The We Do: Are We Helping Too Much?

The explanation is finished—but are pupils genuinely ready to work independently?

In this episode of Naylor’s Natter, Phil turns his attention to the often-overlooked middle of the lesson: the We Do. It should be the bridge between teacher explanation and independent practice, but what does effective guided practice actually look like? And how do we avoid helping pupils so much that we end up doing the thinking for them?

Drawing on classroom experience, explicit instruction and what he has changed his mind about, Phil explores modelling, questioning, checking for understanding and the gradual removal of support. The key question is simple: when does helpful guidance become a crutch?

Practical, honest and rooted in the reality of the classroom.

Naylor’s Natter—just talking to teachers.