Knowledge for Teachers

Dr. Kimberly Nix Berens, scientist-practitioner and founder of Fit Learning, applies behaviour science and precision teaching to accelerate learning. She discusses why observable, rate-based fluency matters, how precision teaching and timed practice transform assessment and instruction, and why many popular approaches fall short without fluent foundations. Practical routines like personal bests and sprint timings are highlighted.

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee is joined by Dr. Trina Spencer, a leading researcher in language and literacy and the co-developer of Story Champs. They dive deep into why oral language is the true, widely misunderstood foundation of reading comprehension. Dr. Spencer challenges the status quo of literacy instruction by unpacking why we absolutely shouldn't wait for skilled decoding before teaching comprehension. Tune in as they explore: Why the idea that academic language develops naturally is a damaging myth. Why some students struggle despite strong phonics teaching How just 30 minutes of explicit spoken language instruction daily can close the achievement gap. Why expecting teachers to act as instructional designers is an unfair burden. If you are looking for practical, evidence-based ways to boost your students' language skills without adding impossible workloads, this conversation is a must-listen. Resources mentioned: Story Champs trinaspencer.com/ CUBED DYMOND MAP (Measuring Academic Progress) Spencer, T. D. (2021). Ten instructional design efforts to help behavior analysts take up the torch of direct instruction. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14(3), 816-830. Pamela Snow, Why the Big Six should actually be the Big Five. Doug Peterson You can connect with: Twitter/X: @TrinaDSpencer2 Facebook Instagram: @trinastoolbox/ Linkedin Website: https://trinaspencer.com/   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

Dr. Brian Poncy, a school psychology professor and creator of Facts on Fire, champions math fact fluency as accuracy plus speed. He explains short daily routines, careful set sizing, and placement to make timed practice effective. Listens cover building fluency early, tracking progress with simple metrics, and how mastering component skills can unlock novel problem solving.

David Didau, educator and author known for evidence-informed teaching and books like What If Everything You Knew About Education Was Wrong?, challenges common classroom habits. He explains why visible success can be an illusion, how retrieval and practice go wrong, why over-scaffolding creates dependency, and why unguided struggle can widen gaps. Short, provocative takes on making learning truly stick.

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee is joined by Brad Gaynor, an Australian educator, leadership coach and former principal with decades of experience across schools and systems. Brad is also the author of the new book From Burnout to Breakthrough: The Leadership Reset. The conversation centres on burnout in education and what sustainable teaching and leadership actually look like beyond surface level wellbeing advice. Drawing on Brad’s lived experience and research informed work, this episode explores why burnout is more than just feeling tired, how hidden emotional labour shapes the work of teachers and leaders, and why framing burnout as a resilience issue can miss the real problem. Listeners will hear a practical framework for resetting habits and expectations, learn why boundaries are essential rather than optional, and gain insight into how clarity, systems, and culture can reduce cognitive and emotional load. This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for educators who want to keep doing this work well, without burning themselves out in the process.   You can connect with Brad: Twitter/X: @brad_coaching Linkedin  Website: bradgaynor.com.au   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft Website: learnwithlee.net     The Primary Maths Instruction Framework For teachers This is a three day online course for teachers where we focus on how learning happens and how to design maths lessons that support acquisition, build fluency and help students generalise what they know. Register here Implementing Effective Primary Maths Instruction For School Leaders This is a two day online course for school and middle leaders and it is all about implementation. We look closely at curriculum and lesson design, assessment, coaching and the systems that help teachers change practice in a sustainable way. Register here  

In this episode of Knowledge for Teachers, host Brendan Lee speaks with Natalie Wexler, education writer and author of The Knowledge Gap, The Writing Revolution, and Beyond the Science of Reading. Together they explore what truly drives reading comprehension and why knowledge rich instruction is essential for every learner. Natalie unpacks the surprising limits of treating comprehension as a set of isolated skills, explains how background knowledge shapes understanding in powerful ways, and shows why writing can be one of the most effective tools for securing learning. Listeners will also hear how cognitive load theory connects to literacy and what strong knowledge building lessons look like in real classrooms. A practical and thought provoking conversation for teachers and leaders who want to strengthen literacy through the lens of research. Resources mentioned: The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler Beyond the Science of Reading by Natalie Wexler Why Don’t Students Like School by Daniel Willingham You can connect with Natalie: Twitter/X: @natwexler Linkedin Website: nataliewexler.com Substack: http://nataliewexler.substack.com   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast   The Primary Maths Instruction Framework For teachers This is a three day online course for teachers where we focus on how learning happens and how to design maths lessons that support acquisition, build fluency and help students generalise what they know. Register here Implementing Effective Primary Maths Instruction For School Leaders This is a two day online course for school and middle leaders and it is all about implementation. We look closely at curriculum and lesson design, assessment, coaching and the systems that help teachers change practice in a sustainable way. Register here

In this episode, Brendan sits down with Ingrid Sealey, founder of Teach Well, to explore the hidden nuance behind great teaching. Drawing on her work with thousands of teachers across Australia, Ingrid shares what she has learned about the small deliberate practices that make a real difference for students. They unpack why clarity matters more than complexity, how spaced practice can shift long-term learning, and why full participation is not about getting every student to join in but about getting every student to think. Ingrid also explains why explicit instruction is not a script but a way to support better decision making in the classroom. The conversation also dives into her new bookTeach Well’s Instruction & Coaching Companion, which captures the core practices and insights that have shaped Teach Well’s approach. Ingrid reflects on how the book came together and how teachers can use it to make practical confident changes in their everyday work. They also discuss how professional learning can move beyond one off workshops and become something that genuinely changes practice. Ingrid offers insights from Teach Well’s long-term partnerships and shares examples of what happens when teachers work on small tweaks over time. This is a thoughtful and practical episode for anyone who wants to refine their craft and understand what really drives effective teaching. If you are looking for ideas you can take straight back to your classroom or leadership team, this one is full of them. Resources mentioned: Teach Well’s Instruction & Coaching Companion Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction – Barak Rosenshine Why Don’t Students Like School – Daniel Willingham Dylan Wiliam – formative assessment and full participation strategies Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) – John Hollingsworth and Silvia Ybarra You can connect with Ingrid: Linkedin Twiiter/X: @TeachWellAus Teach Well Website: teach-well.au   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast Evidence in Action: The Primary Maths Partnership A long-term professional learning partnership built around what actually works. This 24 month program provides schools with 20+ hours of structured professional learning grounded in the science of learning spaced out over time — including explicit instruction, daily reviews, fluency-building, and problem-solving. We work together to create a practical, sustainable implementation plan — so what you learn becomes what you do. Optional Add-ons: ✓ Lesson modelling ✓ Leadership implementation sessions ✓ Coaching and feedback cycles ✓ Ongoing Q&A or online check-ins Learn more > brendan@learnwithlee.net    

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Sarah Asome, principal of Bentleigh West Primary School and award-winning educator known for her leadership in evidence-based practice. Together, they unpack what Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) really looks like in action beyond buzzwords and flowcharts. Sarah shares how her school aligns Tier 1 teaching, intervention and extension to ensure every student thrives, not just those who struggle. Listeners will hear how Bentleigh West’s team uses data to drive decisions, keeps variance low across classrooms, and extends students at the top through what Sarah calls a “diamond model” of support. This episode offers a practical, whole-school view of MTSS, one grounded in strong leadership, clear systems, and a belief that consistency creates equity. Resources mentioned: DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) Spelling Mastery The Writing Revolution (Judith Hochman & Natalie Wexler) Letters Course (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling – LETRS) Story Champs Reading Doctor Program (Flinders University) Times Tables Rock Stars New Wave Mental Maths Core Knowledge Curriculum Response to Intervention (RTI) Diamond model Anita Archer – Explicit Instruction Endowment Foundation research (Education Endowment Foundation, on education support and learned helplessness) Victorian Lesson Plans You can connect with Sarah: Twitter/X: @SarahAsome Linkedin: @sarah-asome   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast About Sarah Asome Sarah Asome is a highly experienced educator and the current Principal at Bentleigh West Primary School. She has also worked in the UK and Singapore. Sarah has been instrumental leading the change at BWPS but also been able to support many colleagues State, Nationwide and in New Zealand to implement evidence-based literacy instruction in their schools. This has led to a significant increase in literacy and numeracy levels which now places BWPS as a high performing school. Recently, Sarah was part of the team working on ten Victorian Lesson Plans for Primary English including text units, spelling and grammar and punctuation.  In 2015, Sarah was awarded ‘Outstanding Primary Teacher’ in the Victorian Education Excellence Awards. She has appeared in “Outside the Square ‘a DVD resource for teachers and in 2017 was featured on SBS Insight – ‘A Teacher Who Changed My Life’.  Sarah has completed numerous courses including Louisa Moat’s LETRS training, Dyslexia Action (UK) and is a Certified Dyslexia, Reading and Orton-Gillingham specialist and trainer for Australia (OGI international inc). Recently, Sarah completed her Masters in Instructional Leadership at Melbourne University. In 2023, Bentleigh West Primary School won the Victorian Education Excellence Award (VEEA) for ‘Outstanding Inclusion Education’. Evidence in Action: The Primary Maths Partnership A long-term professional learning partnership built around what actually works. This 24 month program provides schools with 20+ hours of structured professional learning grounded in the science of learning spaced out over time — including explicit instruction, daily reviews, fluency-building, and problem-solving. We work together to create a practical, sustainable implementation plan — so what you learn becomes what you do. Optional Add-ons: ✓ Lesson modelling ✓ Leadership implementation sessions ✓ Coaching and feedback cycles ✓ Ongoing Q&A or online check-ins Learn more > brendan@learnwithlee.net  

Join Kate Jones, an educational author specializing in retrieval practice, as she reveals how forgetting is a natural part of learning. She shares practical strategies to make retrieval a classroom habit, including scaffolding questions and creative activities like walkabout bingo. Kate emphasizes the importance of feedback that sticks and how memory concepts can empower students. Explore the transformative effects of spaced practice and discover tools for fostering student ownership of study habits, all while supporting diverse success pathways for women in education.

Anna Stokke, a Professor at the University of Winnipeg and host of the Chalk and Talk podcast, dives deep into the world of maths education. She shares her journey advocating for evidence-informed teaching practices. Topics include debunking misleading research, the importance of fluency beyond speed, and the dangers of prioritizing engagement over actual learning. Anna also offers practical teaching strategies, like cover-copy-compare and spaced retrieval, to help students build confidence and tackle complex maths effectively.