Stuart Hayward
@stuartteachphys.bsky.social
Provincial Science Teacher In His Fifties.
What Men Of History with Big Ideas hate and fear most- they're not needed any more, because modern life is imperfect but kind of OK.
The radical right worldview is one in which terrible incidents - murders, rapes - especially by immigrants - are the norm and the cause of our woes. But the vast majority of people, of all backgrounds, are nice, conflict averse, and want to get on.
January 27, 2026 at 6:15 PM
What Men Of History with Big Ideas hate and fear most- they're not needed any more, because modern life is imperfect but kind of OK.
Think of The Penguin as the crooked plutocrat from Batman, and Trump's affinity for penguins makes sense.
January 24, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Think of The Penguin as the crooked plutocrat from Batman, and Trump's affinity for penguins makes sense.
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
Ok, things might look bleak, but we've pulled through this kind of crisis before. The key is to work together, stay strong, and do all we can to help a brave young x-wing pilot to exploit a design flaw in the Death Star and... no, wait. That's a movie I once saw. Sorry. We're doomed.
January 19, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Ok, things might look bleak, but we've pulled through this kind of crisis before. The key is to work together, stay strong, and do all we can to help a brave young x-wing pilot to exploit a design flaw in the Death Star and... no, wait. That's a movie I once saw. Sorry. We're doomed.
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
“Your mad wife burned Thornfield to the ground? Surely you can’t be serious.”
“I am. And don’t call me Shirley.”
— Jane Eyreplane
“I am. And don’t call me Shirley.”
— Jane Eyreplane
January 18, 2026 at 11:23 PM
“Your mad wife burned Thornfield to the ground? Surely you can’t be serious.”
“I am. And don’t call me Shirley.”
— Jane Eyreplane
“I am. And don’t call me Shirley.”
— Jane Eyreplane
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
Also the reminder you don't need to see the whole journey to take that first right step. Do that. Then the next one. And this is where you might end up.
I love everything about this story so so much.
I love everything about this story so so much.
December 25, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Also the reminder you don't need to see the whole journey to take that first right step. Do that. Then the next one. And this is where you might end up.
I love everything about this story so so much.
I love everything about this story so so much.
See also academic science.
I'm very glad I had the chance to do it for a while, and it was a wrench to stop.
I'm also very glad I don't do it now.
I'm very glad I had the chance to do it for a while, and it was a wrench to stop.
I'm also very glad I don't do it now.
I think most creators have a love-hate relationship with their work. It’s fulfilling and enjoyable, but also really difficult and time-consuming. We do it because we love it, but it really doesn’t love us back.
TLDR; a creative vocation is much like a bad relationship. Depending on the day.
TLDR; a creative vocation is much like a bad relationship. Depending on the day.
December 21, 2025 at 11:10 AM
See also academic science.
I'm very glad I had the chance to do it for a while, and it was a wrench to stop.
I'm also very glad I don't do it now.
I'm very glad I had the chance to do it for a while, and it was a wrench to stop.
I'm also very glad I don't do it now.
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
—I’ve been asked to baptise the King of Spain’s daughter
—Infanta?
—No, holy water as usual. Weird thing to ask honestly
—Infanta?
—No, holy water as usual. Weird thing to ask honestly
December 15, 2025 at 1:08 PM
—I’ve been asked to baptise the King of Spain’s daughter
—Infanta?
—No, holy water as usual. Weird thing to ask honestly
—Infanta?
—No, holy water as usual. Weird thing to ask honestly
There are all sorts of human endeavour where the art is knowing when to do nothing.
I suspect that the culture of monitoring struggles with that, because it's invisible.
(This isn't just a teaching thing.)
I suspect that the culture of monitoring struggles with that, because it's invisible.
(This isn't just a teaching thing.)
When I have set a class questions to complete independently, I spend around 10%-20% of the time at the start standing at the front of the classroom. Seemingly doing nothing.
I mentioned this to a colleague who asked "but shouldn't you be circulating?"
No. 🧵
I mentioned this to a colleague who asked "but shouldn't you be circulating?"
No. 🧵
December 8, 2025 at 9:57 PM
There are all sorts of human endeavour where the art is knowing when to do nothing.
I suspect that the culture of monitoring struggles with that, because it's invisible.
(This isn't just a teaching thing.)
I suspect that the culture of monitoring struggles with that, because it's invisible.
(This isn't just a teaching thing.)
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
Recently been looking at teaching from an outside perspective with my insider knowledge and I don’t think many people realise how impressive it is that there are actual people who can hold the attention of 30 fifteen-year olds about something they haven’t chosen to study for an hour.
December 5, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Recently been looking at teaching from an outside perspective with my insider knowledge and I don’t think many people realise how impressive it is that there are actual people who can hold the attention of 30 fifteen-year olds about something they haven’t chosen to study for an hour.
Worse than that, we now all have AI assistants who are programmed to tell us how brilliant we are.
"What a delightful mess jacket, shall I order five more now?"
"What a delightful mess jacket, shall I order five more now?"
rich dudes got freakier after butlers fell out of fashion, like say what you will about having domestic servants but clearly it was some sort of moderating force on old rich dudes having a fancy man follow you around saying shit like "oh dear sir, that wouldn't be very becoming"
November 29, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Worse than that, we now all have AI assistants who are programmed to tell us how brilliant we are.
"What a delightful mess jacket, shall I order five more now?"
"What a delightful mess jacket, shall I order five more now?"
Academic gowns? I'm up for academic gowns.
In my new Edubook,
"Educating Gotham: not all teachers wear capes"
I will explore the impact of the Batman Effect as I ask teachers to don capes in an effort to secure outstanding behaviour.
Available in bookstores eventually.
"Educating Gotham: not all teachers wear capes"
I will explore the impact of the Batman Effect as I ask teachers to don capes in an effort to secure outstanding behaviour.
Available in bookstores eventually.
The Batman effect: A female experimenter, appearing pregnant, boarded the train. In the experimental condition, an additional experimenter dressed as Batman entered from another door. Passengers were significantly more likely to offer their seat when Batman was present (67.21% vs. 37.66%).
November 23, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Academic gowns? I'm up for academic gowns.
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
It's a useful reminder that sometimes tech can make a task more efficient for one side (applying for jobs), and more efficient for the other side (writing job adverts), and yet make the system as a whole completely inefficient.
November 14, 2025 at 10:14 AM
It's a useful reminder that sometimes tech can make a task more efficient for one side (applying for jobs), and more efficient for the other side (writing job adverts), and yet make the system as a whole completely inefficient.
November 6, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
Why call them The Traitors when Catalan Separatists is right there #celebritytraitors
November 6, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Why call them The Traitors when Catalan Separatists is right there #celebritytraitors
The signature of Guy Fawkes on the first piece of coursework he marked and the piece handed in two minutes before the deadline.
November 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM
The signature of Guy Fawkes on the first piece of coursework he marked and the piece handed in two minutes before the deadline.
Coming to Friday night TV in the new year.
I assume Alan Carr just kills someone for real every night now.
October 30, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Coming to Friday night TV in the new year.
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
To put the size of London into even more perspective:
If all the cats in London moved to the countryside and founded a city...
...it would INSTANTLY be the second or third largest in the UK.
(Allowing for general fuzziness on "metropolitan areas")
If all the cats in London moved to the countryside and founded a city...
...it would INSTANTLY be the second or third largest in the UK.
(Allowing for general fuzziness on "metropolitan areas")
October 28, 2025 at 8:37 AM
To put the size of London into even more perspective:
If all the cats in London moved to the countryside and founded a city...
...it would INSTANTLY be the second or third largest in the UK.
(Allowing for general fuzziness on "metropolitan areas")
If all the cats in London moved to the countryside and founded a city...
...it would INSTANTLY be the second or third largest in the UK.
(Allowing for general fuzziness on "metropolitan areas")
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
Some fresh goodness on display in Spain.
October 24, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Some fresh goodness on display in Spain.
Geological maps are ace. We should all spend more time contemplating geological maps.
Art of ages. Swirly-wirly Klinty-Pollocky colours in the geological map of the Iberian Peninsula all the way back to the ancient granites of Galicia.
October 22, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Geological maps are ace. We should all spend more time contemplating geological maps.
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
TBH the only genuine hot-take I have on timezones is that One of my favourite timezone facts is that Franco switched to Berlin Time in 1940 to mollify Hitler and they really should switch it back.
In summer, somewhere like A Coruña is about two and half hours ahead of "normal" solar time.
In summer, somewhere like A Coruña is about two and half hours ahead of "normal" solar time.
October 21, 2025 at 2:28 PM
TBH the only genuine hot-take I have on timezones is that One of my favourite timezone facts is that Franco switched to Berlin Time in 1940 to mollify Hitler and they really should switch it back.
In summer, somewhere like A Coruña is about two and half hours ahead of "normal" solar time.
In summer, somewhere like A Coruña is about two and half hours ahead of "normal" solar time.
October 16, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Reposted by Stuart Hayward
One of the bitterest lessons of adult life is there is often practically nothing you can do about someone or a company breaking the law without the resources to pay someone to enforce it for you.
October 5, 2025 at 10:07 AM
One of the bitterest lessons of adult life is there is often practically nothing you can do about someone or a company breaking the law without the resources to pay someone to enforce it for you.