She is surprisingly close…
Would be great if people could comment here. I am not the best one to help since I was not in the classroom in 2016.
Ok, I'd like to see people discuss what's changed since 2016. I'm toying with the idea of a classroom return, are things different in terms of work/life balance now? Different under a new government? And, how have parent/teacher/school interactions changed? That's what I think about.
January 21, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Would be great if people could comment here. I am not the best one to help since I was not in the classroom in 2016.
I liked this blog by @adamboxereducation.bsky.social but also felt we shouldn’t beat ourselves up too much if we were a bit slow to remove a child for very human reasons. Teachers are human after all!
(If the systems don’t work, that’s a more serious issue).
open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
(If the systems don’t work, that’s a more serious issue).
open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
Removal Reluctance
I had to remove a student for disrupting my lesson. But, like many teachers, my reluctance to do so meant I removed them too late. Here’s why, and what I should have done differently.
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:05 AM
I liked this blog by @adamboxereducation.bsky.social but also felt we shouldn’t beat ourselves up too much if we were a bit slow to remove a child for very human reasons. Teachers are human after all!
(If the systems don’t work, that’s a more serious issue).
open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
(If the systems don’t work, that’s a more serious issue).
open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
Wow - these look amazing!
#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekBforBooks
Small Worlds - Caleb Azumah Nelson
Globes from ‘The World Reimagined’ in Trafalgar Square (see alt text)
#WeekBforBooks
Small Worlds - Caleb Azumah Nelson
Globes from ‘The World Reimagined’ in Trafalgar Square (see alt text)
January 18, 2026 at 11:28 AM
Wow - these look amazing!
Reposted by Mark Goodrich
SCHOOLS!
Would you like £500 of FREE books?!
I do a thing called "The Big Green Books 500 Club"
Lovely people donate £1 each week & when I get £500, I send a school a load of books.
We're close to £500, so if you'd like some books, get in touch!
www.biggreenbookshop.com/big-green-bo...
Would you like £500 of FREE books?!
I do a thing called "The Big Green Books 500 Club"
Lovely people donate £1 each week & when I get £500, I send a school a load of books.
We're close to £500, so if you'd like some books, get in touch!
www.biggreenbookshop.com/big-green-bo...
January 17, 2026 at 8:07 PM
SCHOOLS!
Would you like £500 of FREE books?!
I do a thing called "The Big Green Books 500 Club"
Lovely people donate £1 each week & when I get £500, I send a school a load of books.
We're close to £500, so if you'd like some books, get in touch!
www.biggreenbookshop.com/big-green-bo...
Would you like £500 of FREE books?!
I do a thing called "The Big Green Books 500 Club"
Lovely people donate £1 each week & when I get £500, I send a school a load of books.
We're close to £500, so if you'd like some books, get in touch!
www.biggreenbookshop.com/big-green-bo...
Reposted by Mark Goodrich
Specialise, Conjecture and Generalise.
A three-step plan to encourage and develop mathematical thinking.
I'm going to use this thread to share a few of my favourite tasks that lend itself nicely to this idea.
It would be amazing if everyone added their own in the replies.
A three-step plan to encourage and develop mathematical thinking.
I'm going to use this thread to share a few of my favourite tasks that lend itself nicely to this idea.
It would be amazing if everyone added their own in the replies.
January 18, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Specialise, Conjecture and Generalise.
A three-step plan to encourage and develop mathematical thinking.
I'm going to use this thread to share a few of my favourite tasks that lend itself nicely to this idea.
It would be amazing if everyone added their own in the replies.
A three-step plan to encourage and develop mathematical thinking.
I'm going to use this thread to share a few of my favourite tasks that lend itself nicely to this idea.
It would be amazing if everyone added their own in the replies.
Kind of interesting that nobody has followed Jenrick out of the Tories into Reform, isn't it?
January 18, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Kind of interesting that nobody has followed Jenrick out of the Tories into Reform, isn't it?
Quintessential Lao PDR picture.
January 18, 2026 at 5:27 AM
Quintessential Lao PDR picture.
Lovely and useful blog from Tom. Looking forward to 12 of these!
The Year of Reading 2026 has commenced so I’ve added my voice to the chat with a monthly blog. Recommendations, teacher ideas and resources. Probably nothing groundbreaking but hopefully there’s something useful tomsbookcorner.wordpress.com/2026/01/17/t...
The Year of Reading – January
As we have now embarked on ‘The year of Reading’ for 2026, I felt compelled to add something (hopefully of value) to the conversation each month. A mixture of recommendations, genre foc…
tomsbookcorner.wordpress.com
January 18, 2026 at 5:22 AM
Lovely and useful blog from Tom. Looking forward to 12 of these!
Hi #Edusky - it's time for my #Saturday3 and I thought I would focus on the nitty-gritty of school life this week. First, this thought-provoking piece from @claireharley.bsky.social on whether we do what we say we do...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Do we do what we say we do?
Last year I downloaded a habit tracker app.
substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Hi #Edusky - it's time for my #Saturday3 and I thought I would focus on the nitty-gritty of school life this week. First, this thought-provoking piece from @claireharley.bsky.social on whether we do what we say we do...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Mark Goodrich
Are people doing 'eduthreads' any more? Thought I'd give one a go. Some thoughts on the 'revolution' of whole-class feedback (and a cautionary tale).
#EduSky
#EduSky
January 16, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Are people doing 'eduthreads' any more? Thought I'd give one a go. Some thoughts on the 'revolution' of whole-class feedback (and a cautionary tale).
#EduSky
#EduSky
Just for some context here, the Hmong are a people predominantly from Laos, many of whom fought alongside US troops in the “Secret War” taking place at the same time as the Vietnam War. After the Pathet Lao (communist regime) took over in Laos in 1975, some fled and settled in the US.
This week, I spoke with a St. Paul woman who told me ICE came to her door and asked her to report on her "Asian neighbors."
The Hmong community, the large majority of whom are in this country legally for decades now, is in hiding.
The Hmong community, the large majority of whom are in this country legally for decades now, is in hiding.
January 17, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Just for some context here, the Hmong are a people predominantly from Laos, many of whom fought alongside US troops in the “Secret War” taking place at the same time as the Vietnam War. After the Pathet Lao (communist regime) took over in Laos in 1975, some fled and settled in the US.
Reposted by Mark Goodrich
We have now deactivated our X account.
Please share our bluesky account with people that have an interest in mathematics education, and maths manipulatives
@cuisenaireco.bsky.social
#mathseducation #manipulatives #playislearning #pedagogy #cuisenairerods
Please share our bluesky account with people that have an interest in mathematics education, and maths manipulatives
@cuisenaireco.bsky.social
#mathseducation #manipulatives #playislearning #pedagogy #cuisenairerods
January 16, 2026 at 10:09 AM
We have now deactivated our X account.
Please share our bluesky account with people that have an interest in mathematics education, and maths manipulatives
@cuisenaireco.bsky.social
#mathseducation #manipulatives #playislearning #pedagogy #cuisenairerods
Please share our bluesky account with people that have an interest in mathematics education, and maths manipulatives
@cuisenaireco.bsky.social
#mathseducation #manipulatives #playislearning #pedagogy #cuisenairerods
Free advice for people with a paid Substack. The only approach which has ever persuaded me to pay is to offer a discount *and* a commitment to maintain my subscription at that rate.
January 15, 2026 at 9:48 AM
Free advice for people with a paid Substack. The only approach which has ever persuaded me to pay is to offer a discount *and* a commitment to maintain my subscription at that rate.
Reposted by Mark Goodrich
FREE SESSION COMING UP SOON!
Exploring PKC and the new Ofsted Framework
With insights from leaders who have gone through inspections under the new framework.
Exploring PKC and the new Ofsted Framework
With insights from leaders who have gone through inspections under the new framework.
Exploring PKC and the new Ofsted Framework (Spring Term 25/26) - Primary Knowledge Curriculum
PKC
www.primaryknowledgecurriculum.org
January 15, 2026 at 5:31 AM
FREE SESSION COMING UP SOON!
Exploring PKC and the new Ofsted Framework
With insights from leaders who have gone through inspections under the new framework.
Exploring PKC and the new Ofsted Framework
With insights from leaders who have gone through inspections under the new framework.
I think the incredible thing about this poll is that it has leftish bloc on 65% and right-wing bloc on 33%. Even for Wales, that seems extraordinary.
Have you dug into the data @benansell.bsky.social? Any time implications for the bloc theory?
Have you dug into the data @benansell.bsky.social? Any time implications for the bloc theory?
BREAKING: Explosive new poll for ITV Cymru Wales puts Plaid Cymru surging ahead of Reform UK in May’s Welsh elections.
Plaid 37%
Reform 23%
Greens 13%
Labour 10%
Tories 10%
Lib Dems 5%
Plaid could form majority with Greens on this basis, with Labour out of govt for first time since devolution.
Plaid 37%
Reform 23%
Greens 13%
Labour 10%
Tories 10%
Lib Dems 5%
Plaid could form majority with Greens on this basis, with Labour out of govt for first time since devolution.
January 14, 2026 at 9:55 AM
I think the incredible thing about this poll is that it has leftish bloc on 65% and right-wing bloc on 33%. Even for Wales, that seems extraordinary.
Have you dug into the data @benansell.bsky.social? Any time implications for the bloc theory?
Have you dug into the data @benansell.bsky.social? Any time implications for the bloc theory?
This is a useful distinction from @paulkirschner.bsky.social. Well worth a read.
open.substack.com/pub/paulkirs...
open.substack.com/pub/paulkirs...
Offloading? No Outsourcing!
Understanding AI: Offloading or Outsourcing Thinking?
open.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:14 AM
This is a useful distinction from @paulkirschner.bsky.social. Well worth a read.
open.substack.com/pub/paulkirs...
open.substack.com/pub/paulkirs...