This past week has been a feast of professional development, school visits, and shared insights from some of the best educators in (and outside) the country. Each day offered an opportunity to deepen my understanding of what great teaching looks like and how schools can refine their practice to serve students more effectively.
Everything I write begins as handwritten notes in one of my many notebooks. For this particular week, I had the pleasure of cracking open a brand new one (see above and below), as my old “Conferences” notebook finally reached capacity. There’s something especially satisfying about those first crisp pages, ready to be filled. By the end of the week, I had filled 13 pages with thoughts, quotes, diagrams and reflections. I’ve included a picture of the cover and a peek inside, for those who, like me, appreciate the quiet joy of ink on paper.
Wednesday 25 June –How Learning Happens with Dr Carl Hendrick
The week began with a full-day Science of Learning workshop at MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools), led by Dr Carl Hendrick. With his usual clarity and wit, Carl took us through a well-evidenced journey of how learning happens, drawing from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, educational psychology and developmental psychology. It was a reminder that we have over 70 years of research at our disposal, much of which has been translated into real-world practice. But we must be vigilant about lethal mutations: the kind of well-meaning but misguided practices that arise when good research is misapplied.
Carl’s seven core principles of how learning happens are as follows:
- Working memory doesn’t actually work very well
“The seat of conscious thought” (Lovell 2020), i.e. human working memory has limited capacity, so effective teaching must take this into account. - Retrieval isn’t a test of learning — itis learning
The act of recalling information helps strengthen memory and understanding. - You can’t connect the dots if you don’t have any
Prior knowledge is essential. Students can’t make connections without foundational knowledge. We were challenged to “think about nothing” as an exercise in the futility of discovery learning for biologically secondary knowledge.
4. Motivation matters, but it’s the wrong way round
Achievement leads to motivation, not the other way around. The flow is: intervention → achievement → motivation. Good work, Carl, on your 5km run by the way!
5. Transfer: skills are largely domain-specific
Skills don’t automatically transfer across domains. Context and content matter.
6. Learning and performance aren’t the same
Just because a student can perform a task now doesn’t mean they’ve learned it in the long term.
7. Learners don’t know how to learn
“We’ll do anything to get out of thinking hard.” Students often avoid the mental effort required for deep learning unless explicitly guided.
What stood out most for me was his treatment of responsive teaching, which he described as “the continuous process of interpreting student thinking and adapting instruction in real time to guide learning more efficiently.” It is as difficult as it sounds, but also as necessary. I came away with a much deeper appreciation for this approach and an even greater admiration for Bron Ryrie Jones, whose work continues to influence mine.
Another phrase that resonated deeply was, “Learning is recursive, not linear,” which links strongly to the science of practice. As I reflected on this, I thought about my guiding word for the year: refine. Much of my professional output over the years has focused on how words are built and how we remember them. I no longer feel the need to accumulate more. Instead, my focus is on sharpening and deepening what is already there. Carl echoed this when he said, “Progress often involves refinement, not simple accumulation.”
He also recommended the book Mastery Teaching by Madeline Hunter, which I will be adding to my reading list. I appreciated his emphasis on high expectations, and his humour, especially when discussing the “three red flags for implementation”: confusion, compliance, and fragmentation. He wisely avoided a forced alliteration, which in itself was a lesson.
Friday 27 June –Presentation and Walkthrough at Templestowe Heights
Two days later, I was fortunate to hear Carl speak again, this time at Templestowe Heights Primary School, sitting next to Professor Pamela Snow! I could only listen in admiration as the two of them chatted about the science of learning and education in general during the break.
Carl’s presentation built on Wednesday’s session and introduced new ideas and slides I had missed, which only deepened my understanding.
Templestowe Heights is a school that lives its values. I had the privilege of walking through multiple classrooms, observing English and mathematics lessons from Foundation to Year 6. What stood out was the consistency and confidence of the teaching. Every room echoed a shared commitment to high-quality instruction. The calm corridors, thanks to their “FANTASTIC WALKING” policy, were an unexpected but telling indicator of the school’s culture.
Jeanette Breen (a key player in all that transpired this week and taker of the photo below), Assistant Principal Stephanie Dehghani, and Principal Rhys Coulson have created something very special. This is what strong leadership and aligned practice look like. It should not be rare.
Saturday 28 June – Sharing Best Practice Gippsland
The week concluded with the Sharing Best Practice conference in Gippsland, led by the indefatigable Tracey King. I have been to several of these gatherings, and they always deliver. The event was well organised and intellectually nourishing.
One of the standout stories came from Lake Colac School, told by my friend Cameron Peverett. My eldest daughter, Chloe, once attended this school, and while it was a good place then, under Cameron and his team (not least, the school’s Head of Teaching and Learning, Charlotte Peverett), it has scaled new academic heights and is now a shining example of what is possible for often overlooked and marginalised populations. I will be visiting in August to walk through their classrooms and deliver professional learning on orthographic mapping. I can’t wait to be back there and will write a report afterwards.
Sarah Asome, or “Sarah Awesome”, as she should rightly be called, delivered a compelling keynote on “Tightening Tier 1 Instruction”. The systems and practices she has helped embed at Bentleigh West Primary School continue to fascinate and inspire. If you have not visited that school, do.
Another wonderful aspect of the day was seeing my colleague Amanda Bugiera, Head of Practice at the tutoring arm of Lifelong Literacy, attending the conference. Amanda consistently goes above and beyond to stay at the top of her profession, and the fact that she gave up her Saturday to engage in high-quality professional learning speaks volumes about her dedication. At the speaker’s dinner the night before, Erin Hume from Raise the Bar Psychology approached me to share some lovely feedback about the families we have in common. She said that numerous parents had spoken in glowing terms about Amanda’s tutoring, praising not only her skill and impact, but also her professionalism and warmth. It was a proud moment. Amanda’s work changes lives, and it’s a privilege to have her leading our tutoring team.
Erin Hume also gave an excellent presentation on specific learning disorders and reasonable adjustments. She is a gifted speaker, and her clarity on issues relating to reading, writing and mathematics was a highlight.
My own session on teaching morphology, etymology and orthography in the early years followed lunch. I made the case for revealing more layers of the writing system from the start, offering practical entry points for teachers to begin that journey.
Brendan Lee then gave his keynote, “The Devil is in the Detail”, a phrase that aptly describes the careful, rigorous implementation that we all strive for.
The day ended on a high note with Lisa Holt, Principal of Rosebud Secondary College. Her talk on “Building a Trusting Work Culture to Foster School Improvement” was both impressive and entertaining. The last keynote at a conference, or the graveyard shift, as I call it, is always a difficult one. People are tired. Some have decided to get on the road. The audience thins out and is less forgiving. All I can say is that if you missed this talk, Lisa is proof that courage and competence are not mutually exclusive, and frankly, your early exit cost you a masterclass in both.
Final Reflections
This week has been an energising reminder of what professional growth can look like when shared generously. I am deeply grateful to all the speakers, organisers and school leaders who gave their time, insights and hospitality. Each event refined my thinking and strengthened my resolve to keep refining and improving the work we do at Lifelong Literacy.
Ref: Lovell, O. (2020). Cognitive load theory in action. John Catt Educational.
I’m glad I was with you for one of these at least 😂
Thank you for the dialogue and connection (it’s not only what you know but who you know 😜)
It was really wonderful to sit with you and to hear your perspective. What a great coincidence!