In this episode, Brendan sits down with Ingrid Sealey, founder of Teach Well, to explore the hidden nuance behind great teaching. Drawing on her work with thousands of teachers across Australia, Ingrid shares what she has learned about the small deliberate practices that make a real difference for students.
They unpack why clarity matters more than complexity, how spaced practice can shift long-term learning, and why full participation is not about getting every student to join in but about getting every student to think. Ingrid also explains why explicit instruction is not a script but a way to support better decision making in the classroom.
The conversation also dives into her new bookTeach Well’s Instruction & Coaching Companion, which captures the core practices and insights that have shaped Teach Well’s approach. Ingrid reflects on how the book came together and how teachers can use it to make practical confident changes in their everyday work.
They also discuss how professional learning can move beyond one off workshops and become something that genuinely changes practice. Ingrid offers insights from Teach Well’s long-term partnerships and shares examples of what happens when teachers work on small tweaks over time.
This is a thoughtful and practical episode for anyone who wants to refine their craft and understand what really drives effective teaching. If you are looking for ideas you can take straight back to your classroom or leadership team, this one is full of them.
Resources mentioned:
- Teach Well’s Instruction & Coaching Companion
- Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction – Barak Rosenshine
- Why Don’t Students Like School – Daniel Willingham
- Dylan Wiliam – formative assessment and full participation strategies
- Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) – John Hollingsworth and Silvia Ybarra
You can connect with Ingrid:
Twiiter/X: @TeachWellAus
Teach Well Website: teach-well.au
You can connect with Brendan:
Twitter: @learnwithmrlee
Facebook: @learningwithmrlee
Website: learnwithlee.net
Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast
About Ingrid Sealey
Ingrid is the Founder and Strategic Adviser of Teach Well. In recognition of Teach Well’s impact in improving outcomes for students across Australia, Ingrid won the 2023 Cartier Women’s Initiative Award for the Oceania region and was also one of 12 winners of the national 2021 Westpac Social Change Fellowship.
Prior to founding Teach Well, Ingrid was recognised as a 40Under40 Winner for her work over 5-years developing and leading Fogarty EDvance as a not-for-profit school improvement program for school leadership teams in disadvantaged communities in Western Australia.
A strong believer in the talent of Australian educators, Ingrid was Deputy Chair of the Board of Ochre Education from 2021 to 2025. Ingrid is also a Project Advisory Panel member for the Grattan Institute and was Chair of the school board of Balga Primary School from 2019-2023. Ingrid began her career as a strategy consultant with The Boston Consulting Group, also leading operational and strategy projects during her time with Lufthansa German airlines. Ingrid is a semi-professional cellist and has taught music privately for over 20 years.
Evidence in Action: The Primary Maths Partnership
A long-term professional learning partnership built around what actually works.
This 24 month program provides schools with 20+ hours of structured professional learning grounded in the science of learning spaced out over time — including explicit instruction, daily reviews, fluency-building, and problem-solving.
We work together to create a practical, sustainable implementation plan — so what you learn becomes what you do.
Optional Add-ons:
✓ Lesson modelling
✓ Leadership implementation sessions
✓ Coaching and feedback cycles
✓ Ongoing Q&A or online check-ins
Book a discovery call to learn more
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