Progressively Incorrect

Welcome back to Progressively Incorrect. I’m your host, Dr. Zach Groshell. This season, I’ve been diving deeply into writing instruction — what the research actually says, where classroom practice often drifts, and what it truly takes to help students become confident, capable writers. Writing is one of the most cognitively demanding things we ask students … Continue reading S5E19: Leslie La...

Welcome back to Progressively Incorrect. I’m your host, Dr. Zach Groshell. In this episode, I sit down with Ian Kelleher and Glenn Whitman of the Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning (CTTL). We began with the origin story of CTTL — how they set out to bridge mind, brain, and education science with real classroom … Continue reading S5E18: Glenn Whitman and Ian Kelleher on Bridgin...

Welcome back to Progressively Incorrect. I’m your host, Dr. Zach Groshell. In this episode, I’m joined by the always fabulous, Femi Adeniran, to continue a conversation that started when I appeared on the Beyond Good podcast about math, coaching, and instruction. We discuss: How to begin a maths lesson How not to begin a maths … Continue reading S5E17: Femi Adeniran on Explicit Math Instruct...

Welcome back to Progressively Incorrect. I’m your host, Dr. Zach Groshell. In this episode, I’m joined by Scotty Jackson to talk about how summer camp can create the experiences—and build the kinds of values—that help kids be better people: honesty, respect, responsibility, caring, and belonging. I’m not coming at this as a distant observer. I … Continue reading S5E16: Scott Jackson on Summe...

In this episode, I sit down with Barbara Oakley—engineer, bestselling author, and one of the most influential voices in the science of learning—to talk about why so much instruction still misses the mark, what “good teaching” looks like when you take cognition seriously, and what’s at stake if we keep defaulting to methods that feel … Continue reading S5E15: Barbara Oakley on Constructivism...

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...

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...

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 F...

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Gingell to unpack what it actually takes to make instructional coaching work in a school. Alex explains why his first priority wasn’t improving teaching, but stabilizing behavior, curriculum, and trust—and why coaching can only succeed once those foundations are secure. We talk through how he used Steplab … Continue reading S5E11: Alex Gingell on Setting...

In this episode of the Direct Instruction podcast, I’m joined by Laura Doherty, President and CEO of the Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP)—Maryland’s largest operator of neighborhood, PK–8 public charter schools, and one of the longest-running Direct Instruction networks in the United States.  For nearly three decades, BCP has been quietly doing something that many systems … Continue readin...

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m joined by Marty Siegel, Professor Emeritus of Informatics and Instructional Systems Technology, and a pioneer whose career bridges early Direct Instruction, large-scale computer-based learning, human–computer interaction, and the emerging world of AI-driven instruction. Marty began his career at the University of Illinois in the 1960s, right at the &...

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m re-joined by Doug Lemov—author of Teach Like a Champion and The Coach’s Guide to Teaching, and one of the most influential figures in the history of education. Doug has spent decades studying what the best teachers do differently—turning the art and science of teaching into something that can … Continue reading S5E08: Doug Lemov on “What...

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m joined by Denarius Frazier—Regional Superintendent of Instruction at Uncommon Schools, co-author of Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging, and perhaps the best teacher ever captured on film. Link to blog and video Denarius is one of the most thoughtful and influential voices in the Teach … Continue reading S5E07...

In this podcast episode, I’m joined by Jessica Colleu Terradas and Jon Owen, two international leaders bringing Engelmann’s Direct Instruction to life in Australia and the UK. This marks a milestone in the Direct Instruction Podcast—our first global double feature exploring what high-fidelity DI looks like beyond the United States. https://youtu.be/eIMhSdeOLsM?si=8w_Skb2LyMqcGg46 Jessica, based in...

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m joined by Anna Stokke—mathematician, professor, and host of the Chalk & Talk podcast. Anna has become one of the most influential voices calling for a return to clarity, structure, and evidence in math instruction. We explore how her conversations on chalk & talk have shaped—and sometimes challenged—her own … Continue reading S5E05: Ann...

In this episode, I’m joined by Marcie Samayoa—science teacher, cognitive science enthusiast, and blogger of Scientists in the Making. Marcie shares the origin story behind her innovative classroom blog and explains how it grew out of a desire to make science learning more equitable, evidence-based, and joyful. We dive into some of the most persistent … Continue reading S5E04: Marcie Samayoa...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. John Mighton — mathematician, playwright, best-selling author, and founder of JUMP Math. John shares his insights into one of the most misunderstood concepts in education today—the belief that only some students are “math people”—and explains why dismantling this idea is essential for equity and achievement. As we explore … Continue reading S5E03: John Migh...

In this powerful episode, I’m joined by two of the most influential voices in literacy education today—Linda Diamond and Paige Pullen. With decades of experience in education, Linda and Paige bring clarity to the evidence-based education movement and the science of reading in particular. Together, we dive into their framework of three interrelated sciences—Learning Science, … Continue readin...

Welcome to Season 5 of Progressively Incorrect! In this special premiere episode, I’m joined by Greg Ashman, a leading advocate for explicit instruction and one of the most important voices in education today. We begin by analyzing a new video from Jo Boaler, where she casts “step-by-step instruction” as the villain in favor of an … Continue reading S5E01: Greg Ashman on Explicit Teaching an...

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m joined by Dr. Shawn Datchuk, a leading researcher who’s helped shape how we think about sentence construction for struggling learners. Drawing from the literature on Precision Teaching and Direct Instruction, Shawn shares how timed practice and explicit strategies can accelerate mastery in writing, especially for students with learning … Contin...

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m joined by Nathan Lang-Raad for a wide-ranging conversation that threads together two hot-button topics: artificial intelligence and the science of learning. There’s excitement everywhere—some even say AI will revolutionize teaching and learning. But are we getting ahead of ourselves? Nathan and I explore the real benefits AI can … Continue read...

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I sat down with a personal friend whose work I deeply respect: John Tanner. His leadership in education has weathered storms—most notably, false accusations of cheating after huge gains in achievement were obtained at his school. But what shines through is his steadfast belief in the life-changing power of … Continue reading S4E37: John Tanner on T...

In this episode of The Direct Instruction Podcast – cross-posted on Progressively Incorrect – I’m joined by Bonnie Grossen and Kurt Engelmann, two long-time advocates and practitioners whose work has shaped the real-world application of schoolwide Direct Instruction. After engaging conversations with both of them—on everything from implementation across diverse contexts to the role of … Cont...

In this episode of The Direct Instruction Podcast - cross-posted on Progressively Incorrect - I’m joined by Stephanie Stollar, Diane Kinder, and Marcy Stein—three educators and researchers whose work intersects at the heart of effective instruction and systems-level change. After engaging conversations with each of them around Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and the role … Continue re...

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 Deb...