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July 19, 2025 18 mins

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Professional judgment grows from a foundation of deep, defensible knowledge about how learning actually works. When you understand the cognitive science behind reading development, why systematic phonics instruction matters, and how orthographic mapping occurs, you're equipped to make informed decisions rather than simply following a script. Yet the strongest professional judgment comes from those constantly willing to question their own assumptions. This balance—being confident in what you know while remaining curious about what you don't—is the hallmark of truly effective teachers. 



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Episode Transcript

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Jocelyn (00:00):
Welcome.
Welcome to this episode of theStructured Literacy Podcast
recorded here in Tasmania, thehome of the Palawa people.
I'm Jocelyn, and today we'rediving into a topic that's both
necessary and a little bitdelicate how to reclaim your
professional judgment.
Now, before we go any further,let me be crystal clear about

(00:22):
what this episode is not about.
I'm not suggesting that youshould ignore your school's
approach, go rogue with yourinstruction or replace
evidence-informed practice withpersonal preference.
That would be irresponsible andunhelpful to everybody,
including your students.
What I am talking about isfinding that critical balance

(00:45):
between acknowledging andtrusting your own knowledge and
skills, while remaining open tothe fact that there's still so
much to learn.
The reality is thatprofessional judgment isn't
something you either have or youdon't.
It's something that developsover time, and understanding
where you sit in thatdevelopment journey is crucial

(01:08):
for both your effectiveness asan educator and your confidence
in the classroom.
The foundation of professionaljudgment is deep, defensible
knowledge.
You can trust your knowledgewhen you can back up your
assertions with deeperexplanations of the why, that
link to established theory andresearch.

(01:30):
Now, I'm not saying you need tobe able to cite research papers
chapter and verse.
What I mean is that you need tounderstand the underlying
principles and be able toexplain them.
You need to know things likewhy it's important that
retrieval and practice isn't tooeasy, and that's because if
students aren't having to workto recall information, they're

(01:53):
not strengthening those neuralpathways.
You need to understand whycomputer training programs don't
improve working memory, andthat's because working memory is
not a general capacity that canbe trained like a muscle.
Effective literacy instructionis built on understanding how
learning actually works.
When you understand thecognitive science behind reading

(02:16):
development, why we needsystematic phonics instruction,
how orthographic mapping occurs,why decodable texts support
early readers, how orthographicmapping occurs, why decodable
texts support early readers,you're not just following a
program.
You're making informeddecisions based on evidence, and

(02:37):
this kind of knowledge takestime and experience to develop.
It's not about memorizing facts.
It's about buildinginterconnected understanding
that allows you to see patterns,make connections and adapt your
teaching responsively.
When you encounter a problem ofpractice, your first question
really should be what doesestablished research have to say
on this matter?

(02:58):
This isn't about replacing yourthinking with someone else's.
It's about informing yourthinking with the best available
evidence.
But the reality is that wedon't have established research
about every single thing we doin the classroom to back us up
in every decision we make.
And, for sure, research cantell us a lot, but it can't tell

(03:21):
us everything about everyspecific context, and this is
where professional judgmentcomes in.
What do you know that sitsadjacent to this problem that
can help you?
What principles can you apply?
What have you learned fromexperience that might guide you?
And don't be afraid to reachout to people who have more
experience than you.

(03:42):
But and this is reallyimportant seek out people who
can demonstrate what they know,that they know how to get
results.
Many people claim expertise, butnot everyone has the evidence
to back up that claim.
Look for practitioners who haveruns on the board, who can
explain not just what they dobut why they do it, and who can

(04:06):
show you the outcomes of theirwork.
There's generally a school ofthought that says it takes at
least five years of experienceto build expertise.
So maybe that's a minimum fiveyears at doing the work to be
able to say well, do you knowwhat?
I have enough experience indifferent contexts, and that's

(04:29):
the thing as well.
It's not just five years in onegrade in one school.
So look for people with broadexperience who've been able to
demonstrate impact acrossdifferent contexts.
The other thing you can do ishave unshakable evidence.
Data is your best friend whenyou want to claim professional

(04:52):
judgment.
The difference between someoneclaiming to have expertise and
someone actually having it isthat one has runs on the board
over time across contexts, andthe other one doesn't.
This means being systematicabout collecting evidence of
your impact.
Student reading, assessments,writing samples, engagement data

(05:13):
, parent feedback all of thesecontribute to building a case
for your professional judgment.
They also help you to buildyour professional profile, such
as through HALT processes, whichis our highly accomplished and
lead teacher certification.
When you can say in myexperience, approach X works

(05:38):
because I've seen it succeedwith students A, b and C in
these particular contexts andhere's the data to prove it
you're speaking from a positionof genuine expertise.
This isn't about arrogance orclaiming you're always right.
It's about being able todemonstrate the effectiveness of
your practice with concreteevidence rather than just good

(06:01):
intentions or personal beliefs.
And here's something that mightsurprise you the strongest
professional judgment comes fromthose who are constantly
questioning their ownassumptions.
Don't take your establishedunderstandings as gospel.
We all have more to learn.
Asking yourself the question doI really understand this or am

(06:25):
I just making assumptions isincredibly powerful.
I've done this so many timesover the years and, yes, it has
led me down a rabbit hole, butI've come out the other side of
the rabbit hole a much moreknowledgeable teacher and leader
.
When you have an insatiableappetite to understand why

(06:46):
things work and you're preparedto challenge your own
assumptions, you become reallyattuned to surface level
discussions and can spot weakreasoning at a hundred paces.
You also become a much morereflective, effective
practitioner.
This process of questioningyour assumptions isn't

(07:08):
comfortable, but it is essential.
It's what separates genuineexpertise from overconfidence,
and it's what keeps you growingas an educator rather than
becoming stagnant in yourpractice.
In all of this questioning,though, don't sell yourself
short.
It's about balance here, andyes, I'm going to use the word

(07:30):
balance.
Be proud of your achievementsand back yourself.
Accept that you will alwayshave more to learn, but don't
defer to others automatically.
Accept that you will alwayshave more to learn, but don't
defer to others automatically.
Particularly, don't defer toothers who don't have your
knowledge just because thatlittle voice, who you know I
like to call Mildred comes for avisit and tells you that you
aren't clever enough.

(07:50):
If you have expertise in anarea, know how to get results
and have the evidence of successto share, then you can say in
my professional opinion, thiscan get us a great outcome.
It aligns with researching.
This way.
These are the indicators ofsuccess we can expect.

(08:10):
This isn't about being arrogantor dismissive of others.
It's about recognizing thevalue of your knowledge and
experience, while remaining opento learning and growth.
And even as we honour ourstrengths, we have to remember
to be humble.
None of this can be done on ourown.
It takes a village to get everychild reading and writing with

(08:33):
confidence.
So don't shy away fromvulnerability yours or the
vulnerability of others.
So don't shy away fromvulnerability yours or the
vulnerability of others.
Listen as much as you speak,avoid giving unsolicited advice
and recognize your ownlimitations.
However, I want to share acaution here.
Listening as much as you speakisn't about taking everything

(08:54):
that everyone says at face value.
Listening is about betterunderstanding those around us
and the context in which they'reoperating.
Yes, listening is aboutlearning and building your own
knowledge, but it can also beabout identifying misconceptions
and points of challenge thatothers may have so you can help

(09:15):
them.
Listening is about connection,not about replacing your own
judgment with another person's.
One of the hardest things tonavigate when we're learning
something new is the differencebetween this practice isn't
working and I'm not skilledenough to make it work yet.
And let's be honest, it is anatural part of human

(09:38):
development to blame the toolswhen we're not getting the
outcomes we want.
In my responsive leadershipmodel, this challenge most often
occurs in phase two.
Achieving.
In this phase you can getresults in a specific set of
circumstances, but when thecontext starts to stretch
outside those circumstances,things can go awry and those

(10:01):
feelings of excitement andconfidence you had when all was
going well can evaporate in aninstant.
I've recently taken up pianoagain after many years of not
playing, and when I reach adifficult point it's so easy to
say that Beethoven was out ofhis mind, thinking that I could
reach keys that far apart orplay those notes at a particular
speed.

(10:21):
But of course Beethoven's notthe problem.
There's nothing wrong with themusic.
It's me who needs to develop.
The answer isn't to throw themusic out and learn a different
piece, although that has beentempting.
The answer is really to breakthings down into small chunks
and get the help I need to dowhat I need to do, and it's no

(10:42):
different in our teaching.
Finally, and this is crucial,accept that there will be a
point in your own developmentwhere you can't rely solely on
your own judgment because youdon't have enough knowledge,
skills and experience to do so.
In the responsive leadershipmodel I mentioned just before,

(11:02):
phases one and two are thelearning phases.
Phases three and four are theknowing phases where you can
rely on your own judgmentbecause you do actually have
sufficient knowledge, experienceand skills to do so.
The reality is that not everyperson on a team should have the
same expectations about howmuch of their judgment they can

(11:24):
use to make decisions forinstructions, and I'm going to
say that again because I thinkthat might have caught a few
people by surprise.
What I said was not everyone onthe team should have the same
expectations about how much oftheir judgment they can use to
make decisions about instruction.
In other professions, this iswidely accepted and practiced.

(11:46):
A first-year surgical residentdoesn't have the same
decision-making responsibilitiesas a senior specialist, and an
experienced doctor willsupervise their work for a
period of time.
In education, anyone with adegree is told by some that they
should have the samedecision-making capacity as an
experienced instructional orschool leader, and this system

(12:09):
sets teachers up to fail andcreates tense, tricky situations
that aren't fair on anyone,least of all our students.
It puts teachers in theposition where, right at the
exact point, that they need themost guidance and coaching, the
exact point when cognitivebiases like the Dunning-Kruger

(12:30):
effect enter the picture, wherewe're most likely to claim
expertise.
When we have the leastknowledge.
We just hand them the whole joband throw them in the deep end
knowledge.
We just hand them the whole joband throw them in the deep end.
Now this applies to graduateteachers and early career
teachers.
It also applies to teacherswith years of practice under
their belt who are learning newtechniques and strategies.

(12:53):
Now don't misunderstand me.
I'm not saying that lessexperienced people shouldn't
have a voice or make anydecisions, but the year one team
and this isn't just about yearone teachers, but I'm using this
as an example the year one teamwho have some knowledge about
structured literacy but notenough to make nuanced decisions
for the big picture, long-termstrategy of the school can't say

(13:17):
well in our professionaljudgment.
We believe that XYZ program isbest and we'll be doing it
differently from everyone else.
The key here is to make surethat everyone understands what
the development journey lookslike as we learn and are open to
the deep work and theboundaries that are needed to
truly grow in our understandingof the craft and science of

(13:41):
teaching.
When this happens, developmentis done with people as active
participants in their ownprofessional development, not
two people where they tick boxesor complete modules and then go
back to the classroom withexactly the same knowledge and
skills they had before.
And leaders Leaders have tolead.

(14:02):
They have to set the boundaries, treat people with respect,
continue to build their ownteaching capacity as new
techniques emerge and set theexample for the rest of the team
about managing vulnerabilityand being a reflective
practitioner.
There's been a lot to thisepisode, so let's recap.

(14:23):
You have to know your stuff.
Build deep, defensibleknowledge that you can explain
and defend, not just implement.
You have to ask and answerquestions, always starting with
what the research has to tell us.
Then apply your provenprofessional knowledge and
experience in making the nuanceddecisions we know are important
.
Experience in making thenuanced decisions we know are

(14:46):
important.
Have unshakable evidence.
Collect data over time todemonstrate the effectiveness of
your practice across differentcontexts.
Question your own assumptions.
Stay curious and be prepared tochallenge what you think you
know.
Recognise your strengths.
Don't let Mildred convince youyou don't know anything.
If you have expertise, own it,but be humble and generous at
the same time.
Listen well, but don't replaceyour judgment with someone

(15:09):
else's just because they'retalking loudly.
Finally, understand yourdevelopmental phase.
Be honest about where you arein your professional journey and
what level of independentdecision making is appropriate,
and know that you will passthrough this whole development
process for every new thing youlearn.
So it's entirely probable notjust possible, but probable that

(15:33):
you will be sitting indifferent phases for different
aspects of your role.
Professional judgment isn'tabout having all the answers.
It's about having the knowledge, evidence and wisdom to ask the
right questions and makeinformed decisions that serve
students well.
It's about finding that sweetspot between confidence and
humility, between expertise andopenness.

(15:56):
Remember, reclaiming yourprofessional judgment isn't
about going in alone ordismissing the knowledge of
others.
It's about becoming the kind ofeducator who can think
critically, act wisely andcontinue growing throughout your
career.
The children in our classroomsdeserve nothing less than

(16:16):
teachers who are bothknowledgeable and humble, both
confident and curious.
You've got this.
Trust the process, trust yourlearning and keep that appetite
for really understandinginstruction alive.
Your students will be theultimate beneficiaries of your
thoughtful, evidence-informedprofessional judgment.

(16:36):
Thanks for listening to thisepisode of the Structured
Literacy Podcast.
Happy teaching everyone.
See you next time.
Bye.
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