# swain (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 2 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover swain. Page: Feed: --- ## [Great teaching - Neither scripted nor improvised](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/meaningful-matrix) _2026-08-02 · Nathaniel Swain · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ Great teaching sits between two unhelpful extremes. The best teachers aren't those who never leave the script, nor those who proudly abandon it. They're the ones who are prepared enough to know exactly when, why, and how to depart from the plan in service of student learning. Give students the lesson they need, not just the lesson you have planned and learn about the ‘Meaningful and Responsive… ## [(Sort of) Middle-Aged, (Sort of) Middle-Class, Trans Women Day of Talking to Katy](https://katyswain.me/blog/tdoa-2026) _2026-03-31 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ (Sort of) Middle-Aged, (Sort of) Middle-Class, Trans Women Day of Talking to Katy 3CR did a remarkable job getting their Trans Day of Audibility programming online by the next morning. You can find my contribution to it at the above link or, for convenience: Download I haven't so enjoyed a creative collaboration with lovely people in a long time. This was a delight. The lovely people in question… ## [New Year's Day 2026](https://katyswain.me/about/journal/nyd-2026) _2026-01-05 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ New Year's Day 2026 Katy Swain Mon, 01/05/2026 - 14:53 The Capital City Trail : My Everest. Well, maybe Everest is overstating it, but it is quite uppy-downy, and at 29km in length is quite a lot to ask of a lady of exponentially advancing years. Image Source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/-37.79898/145.00494 © OpenStreetMap contributors My first assault from Federation Square to Victoria… ## [Making everyday excellence ‘routine’](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2025/6/making-everyday-excellence-routine) _2025-06-12 · Sara Dower · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ Discover how explicit routines, consistent expectations, and simple strategies like the “Do Now” can transform classroom culture. This article explores the link between wellbeing and academic success, offering practical tips for creating calm, structured, and inclusive learning environments. ## [Gender Euphoria Monday: One Serve of Bread Please, Hold the Roses](https://katyswain.me/blog/2025-05/gender-euphoria-monday-one-serve-bread-please-hold-roses) _2025-05-26 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ Gender Euphoria Monday: One Serve of Bread Please, Hold the Roses The brilliant, beautiful, indefatigable, and legendary (and I am in no way implying she's old) Cait Glasson recently floated an idea that I think touches on something very important: Here's your prep work: think of something in your weekend that gave you gender euphoria. Anything. Whatever made you glad you are who you are, whatever… ## [Enhanced Learning Environments: A Personal Journey](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2025/5/enhanced-learning-environments-a-personal-journey) _2025-05-23 · Rachel Holden · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ In this personal narrative, guest author Rachel Holden reflects on her journey toward creating a more intentional and focused classroom environment. Inspired by research and admired setups she encountered online, Holden initially struggled with doubts and limitations—concerned about furniture constraints, logistical challenges, and potential pushback. Despite these hurdles, she began making small,… ## [From Falling Behind to Moving Ahead: A Case for Explicit, Inclusive Instruction](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2025/4/from-falling-behing-to-moving-ahead) _2025-05-11 · Nathaniel Swain · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ The content of this post was originally published by the Code Read Dyslexia Network on 14 February 2025. As the school year unfolds, it remains timely to revisit and reflect on its message—to keep effective, research-based teaching at the forefront of our efforts to support every learner. Schools around Australia and the English-speaking world have long relied on balanced literacy practices and… ## [Chalk Dust Episode 1: From CfU to CfQ](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2025/5/chalk-dust-episode-1-from-cfu-to-cfq) _2025-05-04 · Nathaniel Swain · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ Checking for Quality of Student Responses REBECCA BIRCH AND NATHANIEL SWAIN Summary In this episode of the BRAND NEW Chalk Dust podcast, Nathaniel Swain and Rebecca Birch visit the classroom of Queensland primary school teacher, Rebecca Sloots, the first teacher to be featured on the Teach Like a Champion practice archive. By exploring checking for understanding (CfU) and checking for quality… ## [Learn to Love Classic Doctor Who the Katy Way™](https://katyswain.me/blog/2025-04/learn-love-classic-doctor-who-katy-way) _2025-04-23 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ Learn to Love Classic Doctor Who the Katy Way™ \[Spoilers ahead, obviously.\] I was asked recently how somebody familiar with 21st century Doctor Who might best approach the 20th century back catalogue. A comprehensive answer to this is more a book than a blog post. The short answer is: not chronologically. The 1960s black and white stories were produced on a treadmill of forty-odd episodes a year,… ## [Making teachers’ lives easier: Reframing efficiency part 1](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2025/3/efficiency-part-1-chris-mcguire) _2025-04-02 · Nathaniel Swain · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ Rethinking Efficiency in Education As educators, the term "efficiency" often feels more like a corporate buzzword than a meaningful tool for teaching. Economic ‘encroachment’ in education is nothing new, and many teachers are rightfully skeptical that such concepts have value in our people-centred profession. But if unpacked thoughtfully, could the economic concept of “efficiency” offer valuable… ## [Refer a Friend, Earn Rewards (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/8z0fD3mQ5AcJ) _2025-04-02 · **Sponsored**_ Earn rewards when a friend signs up for the Graphite Business Card ## [Destroying Your Country, Part 2: Poverty is Wealth](https://katyswain.me/blog/2025-03/destroying-your-country-part-2-poverty-wealth) _2025-03-29 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ Destroying Your Country, Part 2: Poverty is Wealth In the first part of this series , I looked at how the Trump administration's blend of ignorance and unscrupulousness has led them to consider a cryptocurrency stockpile as a win-win for both scammers and the public being scammed alike. Or perhaps they're being a bit disingenuous there. Here I go on to look at how their profound misunderstanding… ## [The Terrifying Ordinariness of Queer People](https://katyswain.me/blog/2025-03/terrifying-ordinariness-queer-people) _2025-03-18 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ The Terrifying Ordinariness of Queer People A while ago my online chum Miriam, whom I have officially dubbed The Sunniest Girl on the Internet™ (because she is), posted this : my cohort of trans girls, the girls who transitioned about a year before or after i did, give or take, all seem to be looking, and i dont mean this disparagingly at all, so profoundly normal. just regular women. half of them… ## [Is 'Questioning the Author' older than we think?](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2025/3/questioning-the-author) _2025-03-17 · Nathaniel Swain · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ Francis Matisi, a teacher at Saint Mark's School in Dingley, was teaching at a Catholic primary school in Brunswick around 2002, just as The Lord of the Rings movies were about to be released. The majority of her students—about 95%—came from an English as an Additional Language (EAL) background. Wanting to engage her students with literature, she decided to share The Hobbit with them. Challenges… ## [Recent talks from Dr Nathaniel Swain](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2025/3/recent-talks-march) _2025-03-15 · Nathaniel Swain · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ A quick post to point out some recent talks I have given in Victoria, Australia. researchED Ballarat March 2025 Get the slides Bayside Principals Conference 27 Feb 2025 Get the slides ## [How to Pay for Destroying Your Country](https://katyswain.me/blog/2025-03/how-pay-destroying-your-country) _2025-03-13 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ How to Pay for Destroying Your Country \[Note: this post suffers from my slow writing speed, and since doing the bulk of the writing of it, has been overtaken by events. I will catch up in subsequent posts.\] I've been trying to avoid reading too much on the Trump administration's governance by imperial fiat, in an effort to preserve some measure of mental health. In ordinary times I've an… ## [The Logic of Total Culture War](https://katyswain.me/blog/2024-12/logic-total-culture-war) _2024-12-29 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ The Logic of Total Culture War You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views, which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering. - The Doctor, the Face of Evil . In many countries which have enjoyed (if that is quite the word) half a century of… ## [Learned uselessness](https://katyswain.me/about/journal/2024-12-28-21-09) _2024-12-28 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ Learned uselessness Katy Swain Sat, 12/28/2024 - 21:09 Damn it! Every other time I have curry for dinner I end up with a dollop of yoghurt in my lap. This was a new skirt. Well, not new, but new for me. I tried paper towel, but the skirt is more absorbent, so I was just working it in, then I tried a damp sponge. Now I'm just cold and damp in the groinal region, and have no idea whether I've done… ## [Katy's Krismas Kacophony](https://katyswain.me/blog/2024-12/katys-krismas-kacophony) _2024-12-25 · Katy Swain · Katy Swain_ Katy's Krismas Kacophony Back in a past life, I found myself in the habit of making little video mixtapes to listen to and glance at while doing jigsaw puzzles and overeating at Christmas, or to fill in embarrassing conversational gaps when entertaining visitors. These would run to anywhere up to 70-some videos, which I'd pull from various online video sharing platforms (multiple services are… ## [Some models are useful](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2024/10/some-models-are-useful) _2024-10-14 · Nathaniel Swain · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ Teachers are bombarded with information about best practice. Advice comes thick and fast on how to solve the daily challenges that are inevitable when working with a group of learners in intensive working environments. But it’s not often teachers get access to a way of conceiving of our practice that is helpful and also clear . Useful snapshots of complex practice While numerous frameworks of… ## [Point a Domain, Start a Pit (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/nI4UapgbyfT1) _2024-10-14 · **Sponsored**_ Point any domain to a blacked-out, poison-green coming-soon page with an email waitlist. ## [Reducing rotations: Part 1](https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2024/9/reducing-rotations-part-1) _2024-09-19 · Nathaniel Swain · Cognitorium - Dr Nathaniel Swain_ The provocation — What if you could achieve the same (if not better) outcomes for your students without the logistical complexity of small group rotations? Many educators wrestle with the question of differentiation: How do we ensure all students succeed and are supported? How do we teach to varying abilities without using up valuable teaching time? While small group instruction has long been a… [Listen](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56b910fc2fe1314074280fe9/t/66ec2178ef9d6504ae50fb65/1726751122095/Reducing+rotations+GoogleLM+podcast%281%29.mp3)