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James Murphy
@HoratioSpeaks
Teacher, Writer, Co-Founder @ thinkingreading.com 💙
Bedford, England
horatiospeaks.wordpress.com
Joined June 2013
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Aug 17, 2020
    "Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last. To pluck the mask from the face of the Pharisee, is not to lift an impious hand to the Crown of Thorns." - Charlotte Bronte
  • user avatar
    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Mar 29, 2024
    Is behaviour worse in schools? 🧵 Almost universally the (hundreds of) schools I have spoken to have said YES - and attributed this to mental health and emotional problems arising from the pandemic. BUT . . .
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Mar 29, 2024
    Replying to @HoratioSpeaks
    . . . in the few schools I’ve spoken to where they say behaviour is as good as, or better than, before they’ve focused on orderly environment, clear expectations and consistent policy around behaviour.
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Mar 29, 2024
    Replying to @HoratioSpeaks
    You get what you reinforce, as the old saying goes. Give lots of time and attention to self-control, diligence, courtesy and respect, and we will likely see more of it.
    22K
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    May 15, 2020
    Teachers, the full-out assault in recent days is co-ordinated and deliberate. It’s purpose is to shape a narrative that *when* schools aren’t able to ‘open’ on 1 June, it will be your fault, not that of the government who promised but couldn’t deliver. See also PPE etc.
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    Allie Hodgkins-Brown
    @AllieHBNews
    May 14, 2020
    Friday’s Daily MAIL: “Let Our Teachers Be Heroes” #BBCPapers #TomorrowsPapersToday
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Mar 29, 2024
    Replying to @HoratioSpeaks
    Give lots of time and attention to why children can’t be expected to behave at the same standards as they used to, and we will get lots more children feeling they don’t have to behave at those standards.
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    May 2, 2020
    @afneil is correct. It’s also true that a lot more testing capacity is in now place. But is there any clear strategy for how it will be used to get us out of lockdown, and get the economy moving again? It feels like the focus is still on PR, not public health.
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    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    May 1, 2020
    Let’s now disaggregate this. The 122,000 total includes almost 40,000 tests posted to homes and patients in hospital. There are no figures for how many of the 40,000 we’re actually tested/processed. Also only 73,000 people were checked as some had multiple tests.
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Oct 22, 2022
    I think six years is long enough to say ‘we told you so’
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    Femi
    @Femi_sorry
    Oct 22, 2022
    We're protesting against Brexit today because we don't think it's OK for the Tories to keep making people poorer. BE THERE! #MarchForRejoin
    00:00
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Mar 29, 2024
    Replying to @HoratioSpeaks
    In other words, our kind intentions have overloaded support systems and increased poor behaviour. Time to change our narratives. IMHO
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Apr 11, 2021
    Have worked with a number of secondary schools with no library or librarian. Tends to be something new leaders inherit, and are desperate to fix, but it is striking that once lost, v difficult to get back. What has been happening in education that we would cancel libraries?
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Mar 29, 2024
    Replying to @HoratioSpeaks
    Perhaps we need to be looking at the narratives we create and follow, since they (consciously or unconsciously) influence our expectations.
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Mar 29, 2024
    Replying to @HoratioSpeaks
    And no, that’s not simplistic or reductive. Good behaviour policy provides clear expectations, predictable routines and additional support for the few children who need it. But if ‘few’ becomes ‘many’, support systems are overwhelmed and standards crash.
    15K
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Dec 30, 2020
    Replying to @jon_hutchinson_
    GIF
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    James Murphy
    @HoratioSpeaks
    Apr 26, 2024
    The replies to this. Seriously, if you don’t know that you have to teach children explicitly how to act in different settings, you’re not qualified to make a professional comment.
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    David Scales
    @MrDavidScales
    Apr 25, 2024
    Also great to see that the site continues to develop. These posters were designed by our excellent librarian, Mr Harris, and are in every classroom - and now on the corridors to reinforce our message and ethos.
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