Lisa Maree Trethowan

Learning Support at a Catholic P.S, passionate about children's education and my own learning.

[Kylie @kyliehoey05]

A really interesting thread. I do think that with the teaching of phonics being mandated in Australia (Vic) that many students are reading less texts.
There definitely some misunderstanding out there that phonics is the reading part done. ✅

[Kylie @kyliehoey05]

A short substack I wrote on the misunderstanding and ill-placed judgment on explicit instruction from those that are actually doing something else entirely - explicit destruction.

https://t.co/H3RvsYKUox

[Tom Sherrington @teacherhead]

Three Big Areas for Development in Teaching for 2026-7. https://t.co/iqQeIdou3A via @teacherhead

[Brendan Lee @learnwithmrlee]

When it comes to implementing evidence-informed practice, I'm often asked, "Where should we start?" For me, the prerequisite to leading any sort of school improvement journey is ensuring we have calm, focused classrooms first. Get this right and then the learning can start to happen (for both students and teachers)!

Listen to the full episode here or wherever you listen to your podcasts from 👇
https://t.co/qRANcNiIx1

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

Explicit Instruction and Discovery Learning: “It’s about designing for the "Aha!", not the "Huh?"” Brendan Lee

[Brendan Lee @learnwithmrlee]

Does anyone else feel torn when people pit explicit instruction against discovery learning? 🙋‍♂️

On one hand, I know the research: novices need guidance. "Minimal guidance" usually leads to frustration. On the other hand... as a teacher, there is nothing better than seeing a student have a genuine "Aha!" moment where they connect the dots themselves.

For years, I've felt frustrated at feeling like I had to pick a side. Learning about the Instructional Hierarchy has been great at explaining how it's all about when and how. But recently, I’ve been diving into the world of Contingency Adduction and it has really started to provide some precise answers for me.

It’s a framework that shows how we can engineer discovery. We don't leave it to chance. We build the tool skills to such a high level of fluency that the "discovery" becomes inevitable.

It’s about designing for the "Aha!", not the "Huh?".

I wrote a piece explaining how this works (and why most discovery lessons fail because they skip the fluency step).

Check it out here: https://t.co/zH79qGREH3

You might find this interesting
@brian_poncy @msrebeccabirch @jettybe3 @StamStam193 @nsachdeva2019 @teacherhead @Emma_Turner75

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

@jdtdobson @Layno33 So many great points in this article!

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 “A well-designed classroom… reduces distraction, supports behaviour, and helps students focus on what matters most. Learning and belonging.”
James Dobson

[James Dobson @jdtdobson]

It's that time of year here in Aus:
Teachers are setting up their classrooms for 2026.

Our classrooms shape attention, behaviour and belonging.

I use 6 principles:
Flow-Low-Grow-Rows-Show-Glow

Read my post- it includes my mistakes and a practical setup checklist.

🔗in reply

[James Dobson @jdtdobson]

Day 5 of 26 recommendations for 2026

AMTOC
Accessible, practical & FREE maths professional learning
Designed for real classrooms
Sign up today and Access from 19th Jan
30 presenters including me!
https://t.co/fENuXU93bG

#26for2026 #ScienceOfLearning #ArtOfTeaching

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

LOVE this podcast 👏🏻

[James Dobson @jdtdobson]

Day 10 of #26for2026

Chalk Dust podcast
Hosted by @msrebeccabirch & @NathanielRSwain

Thoughtful conversations
Research meets classroom practice

#ScienceOfLearning #ArtOfTeaching

[James Dobson @jdtdobson]

Day 12 of #26for2026

Effective Instruction in Reading and Spelling

Clear guidance 🎯
Evidence-based 📑
Focused on what really works in literacy instruction 🔬

#ScienceOfLearning #ArtOfTeaching

[Natalie Wexler @natwexler]

As cognitive science begins to catch on with educators around the world, is something important being overlooked?

Explicit teaching & retrieval practice are crucial, but they're not enough to ensure deep understanding.

More in my new post:

https://t.co/sXqb1FUiSc

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

🎉 Just had an incredible experience attending SBP Ballarat! 🎉 - via #Whova event app

[Brendan Lee @learnwithmrlee]

Recently, I modelled a number of lessons to Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools with a focus on how teachers can make the most of @OchreEducation's resources.

One of the key ideas I wanted to highlight was that using slides doesn’t mean teaching robotically & how we can still teach responsively and adjusting in the moment based on what students need.

A tool that really resonated with teachers was the document camera. It’s such a powerful way to bridge the gap between abstract and concrete representations. You can model exactly what students need to do, while making sure every student can see the process, not just the few sitting close by.

I also love using PowerPoint’s “Insert Cameo” feature. It means you don’t need to leave your slides & you can seamlessly demonstrate Example–Problem Pairs while staying connected to your class.

Small tweaks like these can make our teaching both clearer and more responsive, even when slides are part of the lesson.

[Nate Joseph @NateJoseph19]

I just dropped 6 free morphology workbooks on Teaching by Science.

https://t.co/VCsmOZUNMe

Check them out and let me know what you think! I will be doing updates, so your feedback will help me improve them over time!

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

Bottom line: #ITE needs to step up. Prof. Pamela Snow 👏🏻

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

@NathanielRSwain Experiencing FOMO as my school leadership team from St Anthony’s Primary have all the fun @ #MACS #FlourishingLearners Conference 😭

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

@Beanie0597 Thanks for sharing your own story. We don’t often think about students at risk of trauma WITHIN the classroom but definitely possible with those ticking time-bombs. Whole-school implementation of discipline policies and practices are key. Great blog.

[Lisa Maree Trethowan @LisaMareeTreth1]

@BenisonMrs I really love this scaffolded spelling routine. I wouldn’t insist on every step though, if the student can already segment the sounds, but I do understand this was only a demo. Thanks Dr Tiffany Peltier. Thanks for sharing @BenisonMrs

[Charlotte Peverett (she/her) 💉💉🦠 💉💉🦠💉 @lifeoflottie]

Calling all teachers in Australian schools.

Do you work in an Australian school?
Are you teaching any students with intellectual disabilities?

If so, please consider completing our survey.

https://t.co/NntU1bwxoC

@PamelaSnow2
@tserry2504