Steplab Coaching Ambassador Program, North America

As you're thinking about your PD for school year 2025-26, I recommend the Steplab Ambassador Program. My colleagues and I will teach you how to coach and use our tools to make efficient and effective instruction come to life in your school. "My Steplab Ambassador experience has been a meaningful journey, providing the essential structure I need, … Continue reading Steplab Coaching Ambassador Program, North America

Science of Reading Meets Explicit Instruction

I'm an advocate for evidence-based instruction, and one of the few shining areas in that space is early reading. The science of reading provides a wealth of insights into how the mind learns to decode, comprehend, and engage with text. But simply knowing what goes into a science-based literacy block or textbook isn’t enough—students require … Continue reading Science of Reading Meets Explicit Instruction

S4E34: Jonah Davids on the Debates Over Restorative Justice and SEL

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m joined by Jonah Davids. Jonah and I met while participating in a panel discussion around declining behavior in schools (listen here), which led me to invite him to discuss the evidence base behind Restorative Justice and Social-Emotional approaches in education. Are we on track or has there been … Continue reading S4E34: Jonah Davids on the Debates Over Restorative Justice and SEL

Maximizing Attention and Teacher Talk (Webinar Recording)

If you follow this blog, you will know that I produce a lot of free content for teachers and instructional leaders. Subscribing gets you direct access to my podcast, Progressively Incorrect, plus information about upcoming events that are worth your time. I recently recorded this webinar with Blake Harvard, the author of Do I Have Your … Continue reading Maximizing Attention and Teacher Talk (Webinar Recording)

Anything but boring: The power of direct instruction

Something of a movement is brewing in education these days. A renewed interest in the science of how kids learn has led to greater adoption of effective teaching principles: We should regulate student attention, manage the cognitive load of tasks, over-practice concepts with students, and use student responses to adjust lessons. This is called direct … Continue reading Anything but boring: The power of direct instruction

When something matters, we make time for it

I'm often told that schools don't have time to focus on teaching and learning. The reality is they don’t make time. Instructional coaching doesn’t demand a ton of time—it takes just 20-30 minutes to deliver a sharp and purposeful feedback session around a single, granular action step. Done right, it not only improves instruction but … Continue reading When something matters, we make time for it

S4E33: Peps Mccrea on Great Teaching and Human Flourishing

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I am delighted to host Peps Mccrea, the Director of Education at Steplab and the mind behind the must-read online newsletter, Evidence Snacks. Peps has dedicated his career to improving education through evidence-based practices. His latest project includes Great Teaching, Unpacked, a Netflix-style documentary that is pushing the boundaries … Continue reading S4E33: Peps Mccrea on Great Teaching and Human Flourishing

Song-and-Dance Consulting

If you're under 30—or as chronically online as I am—you will know the YouTube influencer, Mr. Beast. Regardless of whether you have an opinion of Mr. Beast, he has some interesting things to say about consultants: Consultants are literally cheat codes. Need to make the world's largest slice of cake? Start off by calling the … Continue reading Song-and-Dance Consulting

Harnessing Attention and Explaining Better

Blake Harvard, a teacher and author of the best-selling book, Do I have your attention?, and I share an obsession with improving teaching through evidence-based practices. A major focus of both of our work is the translation of principles of learning science into practical strategies that can be used in tomorrow's lesson. You can hear … Continue reading Harnessing Attention and Explaining Better

The Direct Instruction Podcast and Conference

Over the past year, I have released 10 episodes of The Direct Instruction Podcast. It has been well received, and my hope is that it has inspired discussion not just about the delivery of instruction, but the design of effective materials and the organization of effective schools. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh1xxmQ8V6XInWAHACcvXJEVVNESodLZF&si=LfH1CKRdf0IgqSmh Listen to The Direct Instruction Podcast: SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon … Continue reading The Direct Instruction Podcast and Conference