Knowledge for Teachers

This episode features a compelling conversation with Murat Dizdar, the head of the New South Wales Department of Education. Murat shares his inspiring journey from being the son of Turkish immigrants to leading Australia’s largest education system. He discusses the experiences that shaped his vision for public education, his deep passion for the teaching profession, and the key initiatives he’s ch...

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Nick Hart takes us on an inspiring journey from his beginnings in sports science to becoming a school leader in Dubai. A respected voice in educational leadership, Nick shares insights from his blog and books, delving into the evolution of his leadership style. He discusses the critical role of context in decision-making, introduces the concep...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Zach Groshell for the third of their trilogy of conversations together. In their first episode, they unpacked the nuances of teaching effectively . In the second one, they spoke about coaching, culture and change . In today’s podcast, you will hear them discuss the complex world of school leadership! They explore the key elements that contribute to a po...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Leslie Laud. She is the founding Director of ThinkSRSD, a writing program built upon Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD). The discussion covers ThinkSRSD's key strategies, including mnemonics and how to apply them across different grade levels and writing genres. Furthermore, Dr. Laud addresses implementation challenges and provides advice for te...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Nathaniel Swain. He returns for the third time and this time it’s to unpack his new book Harnessing the Science of Learning. However, as you will hear, they actually go beyond the book and dig into some of the critical considerations that schools and teachers need to be making. They explore how to make teaching and learning the top priority in your scho...

This is the second conversation between Dr. Zach Groshell and Brendan Lee. For those that don’t know, Zach is the host of the Progressively Incorrect Podcast and also the author of Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching . In this episode, they take a deep dive into some of the key considerations that schools need to take when it comes to instructional coaching.   For this...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Professor Nancy Jordan. She has been at the forefront of all things to do with early numeracy research including looking at screeners and intervention. Many of you come from the science of reading world and are fans of Scarborough’s Reading Rope, Nancy and colleagues have put together a Number Sense one! I’ve popped the citation in the show notes.    Throug...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Rhonda Filmer, a gifted education consultant and teacher, she discusses her journey into the field and the importance of understanding neurodiversity and twice exceptional students. She has recently released a book, “ Neurodiversity and the Twice-Exceptional Student ” and they delve into some of the key points from the book throughout the episode. Resources...

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee and Dr. Zach Groshell (Host of the Progressively Incorrect podcast) collaborated in the first of a series of episodes together. The theme for this episode was around what are the main principles that teachers need to understand about how learning happens and what are the key mechanisms of effective instruction. Zach’s 4 points were...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Charlotte Peverett, an experienced learning specialist and inclusion outreach coach, who shares her journey into teaching and special education. Charlotte discusses the significance of structures and routines in creating a safe and consistent learning environment. Charlotte also emphasises the importance of high expectations for all students and the role of...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Professor Jonathan Sharples from the Education Endowment Foundation. He has led the recent update to the EEF’s A School’s Guide to Implementation and in this conversation we unpack the paper. Professor Sharples details the updates and why they were made. He also digs into each of the key elements. As Jonathan highlights, how something is done is as importan...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Bethany Rittle-Johnson, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Bethany has led a lot of the research around conceptual and procedural knowledge. In this chat, she delves into this topic and also discuss other high impact strategies such as worked examples, self-explanations and the power of comparisons in supporting student learning.   Resource...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Professor Pamela Snow. She has been at the coalface fighting for evidence-based reading instruction to be common practice for a number of years and throughout this conversation, she provides nuggets of gold in describing how when we talk about phonics we need to be using it as an adjective with a noun following it. Pamela unpacks why this debate about readi...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Jamie Clark, an English teacher and lead practitioner specialising in pedagogy and digital learning. They discuss his recently released book, One Pagers and unpack how it could be used. Jamie breaks down a number of the techniques mentioned in the book and describes his thinking process in putting it all together. He also provides some super useful tips on...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Emina McLean. Emina works with systems, schools, leaders, and teachers to develop ambitious and rigorous assessment, curriculum and instruction practices in English and literacy. In this chat, Emina discusses her focus on implementing effective systems and practices for teaching reading and writing. She highlights the importance of aligning curriculum, asse...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Bronwyn Ryrie Jones, an instructional coach who supports teachers and instructional leaders to develop their expertise. She discusses the importance of responsive teaching and shares techniques to effectively check for understanding in the classroom. She emphasises the need for teachers to have a deep understanding of the principles behind responsive teachi...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Trisha Jha who currently works with the Centre for Independent Studies and recently released a couple of reports titled: What is the Science of Learning? And Implementing the Science of Learning: Teacher experiences . Trisha unpacks these papers and discusses her journey into education research and the importance of focusing on what happens in the classroom...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Mark Dowley (Associate Head – Staff Development at the Crowther Centre for Applied Educational Research) who has recently released the book, “ The Classroom Management Handbook ” that he co-authored with Ollie Lovell. In this chat, they unpack the book and how it’s what Mark and Ollie wish they had when they started teaching. They also discuss ten impor...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Rebecca Birch, a teacher of English and the Director of Research and Practice at a top 50 independent school in Sydney, Australia. She shares her journey from a career in fashion and advertising to becoming an English teacher. Rebecca emphasises the importance of evidence-based practice and the need for teachers to be sceptical and critical of educational t...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Tom Bennett, the Director and founder of researchED and school behaviour advisor to the UK government. He shares his journey from running nightclubs to becoming an influential figure in the education sector and we find out how teaching saved him. Bennett delves into the challenges he faced as a teacher, how he got into writing about behaviour, and his event...

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast, Brendan Lee speaks with Sarah Powell. Sarah is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She has pretty much dedicated her whole career to researching word problems in maths. She has also contributed to a couple of papers that have recently been released for the Centre for Independent S...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Nathaniel Swain. He currently works at La Trobe University as a Senior Lecturer, Learning Sciences and Learner Engagement and the Director of Undergraduate Academic Programs. He is also the founder of Think Forward Educators. Nathaniel first appeared on the Knowledge for Teachers podcast in episode 20 and unpacked some of the FAQ about the science of le...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Jenny Donovan, CEO of the Australian Education Research Organisation. Jenny has led some of the heaviest hitting bits of research in Australia. In her current role with AERO and previous one with NSW Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, Jenny has been behind the teams that brought cognitive load theory to prominence and highlighted the lack o...

In this conversation, Brendan Lee speaks with James Dobson, an experienced teacher who has been expertly applying the art and science of learning when teaching students in their first year of school (Kindergarten/Prep/Reception/Foundation). He discusses the importance of evidence-based practice, the use of Direct Instruction programs, and the challenges and rewards of teaching young children. Jame...

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Ray Boyd, the Foundation Principal of Dayton Primary School. Throughout the interview he shares his journey into education leadership and the pedagogic shift he led at his previous school West Beechboro P.S. He reflects on the mistakes made and lessons learned during his time there and discusses the surprises and challenges of starting a new school.  Dr...