Field notes from the classroom.
Stories, opinions, and the occasional rant — written by directors, teachers, and the hoopooh team. Short reads, long reflections, no SEO bait.
The week I stopped writing observations.
For four years I scribbled Post-its in my apron pocket and typed them up after bedtime. One Tuesday in March I tried something else — I talked, in the room, like a colleague. By Friday I'd given my Sundays back. Here's what happened.
Read the storyWhat 'auto-tag' actually means
Plain English on how hoopooh links a spoken sentence to EYFS or Montessori milestones — and why it shows you its working.
Against the 12-step onboarding plan
Why the 'implementation partner' is a smell. If your software needs one, your software is too hard.
What we shipped in April
Better photo attach, Arabic transcription, the new Finances tab — and the one thing we pulled because three teachers told us it felt creepy.
The 30-second voice note ritual
How one Cairo kindergarten built voice observations into snack-time without anyone noticing it became a workflow.
What to do when a parent says 'where's the report?'
Three director-tested replies — and the script we wish we'd had on our first parent evening.
Substitute teachers, on day one
How a shared roster + 5-minute live brief turned 'who is this kid?' into 'I've got it.'