1/ A quick PSA: I’ve just had a conversation with a dear friend who has experienced racial discrimination in a school to the point of damaging her mental & physical health. She has been forced to leave because she felt the constant battle would destroy her health further. 2/ She is not the 1st either. That school has had a drain on Global Majority talent because of the incessant bullying & ‘hush-up’ culture.

The irony is they are taking procedures against her at the start of #BlackHistoryMonth.

Guys, in this month while the usual slides of

1/ I’m neck-deep in writing AHT2 & I’ve just had an epiphany.

When I started writing AHT2 it was going to be a direct sequel to AHT1. But as I have started to write down my ideas, it has evolved into something else - it’s becoming very different to my 1st project. 2/ & this made me scared.

The mind gremlins (my doubts & fears) started to talk to me saying:

“What you are writing ain’t good enough”
“You are going to disappoint the fans of the 1st book.”
“Who do you think you are to try & write this type of book?”

& I got writers block.

1/ Good Evening #Edutwitter

A🧵:

This was inspired by a brilliant teacher that I met at the @TeachFirst BAME conference this past weekend.

This teacher was wondering how I got my book out there & I explained that social media (especially Twitter) was the source of most 2/ of my progress. I had a microscopic budget & didnt have a fancy PR person to help me but I slowly figured it out.

She seemed a little sad & told me sheepishly ‘I have nothing to offer all I do is teach. At least you have a book.’ That bothered me greatly - she was a damn good

1/ It’s ok to not be ok. I’ve been speaking to a good friend of mine (I’ve asked his permission to tweet & he said yes) about depression & feeling despair.

I spent the last couple of days going back & forth with him talking about our lives, our triumphs & our struggles… 2/ Here’s some key learnings that this weekend has shown me.

A) Check up on your friends. Seriously. - We often ask ‘how are you’ but most of us never tell pple how we truly feel. Some of us put a really brave face on but we have been struggling for months. Create a safe space

1/ Time for a rant.

People denying your lived experience is infuriating.

Many promises were made after George Floyd but now I see it was a social media trend. People are bored now.

Now we have been told to shut up, sit down & carry on as normal.

Institutional racism is real. 2/ Also I’m getting tired of educating people who don’t want to do the work.

After George Floyd, many PoC laid bare the struggles that we faced in our daily lives & gave intimate details of what it’s like to constantly be treated different just because of your skin colour

1/ You are not to blame for the things that happened in your life but you are 100% responsible for them.

You didn’t pick your parents, how & where you raised. Your circumstances were given to you. Some of us were given a bad hand.

But you CAN be an agent of change in your life 2/ The Calvary is not coming. Be the Hero in your own story.

Honestly assess where you are. Make an intelligent plan & take micro-steps out. Take a course, read a book, get fitter, stronger, wiser.

Assess your circle. Do they lift you up or pull you down? Look at your shared

@Muna_Abdi_Phd 1/ Forgive me @Muna_Abdi_Phd I want to add a similar story to add to what you are saying about this book.

5 years ago, I taught in a inner city school where I was covering an English teacher on maternity leave.

There a year 11 child called Mohammad who was quite a sweet child @Muna_Abdi_Phd 2/ he did prat about occasionally but he wasn’t trouble. A good kid. His younger brother was in Year 9 & he was studying OMAM.

His brother was quite dark-skinned & was one of the only BAME students in the class.

His teacher came to the Crooks section of the book...

1/ Inspired by @RisuToInu & @NessaTahmin tweets I’m going to tell you a little story...

When I was working as a NEETs coordinator in East London, almost all of my students had severe Social Emotional & Mental Health needs & the borough I was working in was 1 of the most 2/ deprived in the country. Around 7 years ago, this was when London street violence really started in increase with stabbing, shooting & the new trend, acid attacks becoming terrifying more common.

Out of my students, there was 1 young man ‘Mark’ (not his real name) who I will

1/ Morning guys. After a bit of reflection (& bedrest) I wanted to talk a little about children with Social Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties & how to engage them.

I wrote a blogpost talking about making a ‘Social Contract’ to compliment the School Rules which 2/ proved a bit controversial. I was told that it was ‘vague & confusing’ & that we as teachers should take a ‘hard line with the behaviour policy’ until they follow it.

If you are dealing with children who can self-regulate & can verbalise their feelings that is fine but

1/ An East London Tale 2
***Names, dates & locations have been changed to protect the identities of people in the story***

Off the theme of friendship, when I was growing up in the ‘Endz’ there was a dude I knew called ‘Fred.’ Fred was a friend on a friend so we weren’t tight 2/ like that but we still chill together sometimes. Fred’s best friend’s name was ‘Jamie.’ Fred was a good looking guy, decent at school & was an aspiring singer.

Jamie was a bit closer to the streets & wasn’t academic - he was a bit more ‘Road’ & had the gift of the gab

1/ Since I’m lying in bed & have to think, I’m going to expand on an earlier quote about allies & friendships... Just indulge me...

I grew up in a rough part of London & we grew up with a ‘code’ & one of the most important parts of that code is ‘loyalty is everything’... 2/ No matter what, your boys should come first. In my mid to late teens, I would have happily jumped in front of a friend at harm to myself if it meant that I saved their life.

I feel in with the wrong crowd, disobeying my parents & not even focusing on my studies...

Common RnB phrases in 90s/00s

“Baby”
“I gave you keys to the whip”
“Call me/you on my cellphone”
“Escalade”
“I can love you better he/she can”
“Ice”
“My boo”
“Wifey/My man”
“Creeping”
“Keep it on the downlow”
“Fresh”
“Why you tripping/fronting?”
“Chillin”

Any I have forgot? 😂 I forgot “crib” as well... 😭😂😭

1/ After talking to some of my colleagues in person & over social media, I am shocked that even Post COVID19, the toxic level of bullying, unfairness & quite frankly, discrimination in schools have not let up.

Looking at our bat poo-poo world, I would have thought, 2/ That those in positions of authority would have been more compassionate about the wellbeing of their staff.

This is not a pop at SLT/Mid Management - I know many very hardworking, honest & virtuous leaders that are leading their staff the best they can & I salute you.

1/ If you are creative it's not easy. Your ideas will fail. People will not understand you. Sometimes it gets lonely. you may feel rejected. And sometimes, you will see others who took the conventional path get further ahead with apparent ease while you struggle... 2/ But if what you do makes you happy, gives you peace, changes someone else's life for the better then it is noble. These things are priceless. Youthful energy can mask a lot of cracks, but as the body & mind slow down, these cracks become canyons...

1/ Honestly, my new best friend is the word ‘No.’

People seriously want to take your time, energy & resources without offering you anything in return.

The issue isn’t even about money, it’s about respect. They don’t even try to build a relationship with you or... 2/ try to get to understand your where you are coming from.

Some people are incredibly rude when they ask you too, DEMANDING you help them.

I got one message saying “Hey, I’ve seen your stuff on Twitter, we have a x project & you will be talking on x day. Contact me next week.’

1/ I’m all for talking about the past & analysing past mistakes & hurts that have taken place.

But at some point you have to push forward. The past should not become a prison.

Some people have made careers of talking about injustices that have happened but offer no real... 2/ solutions going forward. Their whole gimmick is to put the world to rites but don’t offer little to nothing going forwards apart from fancy words & rhetoric.

I am self aware enough to know that a) I don’t have all the answers & I hopefully say that too & b) I try to...

Last one for today!

#EduTwitter finish this sentence.

“You know you’re getting older if you ________________” Actually, start enjoying going to IKEA...

1/ Please read this thread to the end.

Do you recognise this man?

I am sure that you have heard of Alexander Graham Bell who invented the telephone.

I know you have heard of Thomas Edison who invented the lightbulb.

But without this gentleman, neither would have existed. 2/ Lewis Howard Latimer (1848 - 1928) was an American inventor and draftsman who was the son of former slaves who was raised in Boston, Massachusetts.