HeyJaredDr Nathaniel Swain
Classroom Teacher, Instructional Coach, Researcher at La Trobe School of Education, PhD in Education — science literacy language humanities arts Founder - @thinkforwardedu, SLP, Linguist
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 4
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- Sep 13, 2026
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- Aug 3, 2026
Latest issues
School culture is something you cultivate (opens the original)
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In last week’s post, I argued that students can’t learn if they’re trapped in a culture of opting out or perfectionism. A culture of error and openness to learning requires something different: students need to know that participation is expected, mistakes are part of learning, and the goal isn’t perfection but progress.But recognising the culture we want is the more straightforward part. The harder question is how we cultivate it—particularly when students move between multiple classrooms, teac
Students can’t learn in cultures of perfectionism or opting out (opens the original)
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In my work with schools, I often talk about the importance of building a Culture of Error: a classroom where students understand that making mistakes is part of learning, and that learning necessarily involves some vulnerability. You have to put yourself out there a little bit. You have to attempt something before you are completely certain, and reveal what you know and, inevitably, what you don’t yet know.That sounds obvious. But increasingly, I think there are two competing cultures creeping i
Explicit teaching isn’t regurgitation (opens the original)
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One of the most persistent misconceptions about explicit teaching is that it produces passive learners: students who can reproduce what their teacher has told them, but struggle to think, question, create or explore for themselves.If that is the outcome, we haven’t understood the purpose of explicit teaching.Dr Nathaniel Swain is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber.<
Great teaching is neither scripted nor improvised (opens the original)
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Great teaching sits between two extremes.At one end is rigid delivery: faithfully following a script regardless of what students understand, misunderstand, or need. At the other is reactive improvisation: making teaching decisions on the fly without a secure plan or deep knowledge to guide them. Neither is where expert teaching lives.To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber.<
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