Why Attention Comes Before Learning
Good morning,
This week’s guest is Todd Brown, a primary teacher working in Victoria, Australia.
Todd came to teaching later than most, having spent 15 years working as a podiatrist before retraining during the pandemic. He is now five years into his teaching career and what really comes through in this conversation is how much thought he puts into getting better. We talk about routines, participation, building pupils’ background knowledge and, in particular, his growing interest in mathematical fluency.
I also really enjoyed Todd’s willingness to talk about the things he is still trying to work out. There is no sense that good teaching is something you suddenly master. It is much more about noticing what is happening in front of you, trying something, seeing whether it works and then refining it.
Hope you enjoy!
A link to wherever you get your podcasts…
YouTube Audio
Todd’s recommendations
Mathematics CPD in the UK and Ireland 2026/27
This autumn, we’re bringing our mathematics professional development programme to Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow.
Over four sessions, we’ll consider how developing teachers’ subject and pedagogical content knowledge can lead to better decisions in the classroom, particularly when pupils find mathematics difficult. Rather than lowering expectations or simplifying the mathematics, we’ll explore how teachers can adapt their instruction to support deeper understanding and help more pupils succeed.
The first programmes begin in November, and we’d love you to join us.
You can find full details, including dates, venues, prices and booking information, here: https://alta-education.com/cpd-tour-26-27/
TDaPE Edinburgh
Thinking Deeply about Primary Education is heading to Edinburgh on 28 November!
We’re bringing together teachers, school leaders and some fantastic speakers for a day of thought-provoking conversations, practical ideas and professional learning that gets to the heart of what matters in education.
If you enjoy the podcast, we’d love you to join us and take those conversations beyond your headphones.
And if you’re a teacher or school leader with ideas, experiences or insights you’d like to share, we have two more TDaPE conferences coming up in early 2027. Applications to speak at TDaPE London and TDaPE Cymru are open now, and we’d love to hear from you.
TDaPE London Sessions: https://forms.gle/475FYpCTb11Y4R716
TDaPE Cymru Sessions: https://forms.gle/xqEB1uXEyJty8PPs8
A huge thank you to everyone who shared last week’s episode. It’s always lovely to see these conversations reaching new people, and I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to pass them on. If this week’s episode makes you think of a colleague or friend, please do share it with them.
That’s all from me for now. As always, I’d love to hear what you made of the conversation, so feel free to leave a comment wherever you listen or simply reply to this email.
Until next time, thanks for listening.
