DamsonEd
@damsoned.bsky.social
Dr Megan Dixon: teacher, leader and researcher. PhD, Psychology. All things education and research - literacy, English, research into practice, curriculum, SEND. TES writer. Based in the UK.
https://meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/pivoting/
https://meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/pivoting/
Pinned
DamsonEd
@damsoned.bsky.social
· May 8
What schools are doing to tackle the speech and language ‘crisis’
The number of children with speech and language challenges is soaring. And not all of these pupils have SEND. Experts tell Ellen Peirson-Hagger how in-school intervention is possible - and highly effe...
www.tes.com
On the back of this article- a thread of useful places for schools/teachers who are interested in finding out more… as I say, this has been a serious issue for a long time… it would be powerful to get a serious handle on it (with obvious impact on ed outcomes).
www.tes.com/magazine/ana...
www.tes.com/magazine/ana...
Reposted by DamsonEd
Huge congratulations. What an amazing sum to raise, too. 👏👏👏
January 31, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Huge congratulations. What an amazing sum to raise, too. 👏👏👏
Reposted by DamsonEd
I spoke to WNYC's On The Media about the Verification, Deliberation, Accountability framework I've developed, and how, without major interventions, it predicts the inevitable slide of democracies into populism, conspiracy, and, finally, authoritarianism
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
Videos of ICE Violence Are Plentiful. Accountability.… Not So Much. | On the Media | WNYC Studios
The Trump administration called Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal officers, a “domestic terrorist.” And then bystander footage flooded the internet. On this week’s On th...
www.wnycstudios.org
January 31, 2026 at 9:01 AM
I spoke to WNYC's On The Media about the Verification, Deliberation, Accountability framework I've developed, and how, without major interventions, it predicts the inevitable slide of democracies into populism, conspiracy, and, finally, authoritarianism
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
Reposted by DamsonEd
HAHAHAHAHAAH
I know I don't say this often enough. But at this moment, with a full heart, I want to tell you, from the depths of my soul: I hate my job
January 31, 2026 at 4:06 PM
HAHAHAHAHAAH
Reposted by DamsonEd
Woohoo, you are fab in a multitude of ways 🎉
January 31, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Woohoo, you are fab in a multitude of ways 🎉
Today I have managed to finished my MacMillianCancer 35 Minute a Day Exercise Challenge!!!! 🎉🎉🎉
I managed to complete all the minutes and raise over £2.5k.
Thank you so much to everyone who sponsored and supported me. It has been hard- but I have enjoyed it hugely.
I managed to complete all the minutes and raise over £2.5k.
Thank you so much to everyone who sponsored and supported me. It has been hard- but I have enjoyed it hugely.
January 31, 2026 at 12:10 PM
Today I have managed to finished my MacMillianCancer 35 Minute a Day Exercise Challenge!!!! 🎉🎉🎉
I managed to complete all the minutes and raise over £2.5k.
Thank you so much to everyone who sponsored and supported me. It has been hard- but I have enjoyed it hugely.
I managed to complete all the minutes and raise over £2.5k.
Thank you so much to everyone who sponsored and supported me. It has been hard- but I have enjoyed it hugely.
Reposted by DamsonEd
We are already getting fascinating results from this! Teaching at KS2? Primary Head or Literacy lead? PLEASE, PLEASE take the TWO MINUTES needed to respond!
Are you a KS2 teacher? We're adding an extra dimension to our survey of poetry at KS3 by asking some KS2 teachers to respond to one question. Please could you take 2 mins to click this link & answer the question? Huge thanks! www.surveymonkey.com/r/MapKS2Coll...
Mapping Poetry: A Question for Primary Colleagues
Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.
www.surveymonkey.com
January 31, 2026 at 11:37 AM
We are already getting fascinating results from this! Teaching at KS2? Primary Head or Literacy lead? PLEASE, PLEASE take the TWO MINUTES needed to respond!
Reposted by DamsonEd
Anyone else hear Joseph Jebelli on Radio 4 this am? So interesting! A brain science corrective to the 'every second counts' bombardment of young people's brains in some versions of 'science of learning' & current trends like SLANT. Staring out the window & taking breaks may help you learn more!
‘The brain is doing a lot of something when we appear to be doing nothing…’
I met Dr Joseph Jebelli, author of ‘The Brain at Rest’ @torvabooks.bsky.social
Repost for your chance to win a copy!
www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...
I met Dr Joseph Jebelli, author of ‘The Brain at Rest’ @torvabooks.bsky.social
Repost for your chance to win a copy!
www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...
‘The brain is doing a lot of something when we appear to be doing nothing’ | BPS
Our editor Dr Jon Sutton meets Dr Joseph Jebelli, author of ‘The Brain at Rest’.
www.bps.org.uk
January 31, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Anyone else hear Joseph Jebelli on Radio 4 this am? So interesting! A brain science corrective to the 'every second counts' bombardment of young people's brains in some versions of 'science of learning' & current trends like SLANT. Staring out the window & taking breaks may help you learn more!
Reposted by DamsonEd
"It’s one of those rare, unicorn films that doesn’t have a single redeeming quality. I’m not even sure it qualifies as a documentary, exactly, so much as an elaborate piece of designer taxidermy, horribly overpriced and ice-cold to the touch."
www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ja...
www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ja...
Melania review – Trump film is a gilded trash remake of The Zone of Interest
Dispiriting, deadly and unrevealing – there is a decent documentary to be made about the former model from Slovenia, but this one is unredeemable
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:30 PM
"It’s one of those rare, unicorn films that doesn’t have a single redeeming quality. I’m not even sure it qualifies as a documentary, exactly, so much as an elaborate piece of designer taxidermy, horribly overpriced and ice-cold to the touch."
www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ja...
www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ja...
Reposted by DamsonEd
Oh dear. Our favourite Fellow of the @royalsociety.org is in the news again
NEW: Elon Musk has insisted that Jeffrey Epstein invited him to the notorious island and he declined. But new emails show the opposite -- Musk was practically begging to party with Epstein in the Caribbean, years after Epstein's sex convictions were public knowledge
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
Elon Musk Emailed Extensively With Jeffrey Epstein, Begging to Visit His Notorious Island
Newly released documents show how Elon Musk extensively communicated with Jeffrey Epstein to plan parties and trips to his island.
futurism.com
January 31, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Oh dear. Our favourite Fellow of the @royalsociety.org is in the news again
Reposted by DamsonEd
Our Breast Cancer Voices helped shape an international study exploring treatment choices after cancer returns in the same breast.
Over 100 people from the UK, US and Europe took part, helping explore different views on mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery.
breastcancernow.org/about-us/res...
Over 100 people from the UK, US and Europe took part, helping explore different views on mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery.
breastcancernow.org/about-us/res...
January 30, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Our Breast Cancer Voices helped shape an international study exploring treatment choices after cancer returns in the same breast.
Over 100 people from the UK, US and Europe took part, helping explore different views on mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery.
breastcancernow.org/about-us/res...
Over 100 people from the UK, US and Europe took part, helping explore different views on mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery.
breastcancernow.org/about-us/res...
Reposted by DamsonEd
Reposted by DamsonEd
Good to see more evidence that we need far fewer sanctions in schools because they cause so much harm, especially to children with speech and language challenges.
Add your name to our petition today and stop children being unfairly punished in schools: speechandlanguage.org.uk/the-issue/ou...
Add your name to our petition today and stop children being unfairly punished in schools: speechandlanguage.org.uk/the-issue/ou...
January 30, 2026 at 11:20 AM
Good to see more evidence that we need far fewer sanctions in schools because they cause so much harm, especially to children with speech and language challenges.
Add your name to our petition today and stop children being unfairly punished in schools: speechandlanguage.org.uk/the-issue/ou...
Add your name to our petition today and stop children being unfairly punished in schools: speechandlanguage.org.uk/the-issue/ou...
Reposted by DamsonEd
This is one of the hardest strands of our work - and also amongst those I am most proud of. This morning we named Bent Flyvbjerg - and we are about to name someone else.
Naming the powerful men guilty of serious sexual misconduct is risky, technically difficult and expensive. That's why it so rarely happens. But victims deserve better and change starts with accountability.
Please help us do more of this incredibly important work.
Please help us do more of this incredibly important work.
Stop powerful men abusing their power
We need to come together and stop powerful institutions protecting abusers. We need to make sure that powerful men don’t get away with sexual abuse.It’s time to put the blame back where it belongs – o...
goodlawproject.org
January 30, 2026 at 11:29 AM
This is one of the hardest strands of our work - and also amongst those I am most proud of. This morning we named Bent Flyvbjerg - and we are about to name someone else.
I completely agree with this blog- this is unethical and very poor teaching. It is also encouraged by the Writing Framework (DFE, 2025) and schemes that schools buy into.
It is just storing up trouble for children as they move through school.
bsky.app/profile/writ...
It is just storing up trouble for children as they move through school.
bsky.app/profile/writ...
The rise of ‘elaborate dictation’ and ‘writing-related simulations’ in English schools: Unethical writing teaching
writing4pleasure.com/2025/07/16/t...
writing4pleasure.com/2025/07/16/t...
The rise of ‘elaborate dictation’ and ‘writing-related simulations’ in English schools: Unethical writing teaching
In recent years, a growing concern has emerged among teachers, parents, and researchers in England: The increasing use of what could be called ‘elaborate dictation’ in classrooms. At first gl…
writing4pleasure.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:58 AM
I completely agree with this blog- this is unethical and very poor teaching. It is also encouraged by the Writing Framework (DFE, 2025) and schemes that schools buy into.
It is just storing up trouble for children as they move through school.
bsky.app/profile/writ...
It is just storing up trouble for children as they move through school.
bsky.app/profile/writ...
Reposted by DamsonEd
The rise of ‘elaborate dictation’ and ‘writing-related simulations’ in English schools: Unethical writing teaching
writing4pleasure.com/2025/07/16/t...
writing4pleasure.com/2025/07/16/t...
The rise of ‘elaborate dictation’ and ‘writing-related simulations’ in English schools: Unethical writing teaching
In recent years, a growing concern has emerged among teachers, parents, and researchers in England: The increasing use of what could be called ‘elaborate dictation’ in classrooms. At first gl…
writing4pleasure.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:14 AM
The rise of ‘elaborate dictation’ and ‘writing-related simulations’ in English schools: Unethical writing teaching
writing4pleasure.com/2025/07/16/t...
writing4pleasure.com/2025/07/16/t...
Ministers have said schools should only suspend pupils in the most serious cases of poor behaviour and violence, as the Department for Education looks to publish guidance for schools on the use of internal suspensions
schoolsweek.co.uk/only-suspend...
schoolsweek.co.uk/only-suspend...
Only suspend pupils for most serious behaviour, says DfE
New suspensions guidance coming with white paper, but headteachers to retain autonomy
schoolsweek.co.uk
January 30, 2026 at 10:54 AM
This is so true. I am so tired of hearing about “dreadful” teenagers. It is so damaging, and untrue.
bsky.app/profile/jons...
bsky.app/profile/jons...
The narrative that teens are all phone-obsessed hermits is so damaging and over simplified - we need to celebrate the other narratives like this one: amazing work from the young lads
cumbriacrack.com/2026/01/26/t...
cumbriacrack.com/2026/01/26/t...
Teens help rescue five people from Lake District’s Striding Edge – cumbriacrack.com
cumbriacrack.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:04 AM
This is so true. I am so tired of hearing about “dreadful” teenagers. It is so damaging, and untrue.
bsky.app/profile/jons...
bsky.app/profile/jons...
Reposted by DamsonEd
The narrative that teens are all phone-obsessed hermits is so damaging and over simplified - we need to celebrate the other narratives like this one: amazing work from the young lads
cumbriacrack.com/2026/01/26/t...
cumbriacrack.com/2026/01/26/t...
Teens help rescue five people from Lake District’s Striding Edge – cumbriacrack.com
cumbriacrack.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:59 AM
The narrative that teens are all phone-obsessed hermits is so damaging and over simplified - we need to celebrate the other narratives like this one: amazing work from the young lads
cumbriacrack.com/2026/01/26/t...
cumbriacrack.com/2026/01/26/t...
Reposted by DamsonEd
If you are considering writing and publishing a book on any aspect of contemporary writing: just a reminder that I am a series editor of the New Horizons in Contemporary Writing series at Bloomsbury. We'd love to have your submissions and books!
January 30, 2026 at 10:02 AM
If you are considering writing and publishing a book on any aspect of contemporary writing: just a reminder that I am a series editor of the New Horizons in Contemporary Writing series at Bloomsbury. We'd love to have your submissions and books!
Reposted by DamsonEd
"Tell us something we don't know," chorus women authors, actors, artists, academics and those in every other profession, all the way through the alphabet.
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
Older women ‘disappear’ from BBC presenting roles, internal review finds
Older men seen as ‘gaining wisdom’ but women must keep looking younger or be ‘idiosyncratic’, review hears
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:28 AM
"Tell us something we don't know," chorus women authors, actors, artists, academics and those in every other profession, all the way through the alphabet.
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
Older women do not just disappear from the BBC, they disappear across society. It is so evident in the education sector too.
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
Older women ‘disappear’ from BBC presenting roles, internal review finds
Older men seen as ‘gaining wisdom’ but women must keep looking younger or be ‘idiosyncratic’, review hears
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:40 AM
Older women do not just disappear from the BBC, they disappear across society. It is so evident in the education sector too.
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
Reposted by DamsonEd
It needs to start with men saying 'ask this woman instead'.
January 30, 2026 at 7:40 AM
It needs to start with men saying 'ask this woman instead'.
Reposted by DamsonEd
Justifying violence and hostility through discourse: A critical discursive psychology analysis of anti-refugee hostility on social media during disasters
New from @drselintekin.bsky.social and colleagues
bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
New from @drselintekin.bsky.social and colleagues
bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Justifying violence and hostility through discourse: A critical discursive psychology analysis of anti-refugee hostility on social media during disasters
New from @drselintekin.bsky.social and colleagues
bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
New from @drselintekin.bsky.social and colleagues
bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by DamsonEd
When we talk about growth, opportunity and national renewal, we must think about the mental health of the next generation.
#FutureMinds report sets out many of the policy solutions to the mental health crisis. Worth reading – and acting on.
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/wp-content/u...
#FutureMinds report sets out many of the policy solutions to the mental health crisis. Worth reading – and acting on.
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/wp-content/u...
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk
January 29, 2026 at 7:24 PM
When we talk about growth, opportunity and national renewal, we must think about the mental health of the next generation.
#FutureMinds report sets out many of the policy solutions to the mental health crisis. Worth reading – and acting on.
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/wp-content/u...
#FutureMinds report sets out many of the policy solutions to the mental health crisis. Worth reading – and acting on.
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/wp-content/u...