Chalk Dust

SummaryIn this episode of Chalk Dust, Rebecca Birch and Nathaniel Swain are joined by Andrew McCrorey, an experienced educator and instructional leader at Monterey Secondary College in Victoria. Drawing on classroom footage from a secondary setting serving a highly disadvantaged community, Andrew demonstrates how explicit instruction, trauma-informed positive education and high expectations can work together rather than compete with one another.The discussion explores entry routines, co-regulation, secondary choral reading, gist statements, cold calling, participation as an equity issue, and the explicit teaching of behaviour expectations. Andrew explains how consistency across classrooms can function as an equity strategy, creating predictable environments in which students know what success looks like and teachers can focus on teaching rather than repeatedly resetting behaviour.Across the episode, Rebecca, Nathaniel and Andrew return to the idea that supporting students does not require lowering the bar. Instead, effective practice combines strong relationships, clear routines, deliberate participation structures and carefully sequenced academic support. The result is a classroom where students are both safe and challenged, and where literacy, behaviour and wellbeing are treated as interconnected parts of successful teaching.Mentioned resources and explainersAndrew McCroreyAndrew McCrorey is an educator with more than 20 years’ experience teaching in Australia and internationally. His work focuses on explicit instruction, behaviour support, trauma-informed positive education and improving classroom practice in complex educational settings.Monterey Secondary CollegeMonterey Secondary College is located in Frankston North, Victoria. Andrew describes the school’s approach as combining evidence-informed teaching, trauma-informed positive education and consistency across classrooms to improve student learning and engagement.Trauma-Informed Positive EducationA framework used at Monterey to support student regulation, relationships and readiness to learn. Andrew emphasises that trauma-informed practice is not about lowering expectations, but about raising expectations while providing the support students need to meet them.Four-to-One Positive to Corrective FeedbackAndrew describes using a high ratio of positive to corrective feedback during routines such as lesson entry. Positive narration, greeting students warmly and acknowledging successful behaviour help establish a calm, predictable start.Entry RoutinesA tightly rehearsed lesson-entry process in which students know what materials to collect, where to go and what task to begin. Andrew explains how predictable entry routines support regulation, reduce bottlenecks and maximise learning time.Choral ReadingStudents read a text aloud together, following the teacher’s pacing and expression. Andrew uses choral reading in secondary English to build fluency, confidence, prosody and participation while allowing the teacher to hear and correct reading in real time.Gist StatementsA summarising strategy in which students identify who or what a section is about, select key details and then condense the information into a single statement. Andrew uses this as part of a gradual release process to support comprehension and later writing.Cold CallingAndrew uses cold calling after students have had time to rehearse thinking through pair discussion. He frames participation as an equity issue, while also maintaining flexibility when a student is not ready to respond.Tracking the SpeakerA universal attention routine used across the school. Students are explicitly taught to orient towards the speaker so that teachers can secure attention efficiently and maintain lesson flow.Explicit Teaching of BehaviourRather than relying on broad classroom rules, Andrew teaches specific routines for situations such as arriving late. Students are shown what to do, what to expect, and how consequences will work, reducing uncertainty and preserving learning time.Listen or view, and support our work🍏🎧 Apple Podcasts — like, review and follow🎵💚 Spotify — follow and rate📺🔔 YouTube — subscribe and like✍️ Rebecca’s Substack — read more✍️ Nathaniel’s Substack — read moreTakeaways* Consistency can function as an equity strategy when students experience the same clear expectations across classrooms.* Trauma-informed practice and high expectations are not opposites; students often need more support in order to meet ambitious expectations.* Entry routines help students regulate, reduce uncertainty and maximise learning time.* Positive narration and unconditional positive regard can coexist with firm behavioural expectations.* Secondary students can successfully participate in choral reading when routines are carefully taught and the purpose is made clear.* Reading aloud is an entitlement, not just an activity for younger students.* Participation structures such as pair share, choral response and cold calling can support equity by ensuring more students have a voice.* Cold calling works best when students have had time to rehearse and when teachers remain responsive to individual readiness.* Gist statements help students move from reading to comprehension and then to concise written expression.* Explicitly teaching what to do when students are late reduces interruptions and makes consequences predictable.* Behaviour routines are more useful when they are precise enough to rehearse, rather than framed as broad expectations such as “be respectful”.* High response rates can support both learning and behaviour by keeping students cognitively engaged.* Wellbeing strategies should support academic learning rather than displace it.* High expectations are most effective when paired with strong relationships, scaffolds and opportunities for success.* Calm, engaged classrooms are built through deliberate systems, not through lowered expectations.KeywordsAndrew McCrorey, Monterey Secondary College, explicit instruction, trauma-informed positive education, high expectations, secondary reading, choral reading, gist statements, cold calling, participation, equity, classroom routines, entry routines, positive narration, behaviour support, co-regulation, tracking the speaker, classroom management, literacy instruction, Chalk Dust podcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chalkdust.media

SummaryIn this episode of Chalk Dust, Rebecca Birch and Nathaniel Swain are joined by STEM educator Amber Haven to explore what happens when explicit instruction meets genuinely engaging hands-on learning. Using footage from Amber’s middle-school STEM classroom, the discussion follows a lesson on neutral buoyancy, revealing how carefully designed routines allow practical investigations to remain cognitively demanding rather than descending into chaos.Amber demonstrates how retrieval practice, mini-whiteboards, Six Bricks, gesture, choral response and explicit behaviour routines work together to create classrooms where every student is thinking. Throughout the episode, Rebecca, Nathaniel and Amber discuss the importance of background knowledge, continuous checking for understanding, purposeful transitions, differentiation without lowering expectations, and designing practical activities that provide immediate feedback. The conversation highlights how high-quality classroom routines free students to focus on learning rather than logistics, making complex scientific concepts accessible through deliberate instructional design.Mentioned resources and explainersAmber HavenAmber Haven is a STEM educator with more than 16 years of classroom experience and a strong focus on translating cognitive science into practical classroom strategies. She has presented at ResearchED conferences across the United States and at the Thriving Educators Summit, and her work has been featured by The Learning Scientists and in Powerful Classrooms by Patrice Bain.Retrieval PracticeThroughout the lesson, Amber demonstrates retrieval as an ongoing classroom habit rather than a single lesson component. Students repeatedly retrieve knowledge through mini-whiteboards, questioning, gestures, closed sentences and practical activities.Mini WhiteboardsMini-whiteboards allow every student to participate, provide immediate formative assessment, and make thinking visible. Amber discusses the routines required to use them fluently throughout a lesson.Six BricksSix Bricks is a hands-on retrieval strategy that uses coloured Duplo bricks to sequence concepts, definitions or problems. Students retrieve vocabulary while constructing a coloured stack, allowing rapid checking for understanding and high levels of engagement.Continuous Checking for UnderstandingRather than reserving checks for understanding for isolated moments, Amber embeds them throughout explanations, transitions and instructions, ensuring students remain cognitively engaged from beginning to end.Gesture and Dual CodingThe episode explores how gesture, movement and simple physical cues support memory and retrieval—even with older students who may initially resist participating.DifferentiationAmber demonstrates how differentiation can maintain common learning goals while adjusting the amount of work or level of support individual students receive, rather than lowering expectations or creating entirely different tasks.Practical Science with Explicit InstructionThe discussion explores how carefully sequenced demonstrations, clear success criteria and explicit routines allow practical science lessons to remain focused on conceptual understanding rather than entertainment.Listen or view, and support our work📨 Substack — sign up🍏🎧 Apple Podcasts — like, review and follow🎵💚 Spotify — follow and rate📺🔔 YouTube — subscribe and like✍️ Rebecca’s Substack — read more✍️ Nathaniel’s Substack — read moreTakeaways* Retrieval practice is most powerful when woven continuously throughout lessons.* Strong routines allow practical learning to remain focused on thinking rather than managing behaviour.* Mini-whiteboards provide rapid formative assessment while ensuring whole-class participation.* Six Bricks offer a simple, flexible alternative to traditional matching and multiple-choice activities.* Explicit behaviour instruction creates the conditions for successful hands-on learning.* Practical activities should reinforce conceptual understanding rather than distract from it.* Gesture and dual coding can strengthen learning well beyond the primary years.* Immediate feedback helps students refine their thinking during practical investigations.* Differentiation can preserve common learning goals while adjusting levels of support.* Clear transitions minimise extraneous cognitive load during complex activities.* Practical science lessons benefit from explicit modelling, routines and carefully sequenced instructions.* Student engagement is strongest when cognitive engagement and physical activity work together.* Background knowledge provides the foundation for successful inquiry.* Effective classroom management enables ambitious learning experiences.* Great practical lessons appear effortless because the routines have been carefully taught.KeywordsAmber Haven, STEM education, retrieval practice, mini-whiteboards, Six Bricks, explicit instruction, science of learning, STEM, cognitive science, classroom routines, neutral buoyancy, formative assessment, gesture, dual coding, checking for understanding, differentiation, classroom management, practical science, cognitive engagement, Chalk Dust podcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chalkdust.media

SummaryIn this episode of Chalk Dust, Rebecca Birch and Dr Nathaniel Swain are joined by Dr Carl Hendrick, Professor of Education at Academica University of Applied Sciences and co-author of How Learning Happens and How Teaching Happens. Together, the team explore real classroom footage from Australian classrooms, reflecting on how teachers respond when learning doesn’t go exactly to plan.They analyse three lessons: Jeanette Breen’s Year 3 class tackling sentence kernels, Troy from Sophia College guiding students through sentence fragments in a secondary context, and Mark De Bruin from Cranbrook using a “Do Now” and visualiser work to develop literacy. Across these examples, Carl, Rebecca and Nathaniel highlight what expert teachers do when slides contain errors, students answer unexpectedly, or early practice shows misconceptions.Themes include how to pivot in real-time, why checking for understanding is more than asking “are we good?”, and how to create psychological safety so imperfect student work can be used as a springboard for improvement. They also discuss the role of cultural knowledge in English, why retrieval practice can fail if poorly executed, and how responsive teaching underpins explicit instruction.Carl reflects on the “illusions of learning” that shaped his forthcoming book, co-written with Paul Kirschner, and explains why engagement, apparent fluency, or polished lessons are not always indicators of genuine understanding.Mentioned resources and explainersHow Learning Happens / How Teaching HappensCarl’s earlier books with Paul Kirschner distilling core findings from cognitive psychology for teachers.The Writing Revolution (TWR)Referenced in Jeanette’s lesson, this approach uses sentence kernels to build syntactic and compositional fluency. Contact Ballarat Clarendon College for opportunities to complete this training at a time convenient for Australian participants. Retrieval PracticeCarl and Nathaniel note how surface-level “Do Nows” can fail unless they actually prompt students to connect prior knowledge. Christine Counsell’s writing on history teaching is mentioned as a model.Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)Lee Shulman’s concept, invoked when Troy pivots his grammar explanation, illustrating how teachers need multiple representations of knowledge, not just content expertise.“Illusions of Learning” (forthcoming book)Carl previews his new book with Paul Kirschner and Jim Hill, addressing why engagement, confidence or “busyness” can mislead teachers about true learning. You can pre-order here. Listen or view, and support our work📨 Substack — sign up🍏🎧 Apple Podcasts — like, review and follow🎵💚 Spotify — follow and rate📺🔔 YouTube — subscribe and like✍️ Rebecca’s Substack — read more✍️ Nathaniel’s Substack — read moreTakeaways* Responsive teaching means pivoting when materials or answers don’t align with expectations.* Checking for understanding requires variety—listening, thinking, and retrieval are not the same.* Student work, even if imperfect, is a powerful lever for whole-class improvement.* Retrieval practice only works if students genuinely recall prior knowledge, not just copy prompts.* Cultural and content knowledge are prerequisites for deeper learning, particularly in English.* Explicit teaching is not only “telling,” it’s breaking down steps, modelling improvement, and making excellence visible.* Great lessons are built on earlier culture-setting and routines, not just what happens in the room that day.Keywordsexplicit teaching, Carl Hendrick, Rebecca Birch, Nathaniel Swain, Chalk Dust podcast, sentence kernels, The Writing Revolution, retrieval practice, do now, visualiser, student work, responsive teaching, adaptive teaching, pedagogical content knowledge, illusions of learning, guided practice, explicit instruction, classroom culture, checking for understanding This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chalkdust.media

SummaryIn this episode of Chalk Dust, Rebecca Birch and Nathaniel Swain are joined by instructional coach and Knowledge for Teachers podcast host Brendan Lee. Together, they step inside a Year 3/4 classroom at Morwell Central Primary School, where Brendan delivers a real-time maths lesson on the commutative property of multiplication.They unpack the anatomy of a high-impact lesson, covering how mistake analysis can build reasoning, why mini whiteboard routines make or break lesson flow, and how classroom culture can be shaped in real time, even with a class you've never met. They explore the role of motivation, including how framing content as a “cheat code” gives students a reason to care, and why explicitly teaching mathematical vocabulary supports fluency and retention. Brendan explains how and when to fade scaffolds, the value of concrete–pictorial–abstract progressions, and how this links to dual coding and cognitive load theory. The episode also teases apart the subtle differences between checks for listening, understanding, and thinking, and offers practical strategies for maximising participation and feedback without overcomplicating the lesson. Whether you’re a primary or secondary teacher, maths specialist or not, this episode highlights just how responsive, structured teaching can lift engagement and understanding.Mentioned resources and explainersOchre EducationBrendan is a board member at Ochre, which provides free, evidence-informed teaching resources, including primary Mathematics, for Australian classrooms.The Knowledge for Teachers podcastHosted by Brendan Lee, this show features deep-dive conversations with leading educators.Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) FrameworkA core maths instructional sequence. Brendan explains how his dot arrays and number lines support cognitive development by moving students gradually toward symbolic understanding.Fading ScaffoldsAlso called the guidance fading effect. Brendan shows how support is gradually withdrawn during guided practice so students experience successful independence.Checks for ListeningUsed to keep students focused and accountable, especially during teacher modelling. Brendan uses multiple checks to ensure students stay engaged during new learning. You can learn more from Craig Barton here.Listen or view, and support our work📨 Substack — sign up🍏🎧 Apple Podcasts — like, review and follow🎵💚 Spotify — follow and rate📺🔔 YouTube — subscribe and like✍️ Rebecca’s Substack — read more✍️ Nathaniel’s Substack — read moreTakeaways* Clear routines build student confidence and help new teachers take control quickly.* Mini whiteboards are powerful, but only with tight behavioural expectations.* Mistake/error analysis is a gateway to mathematical reasoning.* Varying example formats increases transfer and reduces rote pattern-matching.* Even in a scripted model, responsiveness matters—especially in guided practice.* Motivation is built when students see the value in what they’re learning.* Vocabulary in maths should be taught explicitly—just like in English.* The best learning often happens in the “we do” phase, not the “I do” or “you do”.Keywordsprimary maths, Brendan Lee, explicit teaching, guided practice, mini whiteboards, commutative property, mistake analysis, worked examples, teacher routines, classroom management, CPA framework, dual coding, cognitive load, instructional coaching, adaptive teaching, formative assessment, motivation, vocabulary in maths, checks for listening, effective modelling This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chalkdust.media

SummaryIn this episode of Chalk Dust, Rebecca Birch and Nathaniel Swain explore effective teaching practices in secondary education, focusing on engagement strategies; the importance of chess for listening and thinking; and the application of self-determination theory. They discuss the significance of structured lesson plans, guided note-taking, and fostering student participation. The conversation emphasises the need for flexibility in lesson structure and the value of collaborative planning in enhancing student learning. In this conversation, Nathaniel and Rebecca discuss various teaching strategies, focusing on the importance of checks for listening (CFLs), checks for understanding (CFUs), and checks for thinking (CFTs) and how they enhance lesson quality. They explore the application of knowledge in real-world contexts, the significance of critical thinking, and the link between instruction and student engagement. The hosts also address the importance of creating a safe environment for student participation and the dynamics of teacher presence in the classroom. The conversation concludes with insights on effective pair shares and the rationale behind cold calling students to foster engagement and learning.Mentioned resources and explainersAERO (Australian Education Research Organisation)The Australian Education Research Organisation supports schools and teachers by providing evidence-based resources, video libraries, and research to improve teaching practice. Melissa’s lesson comes from their publicly available classroom video collection.Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) EDI, developed by John Hollingsworth and Silvia Ybarra, is a structured, teacher-led instructional model. It includes clear learning intentions, worked examples, guided practice, and frequent checks for understanding. Rebecca and Nathaniel highlight how Melissa’s lesson uses EDI principles like modelling, providing a rationale, scaffolding, and high student response rates.TAPPLE Framework A core routine within EDI for checking understanding. Teachers present information (Teach), ask a question (Ask), pause to allow thinking (Pause), select a student (Pick), listen to the response (Listen), and provide immediate feedback or clarification (Effective Feedback). More here.Self-Determination Theory (SDT) A framework for understanding motivation developed by Deci and Ryan. It identifies autonomy, competence, and relatedness as basic psychological needs. Rebecca explains how providing a rationale for learning supports students’ sense of autonomy, increasing motivation and engagement. More here.Cold Call A technique where the teacher calls on any student to answer, ensuring all students are accountable for learning. Nathaniel explains how Melissa uses cold call after pair shares to maximise participation while keeping psychological safety high. See here for an article on how to even supports voluntary participation.Checks for Understanding (CFU) Frequent, intentional questions that allow teachers to gauge student understanding in real time and make adjustments. Nathaniel and Rebecca outline how Melissa uses multiple forms of CFU: checks for listening, checks for understanding, and checks for thinking.Listen or view, and support our work📨 Substack — sign up🍏🎧 Apple Podcasts — like, review and follow🎵💚 Spotify — follow and rate📺🔔 YouTube — subscribe and like✍️ Rebecca’s Substack — read more✍️ Nathaniel’s Substack — read moreTakeaways* Engagement strategies are crucial for effective teaching.* Learning intentions should be clearly communicated to students.* Self-determination theory highlights the importance of autonomy and competence.* Lesson structures can vary but should include core principles.* Guided note-taking helps students organise their thoughts.* Encouraging student participation enhances learning outcomes.* Incorporating checks for understanding improves lesson quality.* Real-world applications enhance student engagement and learning.* Critical thinking can be prompted through effective questioning.* Maintaining energy and structure keeps students focused.* Collaborative planning can ease teacher workload.* Immediate feedback allows for real-time adjustments in teaching.* Creating a safe environment encourages student participation.* Cold calling can be an effective strategy for engagement.Keywordseffective teaching, secondary education, student engagement, learning intentions, self-determination theory, lesson structure, guided note-taking, student participation, classroom strategies, collaboration, education, teaching strategies, checks for understanding, critical thinking, student engagement, lesson planning, classroom dynamics, teacher presence, collaborative teaching, immediate feedback This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chalkdust.media