Rod J. Naquin

Rod J. Naquin Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Rod J. Naquin, Educational consultant, Bayou Gauche, LA.

High school English teacher | Exploring dialogue & classroom conversations | Writing about educational practice at http://rodjnaquin.substack.com | Books, music & more

Greg Ashman explains a common problem: teachers claim they already use "explicit teaching" (direct instruction with clea...
08/24/2026

Greg Ashman explains a common problem: teachers claim they already use "explicit teaching" (direct instruction with clear explanations and guided practice), but they're actually doing something quite different. He shares how he thought he was teaching effectively but changed after reading research in 2011. Now he demonstrates one concept at a time, has students practice immediately on whiteboards, and guides them extensively before letting them work alone. School visits help teachers realize their methods differ from true research-based explicit teaching.
https://open.substack.com/pub/fillingthepail/p/i-already-do-that?r=1nrnh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

My blog post shares what I learned using AI tools in my high school English class this year. My biggest mistake: giving ...
08/23/2026

My blog post shares what I learned using AI tools in my high school English class this year. My biggest mistake: giving students AI-generated feedback before they got personal responses from me—even accurate AI feedback felt hollow without human connection first. I also learned "AI in schools" means too many different things to discuss usefully. What worked: keeping myself central by always being clear about my goals, the specific content, and what thinking I want students doing. AI isn't good or bad—it depends on the specific context and learning goal.
https://open.substack.com/pub/rodjnaquin/p/what-i-got-wrong-and-right-about?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

I agree with the author here that principals should ask teacher candidates "What's the best book you read this year?" to...
08/23/2026

I agree with the author here that principals should ask teacher candidates "What's the best book you read this year?" to assess literacy (54% of US adults read below 6th grade), intellectual curiosity, diverse thinking, and whether they model reading enthusiasm for students. This question should apply to school leaders, ed reformers, instructional coaches, and all education staff too. The response reveals if candidates value lifelong learning and can enrich school culture beyond practical teaching skills.
https://open.substack.com/pub/bgeoghegan4/p/its-not-just-students-who-need-to?r=1nrnh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

I really appreciate deep skepticism of seemingly science-backed claims. This article exposes how recent studies claiming...
08/23/2026

I really appreciate deep skepticism of seemingly science-backed claims. This article exposes how recent studies claiming "phone bans don't work" didn't actually study real bans. One examined loose policies allowing phones between classes. Another studied Yondr pouches (students still carry phones) and found only 17% reduction in use—nowhere near a true ban. The author argues we can't conclude genuine bell-to-bell removal doesn't help learning when it hasn't been properly tested yet. https://open.substack.com/pub/thedigitaldelusion/p/researchers-say-phone-bans-dont-improve?r=1nrnh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

My recent blog explains how coaching a student teacher taught me to stop offering quick fixes. Drawing on two educationa...
08/22/2026

My recent blog explains how coaching a student teacher taught me to stop offering quick fixes. Drawing on two educational theories, I learned that teaching problems like getting kids to participate or keeping order never truly go away, and classroom discussions always involve trade-offs. Now, instead of giving advice, I name the competing costs out loud and let the teacher decide what matters most in that moment. https://rodjnaquin.substack.com/p/why-coaching-taught-me-to-stop-solving?r=1nrnh&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Christopher, a former school-choice advocate, writes that Tennessee stopped requiring voucher students to take the state...
08/22/2026

Christopher, a former school-choice advocate, writes that Tennessee stopped requiring voucher students to take the state test right after data showed they scored far below public school peers (17% proficient in math vs. 40% for public schools). He argues officials hid bad results instead of fixing them, breaking the original promise that vouchers would be held accountable like public schools. https://citizen.substack.com/p/seventeen-effing-percent?r=1nrnh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Marc Smith explains memories aren't exact recordings—they're rebuilt each time we recall them, and details fade or get i...
08/22/2026

Marc Smith explains memories aren't exact recordings—they're rebuilt each time we recall them, and details fade or get invented. He shares his own false memory alongside psychologist Ulric Neisser's, then describes "fuzzy trace theory": we store both fuzzy "gist" memories and detailed "verbatim" ones, which can blend and create false memories, especially in older or vulnerable people. https://dynamiclearning.substack.com/p/your-memories-arent-as-accurate-as?r=1nrnh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Paul Kirschner explains that "the research says" oversimplifies education. Citing Dewey's 1929 book, he argues science i...
08/22/2026

Paul Kirschner explains that "the research says" oversimplifies education. Citing Dewey's 1929 book, he argues science isn't isolated findings but a connected web of knowledge built over time. Studies simplify reality; classrooms are messy and complex. Teachers shouldn't just follow research like a recipe—it should sharpen their judgment, not replace it. Science and teacher expertise must work together. https://paulkirschner173727.substack.com/p/the-science-of-education?r=1nrnh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Riley's whole essay has one blind spot: he treats his own version of "science of learning" as neutral, unbiased science ...
08/21/2026

Riley's whole essay has one blind spot: he treats his own version of "science of learning" as neutral, unbiased science — while everyone else's version gets labeled political or oversimplified. He openly criticizes the "center-right" camp and worries the whole idea has become "right-coded," but never stops to ask if his own choices — which research he trusts, which teachers he praises — are just as political. Picking favorites is still picking sides, even if you call it science.

You can see this same move with Zach Groschell. Riley boils down his "explicit instruction" approach to just "teacher talks, kids listen" — skipping over the modeling, practice, and skill-building Groschell actually includes. It's a simplified, easy-to-knock-down version of what Groschell really argues. Riley does this same thing to the groups he disagrees with throughout the piece: simplify their position, then it's easy to sound like the reasonable one standing above the fray — even though his own camp gets treated with way more nuance and care. https://buildcognitiveresonance.substack.com/p/the-science-of-learning-taxonomy?r=1nrnh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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