The “Thinking Out Loud” episodes on Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works are a running set of conversations to make sense of instruction, coaching, and implementation as they actually function in schools—not as we wish they did. The premise is straightforward: Gene Tavernetti and I take a concrete problem of practice, name what tends to go wrong, … Continue reading S5E14: Thinking Out Loud… What comes first in coaching, techniques or lesson design?
S5E13: Mike Schmoker on How Schools Can Get Results Now
Mike Schmoker is one of the most influential voices in school improvement, urging schools to recommit to the fundamentals: coherent curriculum, strong lesson design, and authentic literacy—reading, discussion, and writing—throughout the school day. Across books like Focus and Results Now 2.0, and decades of essays and commentary, his through-line is the same: schools don’t usually … Continue reading S5E13: Mike Schmoker on How Schools Can Get Results Now
Direct Instruction Motivation, Part 4: Motivational Models
I recently started this series about motivation and Direct/explicit instruction. So far, it has looked at key delivery and design considerations, such as brisk pacing, praise, and obtaining high success rates. These are useful as goals for individual teachers, but on their own, they miss what the best schools do to motivate whole groups of … Continue reading Direct Instruction Motivation, Part 4: Motivational Models
S5E12: Brian Poncy on Better Ways to Teach Math Facts
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Brian Poncy to explore a claim you’ve probably heard in schools: “Teaching math facts interferes with understanding.” From there, we dig into better ways to think about math facts, what schools can do differently, and the practical decisions that show up when schools decide to take facts … Continue reading S5E12: Brian Poncy on Better Ways to Teach Math Facts
Stop Asking Teachers to Chase the Discovery Dragon
The phrase “chasing the dragon” refers to the classic cycle of addiction. People keep chasing the dragon not because it’s working, but because they’re convinced the payoff will eventually come — if only they keep trying. (I’ll spare you a digression into my history with the game of golf.) Teachers are told to chase the … Continue reading Stop Asking Teachers to Chase the Discovery Dragon
Science of Learning Jargon And Element Interactivity
A possible barrier to the science of learning movement is that there are potentially a lot of research terms and definitions that need to be learned in order to communicate clearly with one another. On the one hand, the pursuit of a shared language among educators is worthwhile. If when you say productive struggle, I … Continue reading Science of Learning Jargon And Element Interactivity
Direct Instruction Embodies the Science of Learning
In one of my more popular posts, I argued that we need to do better than just nod politely at Direct Instruction (DI). Cognitive Load Theory is honored through DI’s ruthless efficiency: every word is deliberate, every example intentional, every new piece of content layered step by step to keep working memory clear and focused. … Continue reading Direct Instruction Embodies the Science of Learning
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