Progressively Incorrect S5E13: Mike Schmoker on How Schools Can Get Results Now
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Jan 13, 2026 Mike Schmoker, an influential education writer and consultant, passionately discusses practical methods to improve schools. He critiques ineffective practices like excessive worksheets and advocates for coherent curricula and explicit instruction. Schmoker highlights how focused teaching and authentic literacy can drive substantial student gains in a short time. He emphasizes the need for school leadership to prioritize impactful practices over compliance and shares practical tips for mapping curriculum and selecting texts. His insights offer hope for meaningful change in education.
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Worksheets Dominate Class Time
- Schools overuse worksheets to a shocking degree, often occupying 50–80% of class time.
- Mike Schmoker argues this crowding out of curriculum, reading, discussion, and explicit instruction is a major cause of poor outcomes.
Walkthroughs Reveal Disconnected Lessons
- Mike describes walkthroughs where leaders quickly see instruction is off base and dominated by worksheets and group work.
- Within three or four classrooms observers often agree the instruction couldn't come from an organized curriculum.
Teach With Clear Objectives And Checks
- Use clear objectives, stepwise instruction, and frequent checks for understanding instead of passive worksheets.
- Reteach or break steps down immediately when multiple students show they don't get it.
