David Didau
@didau.bsky.social
Same old same old
Substack: daviddidau.substack.com/
Substack: daviddidau.substack.com/
Chapter 26 of SSOL - the gang turn up at a steam fair. Hilarity ensures
open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
Chapter 26: “Dirty cash I want you, dirty cash I need you”
Adventures of Stevie V, Dirty Cash (Money Talks)
open.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Chapter 26 of SSOL - the gang turn up at a steam fair. Hilarity ensures
open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
NEW Herd immunity and the limits of peer influence
Herd immunity works until the system keeps re-infecting itself.
Why a few influential students can tip norms and why no seed group survives adult inconsistency 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Herd immunity works until the system keeps re-infecting itself.
Why a few influential students can tip norms and why no seed group survives adult inconsistency 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Herd immunity and the limits of influence
What Elizabeth Paluck’s research reveals about cultural change and why schools have struggled to implement it effectively
open.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 6:25 AM
NEW Herd immunity and the limits of peer influence
Herd immunity works until the system keeps re-infecting itself.
Why a few influential students can tip norms and why no seed group survives adult inconsistency 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Herd immunity works until the system keeps re-infecting itself.
Why a few influential students can tip norms and why no seed group survives adult inconsistency 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reposted by David Didau
Your tolerances not your values set your culture.
On norms, status and why what we permit matters more than what we proclaim 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
On norms, status and why what we permit matters more than what we proclaim 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Culture eats values and vision statements for breakfast
Why culture is learned through imitation, tolerated behaviour and informal influence rather than assemblies, policies and good intentions
open.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:56 AM
Your tolerances not your values set your culture.
On norms, status and why what we permit matters more than what we proclaim 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
On norms, status and why what we permit matters more than what we proclaim 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reposted by David Didau
Substack from @didau.bsky.social on culture. daviddidau.substack.com/p/culture-ea...
You know your culture is real when it’s inconvenient and you do it anyway. If you make excuses or exceptions then it’s not culture, not values, just bluster.
You know your culture is real when it’s inconvenient and you do it anyway. If you make excuses or exceptions then it’s not culture, not values, just bluster.
Culture eats values and vision statements for breakfast
Why culture is learned through imitation, tolerated behaviour and informal influence rather than assemblies, policies and good intentions
daviddidau.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Substack from @didau.bsky.social on culture. daviddidau.substack.com/p/culture-ea...
You know your culture is real when it’s inconvenient and you do it anyway. If you make excuses or exceptions then it’s not culture, not values, just bluster.
You know your culture is real when it’s inconvenient and you do it anyway. If you make excuses or exceptions then it’s not culture, not values, just bluster.
Your tolerances not your values set your culture.
On norms, status and why what we permit matters more than what we proclaim 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
On norms, status and why what we permit matters more than what we proclaim 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Culture eats values and vision statements for breakfast
Why culture is learned through imitation, tolerated behaviour and informal influence rather than assemblies, policies and good intentions
open.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:56 AM
Your tolerances not your values set your culture.
On norms, status and why what we permit matters more than what we proclaim 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
On norms, status and why what we permit matters more than what we proclaim 👇
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reposted by David Didau
We obsess over how to teach reading and forget to ask why.
If literature trains attention, judgement and endurance, perhaps we should be more concerned with selecting books, that have the power to enrich, making time to read them, and stop over-explaining.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
If literature trains attention, judgement and endurance, perhaps we should be more concerned with selecting books, that have the power to enrich, making time to read them, and stop over-explaining.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reading for betterment
Beyond pleasure: how reading can make us better people
open.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 6:40 AM
We obsess over how to teach reading and forget to ask why.
If literature trains attention, judgement and endurance, perhaps we should be more concerned with selecting books, that have the power to enrich, making time to read them, and stop over-explaining.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
If literature trains attention, judgement and endurance, perhaps we should be more concerned with selecting books, that have the power to enrich, making time to read them, and stop over-explaining.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
We obsess over how to teach reading and forget to ask why.
If literature trains attention, judgement and endurance, perhaps we should be more concerned with selecting books, that have the power to enrich, making time to read them, and stop over-explaining.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
If literature trains attention, judgement and endurance, perhaps we should be more concerned with selecting books, that have the power to enrich, making time to read them, and stop over-explaining.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reading for betterment
Beyond pleasure: how reading can make us better people
open.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 6:40 AM
We obsess over how to teach reading and forget to ask why.
If literature trains attention, judgement and endurance, perhaps we should be more concerned with selecting books, that have the power to enrich, making time to read them, and stop over-explaining.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
If literature trains attention, judgement and endurance, perhaps we should be more concerned with selecting books, that have the power to enrich, making time to read them, and stop over-explaining.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Carl used knock out a corker every year or so on his old chronotope blog but the discipline of writing regularly on Substack has demonstrated what a consistently superb thinker he is.
I started a Substack in February and have been surprised and humbled in equal measure at the response. Here are the most read posts this year. Thank you to everyone who has shown an interest. carlhendrick.substack.com/p/the-learni...
December 28, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Carl used knock out a corker every year or so on his old chronotope blog but the discipline of writing regularly on Substack has demonstrated what a consistently superb thinker he is.
Reposted by David Didau
Happy Christmas! open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
A review of 2025 on The Learning Spy
Happy Christmas readers!
open.substack.com
December 25, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Happy Christmas! open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Happy Christmas! open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
A review of 2025 on The Learning Spy
Happy Christmas readers!
open.substack.com
December 25, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Happy Christmas! open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reposted by David Didau
Can I ask a favour?
Life has been really tough lately due to terminal family illness and I just haven’t had the spoons for decent self promotion.
Could you please give the “Little but Fierce” kickstarter prelaunch page a repost (and maybe a follow)?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dcb...
Life has been really tough lately due to terminal family illness and I just haven’t had the spoons for decent self promotion.
Could you please give the “Little but Fierce” kickstarter prelaunch page a repost (and maybe a follow)?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dcb...
Coming soon: Little but Fierce: Streamlined 5E for Children of All Ages
Little but Fierce is a rewrite of 5th Edition with streamlined rules, simplified language and a family friendly tone
www.kickstarter.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Can I ask a favour?
Life has been really tough lately due to terminal family illness and I just haven’t had the spoons for decent self promotion.
Could you please give the “Little but Fierce” kickstarter prelaunch page a repost (and maybe a follow)?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dcb...
Life has been really tough lately due to terminal family illness and I just haven’t had the spoons for decent self promotion.
Could you please give the “Little but Fierce” kickstarter prelaunch page a repost (and maybe a follow)?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dcb...
Chapter 24 of The Second Summer of Love open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
Chapter 24: “With you by my side I’ll face what is to come”
Yazz & The Plastic Population, The Only Way Is Up
open.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Chapter 24 of The Second Summer of Love open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
Reposted by David Didau
NEW Teaching metre as meaning open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Teaching metre as meaning
How to bring Shakespeare's verse to life
open.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 9:25 AM
NEW Teaching metre as meaning open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reposted by David Didau
This is really fun from @didau.bsky.social - daviddidau.substack.com/p/teaching-m...
Metre makes verse memorable (useful if you need to unspool reams on stage) - playing with it lets you catch the ear to make a point.
I wrote about this trick in Hamlet: james-handscombe.co.uk/scholarship/...
Metre makes verse memorable (useful if you need to unspool reams on stage) - playing with it lets you catch the ear to make a point.
I wrote about this trick in Hamlet: james-handscombe.co.uk/scholarship/...
Teaching metre as meaning
How to bring Shakespeare's verse to life
daviddidau.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM
This is really fun from @didau.bsky.social - daviddidau.substack.com/p/teaching-m...
Metre makes verse memorable (useful if you need to unspool reams on stage) - playing with it lets you catch the ear to make a point.
I wrote about this trick in Hamlet: james-handscombe.co.uk/scholarship/...
Metre makes verse memorable (useful if you need to unspool reams on stage) - playing with it lets you catch the ear to make a point.
I wrote about this trick in Hamlet: james-handscombe.co.uk/scholarship/...
NEW Teaching metre as meaning open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Teaching metre as meaning
How to bring Shakespeare's verse to life
open.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 9:25 AM
NEW Teaching metre as meaning open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reposted by David Didau
My favourite non-fiction of 2025 open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
The best non-fiction I read in 2025
As with the companion piece I wrote about the fiction I’ve most enjoyed this year, the following list is made up of books, old and new, which I read for the first time in 2025.
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:26 AM
My favourite non-fiction of 2025 open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
My favourite non-fiction of 2025 open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
The best non-fiction I read in 2025
As with the companion piece I wrote about the fiction I’ve most enjoyed this year, the following list is made up of books, old and new, which I read for the first time in 2025.
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:26 AM
My favourite non-fiction of 2025 open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Reposted by David Didau
My favourite novels this year open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
The fiction I've most enjoyed reading in 2025
Yet another booklist
open.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:15 AM
My favourite novels this year open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
My favourite novels this year open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
The fiction I've most enjoyed reading in 2025
Yet another booklist
open.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:15 AM
My favourite novels this year open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Next chapter: here we come on the run, don’t know what we’re running from
open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
Chapter 22 - “Here we come, on the run, don't know what we're running from”
The Jimmy Castor Bunch, It’s Just Begun
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Next chapter: here we come on the run, don’t know what we’re running from
open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
Reposted by David Didau
Professional scepticism is the disciplined habit of slowing down unscrupulous optimism before it does damage.
Before rolling out the next shiny policy, ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- What would show this is wrong?
- What will we stop doing if it fails?
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Before rolling out the next shiny policy, ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- What would show this is wrong?
- What will we stop doing if it fails?
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Professional scepticism
Until education becomes the kind of profession that reveres evidence, we should not be surprised to find its experts dispensing unproven methods, endlessly flitting from one fad to another.
open.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Professional scepticism is the disciplined habit of slowing down unscrupulous optimism before it does damage.
Before rolling out the next shiny policy, ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- What would show this is wrong?
- What will we stop doing if it fails?
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Before rolling out the next shiny policy, ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- What would show this is wrong?
- What will we stop doing if it fails?
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Professional scepticism is the disciplined habit of slowing down unscrupulous optimism before it does damage.
Before rolling out the next shiny policy, ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- What would show this is wrong?
- What will we stop doing if it fails?
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Before rolling out the next shiny policy, ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- What would show this is wrong?
- What will we stop doing if it fails?
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Professional scepticism
Until education becomes the kind of profession that reveres evidence, we should not be surprised to find its experts dispensing unproven methods, endlessly flitting from one fad to another.
open.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Professional scepticism is the disciplined habit of slowing down unscrupulous optimism before it does damage.
Before rolling out the next shiny policy, ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- What would show this is wrong?
- What will we stop doing if it fails?
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Before rolling out the next shiny policy, ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- What would show this is wrong?
- What will we stop doing if it fails?
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Chapter 21 of The Second Summer of Love open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
Chapter 21: “These boots were made for walking the Marquis de Sade don’t wear no boots like these”
The Stone Roses, Fools Gold
open.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Chapter 21 of The Second Summer of Love open.substack.com/pub/secondsu...
Reposted by David Didau
A discussion of the essay collection, The Value of a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum.
Knowledge is not about status or nostalgia but access. Access to disciplines, to shared reference points, to the long human conversation that too many children are excluded from.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Knowledge is not about status or nostalgia but access. Access to disciplines, to shared reference points, to the long human conversation that too many children are excluded from.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
A seat at the table" knowledge, inheritance and the purpose of schooling
Reflections on 'The Value of a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum'
open.substack.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:35 AM
A discussion of the essay collection, The Value of a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum.
Knowledge is not about status or nostalgia but access. Access to disciplines, to shared reference points, to the long human conversation that too many children are excluded from.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Knowledge is not about status or nostalgia but access. Access to disciplines, to shared reference points, to the long human conversation that too many children are excluded from.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
A discussion of the essay collection, The Value of a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum.
Knowledge is not about status or nostalgia but access. Access to disciplines, to shared reference points, to the long human conversation that too many children are excluded from.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Knowledge is not about status or nostalgia but access. Access to disciplines, to shared reference points, to the long human conversation that too many children are excluded from.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
A seat at the table" knowledge, inheritance and the purpose of schooling
Reflections on 'The Value of a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum'
open.substack.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:35 AM
A discussion of the essay collection, The Value of a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum.
Knowledge is not about status or nostalgia but access. Access to disciplines, to shared reference points, to the long human conversation that too many children are excluded from.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...
Knowledge is not about status or nostalgia but access. Access to disciplines, to shared reference points, to the long human conversation that too many children are excluded from.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...