This is Jennifer Gonzalez welcoming you to episode 153 of the Cult of Pedagogy

Podcast. In this episode we're going to look at four laws of learning and how you

can obey them in your classroom.

Teaching is a complex, multifaceted, dynamic profession. New ideas, new tools, and new

strategies are coming at you all the time. On top of that, changing circumstances

compel you to make adjustments to the way you normally do things. With all of this

spinning around you, it can be hard to find a clear path. There are so many factors

at impact student learning, but when it comes to planning lessons that 45 to 90 minute

block of time set aside for instruction, what activities really move the needle on learning?

To make those instructional decisions, it helps to have a compass, a set of principles

you can return to again and again when you start to feel like you're losing your way.

That's what I have for you today. I looked at the research and managed to condense what

I found into four laws of learning, broad guidelines that define solid teaching practices.

I'm certainly not the first person to do this. John Hatties' work to rank various influences

on student achievement has been groundbreaking, but I have often felt confused about what

some of his terms actually mean. Plus, every time I mention him, I am met with fierce pushback

from some people whose understanding of statistics is clearly way more sophisticated than mine.

There's also Robert Marzano's High-Yield strategies, which I'm a big fan of, but I've

learned a few things over the last few years that aren't covered by those. So I'm offering

my own list. Shorter than Marzano's, a lot shorter than Hatties, and not nearly as comprehensive,

but they're good, and they're backed by research. I am not putting these out there as the four

laws. They're not the last word on teaching or the only thing you should ever consider

...