“I Read a Theory Once…” — Making Sense of Education Jargon in Real Life

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May 15
2 min read

Updated: May 20

Hands turning pages of an open book on a table, with colorful tabs and a pen. Person in a dark sweater and blue patterned shirt.

"I read a theory once...". It usually starts that way — in the staffroom, during a PD session, or buried in a lesson plan guide. Constructivism. Metacognition. Social learning theory. ZPD. Scaffolding.The terms pile up like books on a desk — well-intentioned, possibly brilliant, but often distant from the felt reality of teaching 27 students on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Theories are meant to guide us — but sometimes, they feel like they’re written in a different language altogether.

The Jargon Problem (and Why It’s Not Just Fluff)

Let’s be fair. Educational theory exists for good reason. It gives us frameworks to understand how students learn, how environments shape development, and how instruction can be improved. The problem isn’t that theory is useless — it’s that it’s often divorced from the real constraints of teaching.

When you’re navigating different ability levels, emotional needs, pacing guides, and tech hiccups all before 10 a.m., remembering Vygotsky’s socio-cultural lens might not top your list.

But here’s the twist: theory can be practical. It just needs translation.

Translation in the Trenches

Take scaffolding, for example — a classic. At first glance, it sounds like something you’d find at a construction site. But in practice? It’s when you pause to model a task, break it down, or give sentence starters to help a hesitant student respond. You’re probably using it already.

Or formative assessment. Not just exit tickets and mini quizzes — but noticing when a student furrows their brow, or taking a mental note when hands start to drop off. These theories describe what great teachers already do, often without realising they’re doing it.

When we take ownership of these terms, they stop sounding like jargon and start becoming part of the craft. They help explain why something works — and that “why” can fuel professional confidence and even innovation.

A Call for Curated Curiosity

We don’t need to be academic experts, but we do deserve better bridges between theory and practice. Not more buzzwords — just better conversations.

Professional development should focus less on “covering” theories and more on exploring them together: What does this look like in my Year 5 class? How does it change if I’m teaching ESL? What happens if I try it tomorrow?

So the next time someone says, “I read a theory once...,” lean in. Not because you’re expected to quote Piaget, but because buried inside that theory might be a tiny shift in mindset — one that makes your teaching just a little lighter, a little clearer, or a little more connected.