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Chalk Dust

Nathaniel Swain
Chalk Dust
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  • Episode 8: Building trust with high expectations
    SummaryIn this episode of Chalk Dust, Rebecca Birch and Dr Nathaniel Swain are joined by Denarius Frazier, Regional Superintendent of Instruction for Uncommon Schools in New York City and Senior Advisor with the Teach Like a Champion team. Denarius, co-author of Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging, shares how routines, feedback, and culture can transform classrooms into places of both rigour and belonging.Together, they analyse footage comparing Denarius’ own classroom with that of UK teacher Matthew Gray, focusing on practices like narrating the lap, culture of error, and show-calling student work. They also examine a lesson from master teacher Julia Addeo to explore how expert teachers respond in real time to patterns of misunderstanding while maintaining high expectations and warmth.Themes include how belonging is cultivated through competence, why predictability and shared routines lower cognitive load, and how monitoring and feedback can be systematised so every student experiences success during a lesson—not after it. The conversation bridges cognitive science and classroom craft, illustrating that belonging and excellence are not opposites but mutually reinforcing.Mentioned resources and explainersTeach Like a Champion 3.0Doug Lemov’s updated framework underpins much of the discussion, including active observation, show call, and habits of attention.Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and BelongingCo-authored by Denarius Frazier, this book explores how predictability, structure, and academic success foster genuine connection in schools.Rosenshine’s Principles of InstructionReferenced when Nathaniel and Rebecca note that “monitoring independent practice” must be more than wandering the room—it should be intentional, transparent, and coachable.Daniel Willingham – Why Don’t Students Like School?Denarius cites Willingham’s model of working memory to explain how predictable routines and planned responses prevent cognitive overload for both students and teachers.Active Observation & Mastery ThresholdsFrazier outlines how teachers can respond to classroom data: reteach when mastery 80%. These heuristics help teachers act on evidence rather than instinct.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• Belonging is built through competence, not just connection; students trust teachers who help them succeed.• “Naming the lap” makes feedback purposeful and visible, showing students what excellence looks like as they work.• The culture of error normalises mistakes as learning opportunities, building safety and inclusion through transparency.• School-wide consistency in routines reduces chaos and cognitive load, especially for adolescents.• Data-informed show-calls turn monitoring into responsive teaching, using student work as a mirror for collective growth.• Expert responsiveness isn’t improvisation; it’s structured anticipation guided by mastery data.• Classroom culture is the prerequisite for rigour: without predictability and attention habits, high-quality instruction cannot land.KeywordsDenarius Frazier, Teach Like a Champion, Reconnect, Uncommon Schools, explicit teaching, Rebecca Birch, Nathaniel Swain, Chalk Dust podcast, classroom culture, belonging, competence, feedback, show call, culture of error, Rosenshine, active monitoring, responsive teaching, working memory, cognitive load, data-informed instruction, predictability, routines. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chalkdust.media
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  • Episode 7: How to avoid just teaching yourself
    SummaryIn this episode of Chalk Dust, Dr Nathaniel Swain and Rebecca Birch are joined by John Hollingsworth, co-founder of DataWorks Educational Research and co-author of Explicit Direct Instruction: The Power of the Well-Crafted, Well-Taught Lesson. Known widely as the “Purple Book,” his work has shaped how teachers worldwide think about whole-class explicit teaching.Together, the team analyse classroom footage from maths, English, and science lessons, reflecting on how expert teachers use strategies such as “I’ll come back to you,” gestures, non-volunteer questioning, and sentence frames. John unpacks what effective checking for understanding looks like, why aiming for “80% whole-class success then corrective feedback” leads to 100% mastery, and how explicit instruction is far from “chalk and talk.”Themes include the role of choral response in normalising mistakes, how gestures and props strengthen memory, why teachers must “work the page” rather than read slides verbatim, and the motivational power of explaining lesson importance. John shares coaching insights from working in over 25,000 classrooms, emphasising structured processing time, randomisation, and pre-planned sentence stems.Mentioned resources and explainersExplicit Direct Instruction (EDI), the Purple BookHollingsworth and Ybarra’s foundational text on well-crafted lessons and whole-class explicit teaching.Gestures and kinesthetic strategiesNot to be confused with learning styles or VAK! Gestures are most powerful when they clearly align with meaning, such as iconic or representational movements rather than random hand-waving. Learning is supported both when students produce gestures themselves and when they observe them from teachers or peers. The benefits are particularly strong with complex or abstract material, or when students have weaker verbal memory. Gestures also help by offloading some of the cognitive load, giving learners a visual or embodied way to grasp relationships that would otherwise be carried verbally. Sentence frames and academic languageJohn’s recommendation is that teachers pre-write frames with academic vocabulary to ensure students orally rehearse complete, formal responses.Motivation and rationaleThe importance of telling students why they are learning something, linking lesson content to careers, tests, or future applications.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* Explicit instruction is not “chalk and talk” but highly interactive, with student responses every 20–30 seconds* Randomisation of questioning prevents teachers from being misled by only hearing from the same few students* Gestures and props strengthen memory, even in secondary classrooms* Checking for understanding should move beyond surface answers, supported by sentence stems and academic vocabulary* Explaining lesson importance supports motivation and autonomy, linking learning to tests, careers, and real-world use* Structured processing time—pair-share, justification, complete sentences—is essential for real learningKeywordsexplicit teaching, John Hollingsworth, Rebecca Birch, Nathaniel Swain, Chalk Dust podcast, Explicit Direct Instruction, Purple Book, checking for understanding, non-volunteer questioning, I’ll come back to you, whiteboards, sentence frames, academic language, gestures, props, motivation, rationale, structured processing time, pair-share, classroom coaching, work the page, adaptive teaching This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chalkdust.media
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  • Episode 6: Real-time teaching
    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
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  • Episode 5: Start the Way You Mean to Finish
    SummaryIn this episode of Chalk Dust, Rebecca Birch and Nathaniel Swain are joined by instructional coach, author, and classroom management expert Dr Mark Dowley. Together, they step inside classrooms across Australia to see how great teachers start their lessons, from Year 9 maths to a Northern Territory prep class of fifty students.They unpack the anatomy of an effective entry routine, from greeting students at the door to getting pens moving in under a minute. Along the way, they show how routines set the tone for behaviour, protect learning minutes, and build a positive culture from day one, even with classes you’ve just inherited.The discussion covers how to reset routines when standards slip, why “do it again” is more about warmth than discipline, and how to make praise genuine rather than controlling. They explore similarities across contexts, from high-SES boys’ schools to mixed-age classrooms, looking at how to balance whole-school consistency with teacher autonomy.You’ll see how small tweaks, like reducing “friction” in transitions or controlling the pace of entry, help students get started calmly and confidently. Whether you teach early years or senior secondary, this episode shows why high expectations and consistent routines work for every age group.Mentioned resources and explainersThe Classroom Management Handbook Mark’s Amazon-bestselling guide to building culture, belonging, and behaviour in schools.Positive Narration Describing desired behaviour in the moment to set norms and build buy-in without over-praising. Here’s an explainer from Teach Like a Champ.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* A tight start makes the whole lesson easier to manage.* “Do it again” works best when delivered warmly, not punitively.* Positive narration should feel authentic, not robotic.* High expectations and routines work for all ages; the principles don’t change.* Reduce friction by having everything students need ready to go.* Consistency across year levels smooths transitions, especially 6 to 7.* Small moments, like greeting at the door, set the tone for the whole lesson.* Teacher autonomy matters, but shared principles ensure every class starts strong.Keywordsclassroom management, entry routines, Mark Dowley, explicit teaching, positive narration, do it again, reducing friction, routines, behaviour expectations, checks for understanding, teacher autonomy, whole-school consistency, lesson starts, participation routines, K–12 transitions, instructional coaching, formative assessment, motivation, culture building This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chalkdust.media
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  • Episode 4: Check, then Challenge
    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
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About Chalk Dust

Welcome to Chalk Dust, the podcast that gives you a front row seat into some of the best classrooms in the world.  There are lots of great conversations about teaching and education happening around the world right now. There are already so many fantastic podcasts out there about evidence based practice, and we're so excited to bring you one more, but this one has a distinctive difference.  Each episode, Rebecca Birch and Nathaniel Swain break down real classroom footage to illuminate the moments that make great teaching great. Teaching is both a science and an art. There are proven techniques that we know to work, but applying them in real classrooms is where the complexity lies. Our goal? To help you develop the eye of an expert observer, so you can see what makes lessons effective and apply those insights into your own teaching or coaching practice. chalkdust.media
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