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Joel Kenyon

@joel120193.substack.com
1.5K followers 1.2K following 1.3K posts

Teacher 👨‍🏫 | Head of Science 🧑‍🔬 | Hinterland Lover ⚛️ | Source Provider 📝 | Subscribe on Substack joel120193.substack.com 🖋️ |

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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 20/09/2026
New Post 📝 The number of things a teacher is asked to remember and process in a given 60 seconds is immense and with the growing SEND within our classrooms, the cognitive load of teachers is being tested. joel120193.substack.com/p/the-60-min...
joel120193.substack.com
The 60-Minute Mental Marathon Part II: SEND
The increasing need in the classroom is taking away the time needed for teachers to think, plan and teach their lessons well. It has to be much simpler.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 30/08/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Politically, moving pupils away from academics and towards technical courses at 14 years old is popular, but that doesn't mean its right. Here I provide a real world scenario and a possible alternative for my friend Ben. joel120193.substack.com/p/a-tale-of-...
joel120193.substack.com
A Tale of Two Bens: What Happens When We Decide a Child's Future at 14?
Education should open doors for young people. Changing the system could make it so we lock them in and make it very difficult to provide the key.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 31/08/2026
Thank you. I agree, changing that I believe has some awful consequences
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 30/08/2026
Thank you! Based on the schools we work in, it is very easy to push a lot of our students down these routes and lock into an unchangeable future. 16 is a much more appropriate age, lets just hope the government agree...
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 30/08/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Politically, moving pupils away from academics and towards technical courses at 14 years old is popular, but that doesn't mean its right. Here I provide a real world scenario and a possible alternative for my friend Ben. joel120193.substack.com/p/a-tale-of-...
joel120193.substack.com
A Tale of Two Bens: What Happens When We Decide a Child's Future at 14?
Education should open doors for young people. Changing the system could make it so we lock them in and make it very difficult to provide the key.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 08/07/2026
This is an absolute must read. It describes what most teachers see happening in schools. Children given support that is ineffective and is likely going to make their learning experience, and outcomes, much worse There is an SEND crisis in schools, but not in the way many people think.
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Edapt @edaptuk.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Our July Policy Insights is out now 👇 bit.ly/4foJyGn 💷 Including an objective breakdown of the Teacher Pay Award 2026 ✍️ Featuring blog posts from @joel120193.substack.com @markmccourt.bsky.social @exheadteacher.bsky.social
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 06/07/2026
New Post 📝 My favourite classroom tips are those that take the smallest amount of time to implement. These small changes to how we ask a question build and keep participation high. Here are some of the methods I implemented during Year 6 transition day. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
I Say, Vasistas and Everyone Speaks: Small Classroom Changes with Big Impacts Part 2
High participation where everyone speaks? Here are some methods I got prospective Year 7s doing straight away.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 26/06/2026
New, slightly different style, blog post 📝 The future is today and with increasing costs and the rise of AI, there is reason to be weary of the changes that will happen in education over the next 20 years. What will education look like in 2045? open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Do Androids Dream of Electric Seating Plans?
Education in 2045: A dystopian tale of algorithms, 250-student classes, and the death of pedagogy.
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Andy McHugh @andymchugh.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
A great piece Joel - I don't know whether to be entertained or terrified though!
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 26/06/2026
Thank you, this was my exact intention. I am glad it worked 😅
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 26/06/2026
New, slightly different style, blog post 📝 The future is today and with increasing costs and the rise of AI, there is reason to be weary of the changes that will happen in education over the next 20 years. What will education look like in 2045? open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Do Androids Dream of Electric Seating Plans?
Education in 2045: A dystopian tale of algorithms, 250-student classes, and the death of pedagogy.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
New Blog Post 📝 I have been a teacher for some time now and there have been points in my career I have thought about packing it up and moving on. Here I reflect on what has pushed me close to the edge and what may actual tip me over. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Last Teacher Standing: What Would It Take to Make Me Quit?
Since qualifying in 2017, I reflect on the points I have wanted to leave teaching and what may push me over the edge.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 16/06/2026
The cognitive overload some teachers experience is enough to leave them drained of brain power by the end of the day. That day in day out for years is enough to make anyone leave. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
static.klipy.com
Sheldon Cooper: You Know I'm Right
ALT: Sheldon Cooper: You Know I'm Right
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
I actually agree with this point. Thats why I said the majority of the work I planned for was a waste of time. Even things I made a year ago, waste. There are good resources out there, signposting them does help 😉
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
I have a life here. I've looked abroad previously, I know a ton of teachers who have moved abroad to international schools. I do always wonder if people know what effect their small interactions have on people.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
Annoying how true this is. It's like a cheat code for teaching
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
You get loads of holidays. Shh. Tbf most of my blog isn't research heavy, it's just me having a bit of a ramble most of the time 😅
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
I know, enjoyed it an odd one 😅 Glad you did like it though
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
Thank you 🙂
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
I always wonder what non-teachers would think if I told them to remember everything we have to 6 times a day 😅
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
We've all been there. Some still are. My brain even going through and writing it was triggering.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
The irony that if you work less, your lessons are probably better.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
I will probably last much longer than I assume right now because I do love the job. My teacher training was me, every night, sat with a computer making PowerPoints. A lot of new teachers are doing this. Part time probably is where I will end up.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
It really is. Every year I see more and more people leave. They claim they're happier, have more money, less stressed and have more time. It's hard to carry on when everyone around you leaves.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/06/2026
New Blog Post 📝 I have been a teacher for some time now and there have been points in my career I have thought about packing it up and moving on. Here I reflect on what has pushed me close to the edge and what may actual tip me over. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Last Teacher Standing: What Would It Take to Make Me Quit?
Since qualifying in 2017, I reflect on the points I have wanted to leave teaching and what may push me over the edge.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 11/05/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Revision. It is seemingly a thing that every teacher feels like they need to do for their pupils to be successful. But why? If you've taught it well, why do you need to do anything? Surely its now their responsibility? open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
The Three R's: Revise, Revise, Revise
What is revision actually aiming to do?
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 04/05/2026
New Blog Post📝 For years I have had my PowerPoint and at the start of my career it was my crutch I found it difficult to deviate from. Now, I have changed my planning and found less of a need to stress over a PowerPoint. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Goodbye.pptx: Why I've Abandoned PowerPoint
How was PowerPoint impacting my teaching and why I rely on little more than a pen, visualiser and paper.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 27/04/2026
New Blog Post 📝 I have relatives of mine who have recently become teachers and the most common questions they ask is how do I plan a lesson and why does planning take so long? It doesn't have to. This is how I do it. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
The Simple Framework: How to Plan a Lesson
It used to take me hours to plan for a lesson, now it takes me 15 minutes.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 22/03/2026
This one has taken me a while to write and is probably one that many will disagree with 🤷
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 22/03/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Science is formed through recall of knowledge of people long since passed. Creating classrooms that allow pupils to deeply 'understand' and discover science does not make a scientist. Allowing them to recall it does. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Understanding: Science is Told, Not Found
In my time as a teacher, I have been repeatedly urged to adopt generic one size fits all methods which fundamentally collapse when applied to the rigour of science.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 16/03/2026
I love these! I remember reading them years ago, I will have to pop the link at the bottom of my post.
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Ian Horsewell @teachingofsci.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Are you familiar with the collated _Stories from Physics_ on the IOP Spark website, from Richard Brock at KCL? No registration or paywall. spark.iop.org/stories-phys...
spark.iop.org
Stories from Physics
The story of physics is intertwined with the stories of people. We are delighted to be able to share this collection of amazing, amusing and enlightening stories from Richard Brock, a former physics t...
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 16/03/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Using stories in your science lessons can help build a students understanding of science, even if its not on the curriculum. This is Hinterland. Here I discuss some examples in science and how to implement them into your lessons. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Hinterland: Teaching Beyond the Curriculum
Science is more than bunch of dry facts. Using Hinterland can help us to develop understanding, create conversations and build science as a world of creativity, exploration and even deceit.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 15/03/2026
First blog post from an amazing colleague on the hard work needed to build the literacy of our pupils. A great read on how implementing a strategy and changing culture takes time and effort. researchschool.org.uk/bradford/new...
researchschool.org.uk
Building a Reading Culture: Starting with Why?
How diagnosing the real literacy problem led to a whole-school reading culture at Dixons Croxteth.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 02/03/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Did the internet change education? I don't think it did. Will AI change education? I don't think so. The internet and AI do not change the motivation to learn. We have access to more info now than ever before but that doesn't make us smarter. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Education and Motivation: Will AI Change Education?
Having access to information does not make us learn more, what matters more is the motivation to learn more. AI will both do absolutely nothing to education and everything to society.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 02/03/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Did the internet change education? I don't think it did. Will AI change education? I don't think so. The internet and AI do not change the motivation to learn. We have access to more info now than ever before but that doesn't make us smarter. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Education and Motivation: Will AI Change Education?
Having access to information does not make us learn more, what matters more is the motivation to learn more. AI will both do absolutely nothing to education and everything to society.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 16/02/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Over the years I have received a lot of terrible teaching advice, but I have also had some brilliant pointers. Some of the best advice I have had has been seemingly insignificant changes to my practice. Here are five examples. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Stand Still, Narrate and Stop: Small Classroom Changes with Big Impacts
Forget the lentils and stopwatches. From frontloading to the power of 'we,' here are some tiny, intentional changes that can transform classroom culture.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 16/02/2026
Struggling is a part of learning, if we teach pupils that the struggle is never needed and we go over to help them, then we aren't teaching them resilience. Never take a pencil out of the student's hand, I like that!
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 16/02/2026
New Blog Post 📝 Over the years I have received a lot of terrible teaching advice, but I have also had some brilliant pointers. Some of the best advice I have had has been seemingly insignificant changes to my practice. Here are five examples. open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Stand Still, Narrate and Stop: Small Classroom Changes with Big Impacts
Forget the lentils and stopwatches. From frontloading to the power of 'we,' here are some tiny, intentional changes that can transform classroom culture.
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Education in Chemistry @rsc-eic.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Great teaching starts with great subject knowledge - @joel120193.substack.com shares how brushing up on electrolysis made him a better educator and why you should dedicate time to improving your chemistry knowledge 👇 edu.rsc.org/endpoint/kno... #iteachchem #chemed
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Alex Quigley @alexjquigley.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Really good blog by @joel120193.substack.com on etymology as a tool for learning complex scientific vocabulary in science lessons (not just a one-off photosynthesis filler/explainer). open.substack.com/pub/joel1201...
open.substack.com
Chlorine is Green, Zoos Have Life and Kings are Killed: Using Etymology in Science
Stop dumbing down vocabulary. When I taught the structure of the ear, I had a choice. I could teach: Hammer, Anvil, and Stirrup. Or I could teach Latin. Not to be pretentious, but to give them a tool.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 14/02/2026
Thank you! I think it went well, I ended up with a much bigger crowd than I expected so was a tad nervous. Got to do it for the first time once haven't you 🤷
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 13/02/2026
I enjoyed writing this post. Subject knowledge is such an important factor into becoming an effective teacher. There should be much more of a focus on this when designing CPD. Take into account your individual departments when planning.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 13/02/2026
Sometimes local press isn't always a school's best friend, but this post about our recent Ofsted is such a lovely read. Really goes into the journey we have been on as a school. www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpo...
liverpoolecho.co.uk
School threatened with closure now making 'rapid improvements'
Dixons Academies Trust took over De La Salle in Croxteth in 2022
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 11/02/2026
Are our results where they need to be? No, they aren't. But in the first year, our P8 results where the third most improved in the country. There is still a lot of hard work to do, but our staff and pupils welcome it with open arms.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 11/02/2026
When I came for my interview in March 2024, I wanted to work with pupils with a similar background to myself and improve their life chances. Every single member of staff at Dixons Croxteth knows why we get up every day: to improve the education of every pupil. I am incredibly proud to work here.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 11/02/2026
This is my favourite part of the report. The school when I joined just over two years ago is not the same one I work in today. The school was given a closure notice after two Inadequate reports and today we have a school where pupils feel valued and safe.
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Joel Kenyon @joel120193.substack.com · 11/02/2026
This is something I am incredibly proud of. Working in a turnaround school is tough and whilst we do not work for Ofsted, it is amazing to have our hard work recognised. Every single member of the school community has worked so hard over the past three years to achieve this.
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