upcoming Events
Events
VTLM 2.0 for Teachers and Leaders
I am proud to be delivering this professional learning opportunity on behalf of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership: VTLM 2.0 for Teachers and Leaders.
2026 Workshop Dates
Geelong – 11 February
Shepparton – 13 February
Ballarat – 19 March
Frankston - 7 May
Bendigo – 19 May
Mildura – 21 May
Wangaratta - 2 June
Dunkeld – 4 June
Semester 2 Opening Soon!
Bairnsdale – 20 August
Ballarat - 12 October
Shepparton - 20 October
North Melbourne - 6 and 10 November
Leading Literacy
We are thrilled to be delivering the Leading Literacy Academy program on behalf of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership.
IN THIS PREMIER LITERACY LEADERSHIP COURSE, in partnership with the Academy, we have designed this comprehensive course for vertical school leadership teams ready to lead literacy across their whole school—because reading and writing underpin every subject.
I am proud to be working alongside my colleague and dear friend Alana Semerjian to bring this to life.
📅 Intakes open June & July
📍 For primary, secondary & specialist settings
⚡️ Places are limited
Get your application in soon—We’d love to work with you.
cognitorium
/ kɔg•nə•toː•riː•əm /
noun, place of learning
dr swain’s cognitorium
A BLOG ABOUT teaching, Teachers, Learners, and Learning.
The Cognitorium is a place which holds the learning experience as sacred. Journey with me as I put the Science of Learning into practice, honouring the experiences, motivations, and curiosities of my students—young and old.
ABOUT
Dr Nathaniel Swain
I am a Teacher, Instructional Coach, and Writer. I am passionate about language, literacy and learning, and effective and engaging teaching for all students.
Over my career, I’ve worked with students and teachers in a primary, secondary and tertiary settings as a teacher and instructional leader.
In 2019, I founded a community of teachers and other educators committed to the Science of Learning: THINK FORWARD EDUCATORS.
TEAChING Practice
Instruction
Student Engagement
Language
Literacy
Linguistics
Mathematics
Science
Humanities and Social Sciences
Subscribe to the cognitorium
to access slides from recent talks and other Subscriber Downloads
Here’s a preview!
QLD Reading Symposium Presentations Oct 2025
Flourishing Learners Conference - Coherent Curriculum Sep 2025
Sharing Best Practice Melbourne North May 2025
Sharing Best Practice Sydney March 2025
researchED Ballarat March 2025
the community of teachers and other educators committed to social equity, using the Science of Learning
Founded by Dr Nathaniel Swain
Connect with like-minded professionals
Discuss research-based practices and initiatives
Find solutions to your questions
Develop professional knowledge and skills
QLD EVENT! JAN 2027
📍 Sunshine Coast. QLD ☑️ Register here
This full-day professional learning event with Dr Nathaniel Swain focuses on how teachers can strengthen daily instruction by embedding powerful reading and writing teaching techniques directly into every lesson—supporting disciplinary literacy and deeper thinking in every subject.
Suitable for primary and secondary educators and leaders and hosted by Pacific Paradise State School in the beautiful Sunshine Coast, you will learn how to:
* embed reading, writing and oracy instruction into everyday lessons in your subject area
* explicitly teach the literacy demands unique to each discipline
* support students to engage with complex texts and concepts with greater understanding
* improve the quality and depth of student writing within subject contexts
* structure classroom talk to strengthen reasoning and conceptual understanding
* reduce cognitive overload while increasing high expectations
* apply evidence-informed teaching techniques to strengthen daily teaching practice