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 one of the best teachers ever captured on film. Link to blog and video Denarius is one of the most thoughtful and influential voices in … Continue reading S5E07: Denarius Frazier on Belonging, Rigor, and Scaling Effective Teaching

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 Australia, … Continue reading S5E06: Jessica Colleu Terradas & Jon Owen on Direct Instruction Without Borders

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: Anna Stokke on Where Math Education Went Wrong—and How to Fix It

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 on NGSS and Explicit Science Instruction

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 Mighton on Building Math Confidence, One Problem at a Time

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 reading S5E02: Linda Diamond & Paige Pullen on Connecting Learning, Literacy, and Instruction

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 and Inquiry Learning

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 … Continue reading S4E39: Shawn Datchuk on Teaching Sentence Construction with Precision

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 reading S4E38: Nathan Lang-Raad on Learning Science and Artificial Intelligence

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 Tests, College, and Cheating Scandals

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 … Continue reading S4E36: Bonnie Grossen and Kurt Engelmann on Full Immersion Direct Instruction

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 reading S4E35: Stephanie Stollar, Diane Kinder, and Marcy Stein on MTSS and Direct Instruction

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 Debates Over Restorative Justice and SEL

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I am delighted to host Peps Mccrea, the Director of Education at Steplab and the mind behind the must-read online newsletter, Evidence Snacks. Peps has dedicated his career to improving education through evidence-based practices. His latest project includes Great Teaching, Unpacked, a Netflix-style documentary that is pushing the boundaries … Continue reading S4E33: Peps Mccrea on Great Teaching and Human Flourishing

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I am delighted to host Rachel Ball, Coaching Development Lead at Steplab and a passionate advocate for effective teaching based on the science of learning. Rachel will explore her new book, The Scaffolding Effect, and the Explicit Instruction Conference we are both keynoting in New Mexico (sign up here!). … Continue reading S4E32: Rachel Ball on Scaffolded Instruction and Adaptive Teaching

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m delighted to host Laura Stam, a dedicated advocate for the Science of Reading and Direct Instruction. Laura will share her expertise on designing and curating resources to integrate content and vocabulary into literacy, discuss new shifts in her thinking and teaching, and offer insights into how structured teaching … Continue reading S4E31: Laura Stam on Integrating Explicit Teaching Practices into Elementary Classrooms

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m honored to host Ronak Bhatt, the accomplished leader of TELRA Institute. Ronak will discuss how acceleration can open doors for learners, share his thoughts on the benefits and challenges of homogeneous grouping, and provide insights into experimental educational models that offer bold alternatives to traditional systems. This episode … Continue reading S4E30: Ronak Bhatt on Accelerated Learning and Homogeneous Grouping

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I am delighted to host Rachel Sewell, Coaching Development Lead at Steplab and a passionate advocate for effective professional development. Rachel will explore the 14 mechanisms of effective professional development, including how they build knowledge, motivate educators, develop teaching techniques, and embed sustainable practices. Listen and subscribe to Progressively … Continue reading S4E29: Rachel Sewell on the Ingredients of Effective Professional Development

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I am thrilled to host Jonathan Regino, an innovative educator and instructional leader known for his expertise in curriculum adoption and math coaching. Jonathan is passionate about enhancing teaching practices and fostering impactful math learning experiences. Listen and subscribe to Progressively Incorrect on… SpotifyYouTubeApple PodcastsWordPress Jon will share his … Continue reading S4E28: Jonathan Regino on Curriculum Evaluation and Math Coaching

Today, I am thrilled to host Richard Mayer on Progressively Incorrect, a distinguished educational psychologist and researcher known worldwide for his groundbreaking contributions to understanding how we learn. Rich brings a wealth of knowledge and a sharp focus on multimedia learning, generative learning, and evidence-based critiques of discovery learning. Listen and subscribe to Progressively Incorrect … Continue reading S4E27: Richard Mayer on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning