I recently joined Robyn Young on her podcast Behind the Educator’s Lens for a conversation that felt refreshingly honest. We talked about cognitive science, instructional clarity, and why sometimes the most effective thing a teacher can do is simply… tell students what they need to know.

This builds on the work I started at the National Direct Instruction Conference, where I had the chance to speak with educators using DI materials in real classrooms. Those conversations—about what’s working, what’s misunderstood, and the power of instructional design—shaped a lot of what I shared in this episode.

In this episode, we explore:

  • What the “cognitive bottleneck” is and why it matters
  • The case for direct instruction and explicit teaching
  • Common myths that get in the way of effective practice

Robyn asked thoughtful questions, and I appreciated the chance to reflect on what I’ve learned from research, classroom experience, and the many educators I’ve been lucky to work with.

If you’re interested in how cognitive science can inform practical teaching decisions, I hope you’ll give it a listen:

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Published by Zach Groshell

Zach Groshell, PhD is a highly distinguished teacher, instructional coach, and education consultant. Zach is based in the Seattle area and works with schools around the globe to develop high quality instruction based on the science of how kids learn. Zach hosts the podcast, Progressively Incorrect, and is the author of Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching.