The Leading Learning Podcast

Jocelyn Seamer

This podcast is for school leaders who are ready to level up and scale their school improvement journey.

  1. 5d ago

    S2 E4 - Why Isn't Our Instructional Model Transferring Across the Curriculum?

    Ever wonder why a teacher can run a flawless, tightly-structured literacy block in the morning, then deliver a chaotic, worksheet-heavy science lesson by the afternoon? In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Jocelyn unpacks the real reason strong instructional practice so often fails to transfer across the curriculum - and it's not inconsistency or a lack of care. Drawing on the difference between tacit, explicit, and theoretical knowledge, Jocelyn explains why "doing the PL" isn't enough, and offers two simple questions school leaders can use to help teachers turn what they already know how to do into knowledge they can talk about, share, and apply anywhere.

  2. Sep 5

    S2 E3 - How to Make Your Explicit Teaching Journey Actually Pay Off

    Every school is drowning in a checklist of "evidence-based" boxes to tick (phonics programs, screeners, daily review, engagement norms) and still seeing no movement in student outcomes. Why? In this episode, Jocelyn unpacks the gap between doing the tasks and achieving the outcome, and why systems end up rewarding the countable stuff (a program exists, a norm is displayed) instead of the thing that actually matters: whether students are learning.  She breaks down three cognitive principles every classroom decision should be tested against, and shows how a small shift in the questions leaders ask can move teachers from compliance to genuine understanding. If your team is working harder than ever and still not seeing the results, this episode explains why - and what to focus on instead.

  3. Aug 29

    S2 E2 - How to Survive System Mandates

    Systems are pushing hard on explicit teaching and the science of reading - but a directive can change what a school looks like without ever touching what happens once the classroom door closes.  In this episode, Jocelyn unpacks the real cost of leading change through compliance and tone alone, and what it actually takes to build teacher capability that lasts. If you've ever felt the tension between what the system demands and what your best teachers already know, this one's for you.

  4. Aug 22

    S2 E1 - Why Can't Teachers Let Go of Worksheets?

    This is the season two premiere of the Leading Learning Podcast, hosted by Jocelyn Seamer. The episode opens with a real classroom story: a teacher, new to implementing a spelling program, quietly turned a discussion-based lesson segment into a written worksheet, spending unpaid personal time to do so. Jocelyn uses this as a springboard to explore why capable, well-intentioned teachers reach for familiar routines (like worksheets) when facing new pedagogy, drawing on her responsive instructional leadership model: four phases of skill development. She argues this behaviour isn't laziness or resistance but a natural response to an experience gap, where unfamiliar practices feel effortful and uncertain, so teachers recreate the "shape" of what they already know. The episode offers practical leadership guidance, including a "what's the same, what's gone, what looks familiar but does a different job" framework for introducing new programs, and reframes worksheet-making as diagnostic information about a teacher's developmental stage rather than a problem to criticise. Jocelyn closes with a note that the same dynamic applies to over-reliance on PowerPoint slides.

  5. Jul 25

    S1 E10 - What Does the Research Actually Say About Grouping Students for Phonics?

    In this episode, Jocelyn looks back at an episode from her other show, the Structured Literacy Podcast. We challenge the assumption that whole-class phonics with a little extra is the most effective route and explore why targeted Tier 1 grouping often delivers stronger gains. Using cognitive load theory and intervention research, we show how matched content can raise progress without creating waitlists or missed learning elsewhere. • why many Year 3 students still need foundational code • what grouping studies actually tested and why that matters • how targeted, explicit, code-focused teaching drives gains • early, intensive support over waiting for intervention • designing Tier 1 to include intervention features • cognitive load as a lens for matching content • when to keep whole-class and when to regroup • practical next steps for data, grouping, and progress checks

  6. Jul 18

    S1 E9 - The Real Cost of Creating Our Own Programs

    In this episode, Jocelyn unpacks a question school leaders increasingly face: should we build our own curriculum program instead of buying one?  Using the distinction between price and cost, Jocelyn shows how "free" homegrown programs often carry hidden costs: lost coaching time, leader burnout, and knowledge that vanishes when the person who built it leaves. Drawing on a real coaching example, Jocelyn argues that no program, bought or built, replaces the core work of growing teachers' skill in reading the room and responding to students. The episode closes with a practical framework - tweak, rewrite, or replace - for deciding when an existing program truly needs to change.

  7. Jun 20

    S1 E8 - The Instructional Principle That Can Change Everything

    In this episode, Jocelyn tackles one important question: Do your students have the prerequisite knowledge for this learning? The spread of answers reveals whether a school is focused on delivering content or ensuring students actually learn. Key points include: Introducing content does not equal learning it.Overload drives behaviour issues.Reframing the teacher's role, from "deliverer of content" to "engineer of student success."Listening, not blaming.

  8. Jun 13

    S1 E7 - We've Done the PL, but Our Team Can't Get Started

    In this episode, Jocelyn explores why new teaching practices often fail to take hold after professional learning sessions, and how giving teachers one clear, concrete starting point - rather than open-ended freedom - better supports beginners in building consistent, effective habits.

See All (14)

About

This podcast is for school leaders who are ready to level up and scale their school improvement journey.

Information

  • Creator
    Jocelyn Seamer
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Leading Learning Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Leading Learning Podcast