Teacher’s Manual
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unofficialoa.bsky.social
Teacher’s Manual
@unofficialoa.bsky.social
Omar Akbar | Teacher | Author | The (Un)official Teacher’s Manual | Bad School Leadership | Teaching For Realists | Building Relationships in Schools

Podcast: The (Un)official Teacher’s Manual -

https://open.spotify.com/show/5liz0H9ui4voyiK4qBWR5S
I’ve come across many teachers who’ve been forced to lower their standards.

Not because they want to but because teaching disruption free for even 5 mins is exhausting and/or impossible at their school.

For their sanity, they continue - ignoring disruptors, hoping learning takes place.

Sad.
February 12, 2026 at 9:14 PM
“Every time I start talking I am interrupted, turn by turn, by at least 8 pupils. I can’t even give an explanation. When they’re finally silent for 30s, 3 pupils will raise their hand to ask to go the toilet or an inane off topic Q. Repeat for an hour. I’m quitting.”
February 6, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Shout out to the one teacher at every school who is the sole reason why the ‘managing difficult conversations’ INSET for middle leaders exists.

#edusky
February 4, 2026 at 8:30 PM
I predict that ‘edutainment’ will make a comeback.
February 1, 2026 at 4:48 PM
I’ll take it 😎. #edusky
January 21, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Throwback to the time when a year 7 kid shouted ‘keep to the left!’ in an empty corridor and it took me 3 days to realise it was me she was shouting at.

#edusky
January 13, 2026 at 8:25 PM
I’m probably late to the party with this, but kids can’t tell (analogue) time any more and I’m not sure how I feel about this.

#edusky
January 11, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Research has shown that if there is a male teacher with a pony tail at a school, the chances of him being a physics teacher increase by 850%

#edusky
January 8, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Serious post:

Look after yourself this year.

Nothing is more important than your health- mental and physical.

Few things in life are worth compromising these over.

Prioritise diet, exercise and sleep.

All the best tomorrow.

You got this 💪🏼.

#edusky #wellbeing
January 4, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Shout out to everyone who’s just going to read a book and will probably be in bed by 10.30pm.

#edusky
December 31, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Apart from the fun stuff at work, I don’t celebrate Christmas.

But as a Muslim, I believe that: ‘A person is either your brother in faith or your equal in humanity.’

So Christmas matters to me because it’s celebrated by you ❤️.

Merry Christmas and peace be unto you.
December 25, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Whilst the holidays give us time to think and reflect, for many, they can give us too much time to think and reflect!

Check out my 5 tips for managing anxiety during the hols:

#edusky

open.spotify.com/episode/5oo4...
5 Tips for Avoiding Anxiety During the Holidays
open.spotify.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:17 AM
You gotta prioritise your wellbeing in the hols…

Here’s how:
December 23, 2025 at 9:45 AM
First Monday of the hols and of course I got #bodyclocked at 5.51am 😩

You?

#edusky
December 22, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Good morning new followers and thanks for the follow!

#PGCE #ECT need some help with the lesser discussed stuff in teaching?.

Check out my first book on Amazon.

Some good advice combined with humour and honesty.

The perfect teacher-stocking filler 😊.

#edusky
December 20, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Whatever you do today/tomorrow…

Do NOT give the kids ‘free time.’

Just don’t.

#edusky
December 18, 2025 at 7:32 AM
December 17, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Shout out to everyone who does the belly tap every time someone says they’ve lost their lanyard because they automatically assume they might have too so you have to check.

#edusky
December 16, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Funny education conversation last night:

Me: Are you RI?

Friend of friend: I’m fine thanks.

Me: No- I meant your school- does it Require Improvement?

#edusky
December 14, 2025 at 9:33 AM
When ‘low’ level disruption is explained to non-teachers, it is often dismissed as: kids talk too much haha.

The reality is that it is common for a teacher to be interrupted several times, deliberately, by multiple students to the point that a simple explanation is impossible.
December 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Shout out to all the other 20yr teachers.

I feel like this is an understated yet significant milestone.

#edusky
December 7, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Kid: Sir, what do you call a plane full of bald blokes?

Me: (looking somewhat dismayed as I am bald) What?

Kid: Receding airlines

I haven’t stopped laughing since period 5.

#edusky
December 5, 2025 at 7:13 PM
If you ever want to see a plethora of opinions, monumental diversity in perception…

ask the kids how old they think you are-

see what happens.

#edusky
December 4, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Sunrise run this morning was amazing.
December 2, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This ep. (on restorative practice) has been the most listened to and least contentious i.e. no one seems to disagree.

Given how common RP still is, however, I cannot find a single (non-anonymous) educator that can tell me of its success- only of failure.

Make it make sense.
November 30, 2025 at 7:37 PM