Fluency is often treated as a small piece of mathematics learning, but in reality, it may be one of the most important and overlooked foundations for long term success.

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Brian Poncy, Professor at Oklahoma State University and the creator of Facts on Fire, a highly regarded program designed to build maths fact fluency through short, structured, and evidence informed daily practice.

Brian challenges the common resistance to timed practice, arguing that fluency—defined strictly as accuracy plus speed—is the bridge that frees up working memory for higher-order problem solving.

Listeners will discover why timed practice only works when students are placed at the right starting point, how small sets and careful sequencing can dramatically improve motivation and success, and what schools can do to implement fluency routines effectively in just a few minutes a day.

The episode also explores the powerful concept of contingency adduction, where mastering component skills can lead students to solve complex problems they have never been explicitly taught.

A practical and thought provoking conversation for any educator serious about improving mathematics outcomes.

Catch Dr. Brian Poncy in Australia:

Resources mentioned:

• M.I.N.D. 2.0 - FACTS ON FIRE
• Chalk and Talk podcast (Anna Stokke)
• Morningside Academy
• PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports)
• Rocket Math
• Times Tables Rock Stars
• Engineering the “Aha!”: When Discovery Learning Actually Works

You can connect with Brian:

Twitter/X: @brian_poncy

Website: M.I.N.D. 2.0 - FACTS ON FIRE

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

This is a two day online course for school and middle leaders and it is all about implementation. We look closely at curriculum and lesson design, assessment, coaching and the systems that help teachers change practice in a sustainable way.

Register here

Have you ever taught a "perfect" lesson where every student got the answer right, only to find they remembered absolutely nothing the next day? In this episode, education author David Didau joins me to reveal why what looks like learning is often just a "performance"—and how our best intentions might be fueling the illusion.

We dig into five common teaching habits you need to stop immediately, including why "Sat Nav teaching" is creating dependency rather than independence and why the popular idea of "productive struggle" might actually be setting your students up to fail. David challenges deep-seated beliefs about practice, compliance, and memory, offering a provocative look at what it really takes to make learning stick.

Resources mentioned:

Books

• David Didau – What If Everything You Knew About Education Was Wrong?
• David Didau – Intelligent Accountability

Websites & Tools

• Carousel Learning

People

• Robert Bjork
• Adam Boxer
• Carl Hendrick
• Christina Milos

You can connect with David:

Twitter/X: @DavidDidau

Linkedin

Substack: https://daviddidau.substack.com/

Website: https://learningspy.co.uk/

David Didau is an educator, author, and professional learning leader known for his evidence-informed work on teaching, writing, and curriculum. He is the author of several highly regarded books including What If Everything You Knew About Education Was Wrong? and The Secret of Literacy. David writes in his blog The Learning Spy, a widely read platform supporting educators to translate research into classroom practice.

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

This is a three day online course for teachers where we focus on how learning happens and how to design maths lessons that support acquisition, build fluency and help students generalise what they know.

Register here

This is a two day online course for school and middle leaders and it is all about implementation. We look closely at curriculum and lesson design, assessment, coaching and the systems that help teachers change practice in a sustainable way.

Register here

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee is joined by Brad Gaynor, an Australian educator, leadership coach and former principal with decades of experience across schools and systems. Brad is also the author of the new book From Burnout to Breakthrough: The Leadership Reset.

The conversation centres on burnout in education and what sustainable teaching and leadership actually look like beyond surface level wellbeing advice. Drawing on Brad’s lived experience and research informed work, this episode explores why burnout is more than just feeling tired, how hidden emotional labour shapes the work of teachers and leaders, and why framing burnout as a resilience issue can miss the real problem.

Listeners will hear a practical framework for resetting habits and expectations, learn why boundaries are essential rather than optional, and gain insight into how clarity, systems, and culture can reduce cognitive and emotional load.

This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for educators who want to keep doing this work well, without burning themselves out in the process.

You can connect with Brad:

Twitter/X: @brad_coaching

Linkedin

Website: bradgaynor.com.au

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

This is a three day online course for teachers where we focus on how learning happens and how to design maths lessons that support acquisition, build fluency and help students generalise what they know.

Register here

This is a two day online course for school and middle leaders and it is all about implementation. We look closely at curriculum and lesson design, assessment, coaching and the systems that help teachers change practice in a sustainable way.

Register here