Building better teaching through practice and feedback with Teach Well

Teaching should not be as hard as it sometimes feels, for teachers or for students.In this episode of Magnify Matters, Tim Edwards (Catholic Education Sandhurst, Assistant Director: Learning and Teaching) is joined by Katie Webster and Katie Roberts-Hull from Teach Well for a conversation about what it takes to translate evidence into everyday classroom practice.Drawing on their work across more than 900 schools, Katie Webster and Katie Roberts-Hull reflect on the realities of school improvement, from early career teaching experiences to system-wide professional learning, and what it takes to move beyond one-off professional development to something that genuinely shifts teaching.As partners in the Magnify Sandhurst journey, they connect research to practice, exploring how modelling, feedback and sustained support build teacher confidence and create the conditions for every student to learn.Together they explore:Why calm, orderly and predictable learning environments are the foundation for effective teaching and learning.What doesn't work in professional learning, and why one-off workshops rarely lead to sustained change in practice.Why teachers need to see what effective instruction looks like, not just hear the theory behind it.How retrieval practice, review and full participation strengthen learning and support long-term memory.Why system improvement relies on coherence, shared language and continuous learning over time.Whether you’re in the classroom, leading a school or working across a system, this episode offers practical insight and a clear reminder that improving teaching is not about doing more, but about doing what works, consistently and well.Now stay with us as we magnify what truly matters in education.Mentioned in this episodeMagnify SandhurstCatholic Education SandhurstTeach WellOchre EducationClassroom MasteryABOUT TEACH WELLTeach Well create life-long learning opportunities for teachers and school leaders, that translate research into action, improving outcomes for all students. Across Australia, 8,800+ educators and 650+ schools have improved student learning and engagement through its programs. In 2025, Teach Well joined forces with Ochre Education to deepen its collective impact, bringing together Teach Well’s expertise in professional development and Ochre Education’s comprehensive curriculum offerings. Ochre Education is a national not-for-profit, that supports teachers and expands student access to comprehensive high-quality curriculum through a free online library.ABOUT MAGNIFY SANDHURSTCatholic Education Sandhurst rolled out Magnify Sandhurst, an evidence-informed, science of learning school improvement initiative, to its 51 Catholic schools across the Sandhurst Diocese at the beginning of 2025. Magnify Sandhurst focuses on how the brain learns, how literacy is effectively taught, uses a low variance, knowledge-rich curriculum and the creation of positive classrooms. Our practice is calm, predictable, and repeatable to maximise learning time in all classrooms. Magnify Sandhurst is deliberately bold and wide-ranging, generating whole-of-system improvement.ABOUT CATHOLIC EDUCATION SANDHURSTCatholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools and six early learning centres across regional and rural Victoria, educating 15,298 students. We empower regional young people, their families, our staff and communities to have 'life to the full' (John 10:10).Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.