Adam Robbins Education

The work of Graham Nuttall is legendary. His book The Hidden Lives of Learners is still worth returning to, because it shows how careful observation uncovered truths that only later became mainstream.

One of his most enduring ideas is that beneath every classroom lie three hidden worlds. There is the teacher’s world, where lessons are carefully planned and delivered. There is the peer world, where friendships, status and side conversations can amplify or quietly undermine what is being taught. And there is the private world of the learner, where prior knowledge, emotions and personal strategies filter every experience.

The challenge of teaching is that these worlds rarely align. What the teacher says, what peers share, and what each child actually learns can be three very different stories.

A Fourth World

When I first began delivering my Middle Leadership Mastery course, I found myself adding a fourth hidden world: the teacher’s world of beliefs, values and internal narratives.

This world is less about classroom dynamics and more about how teachers themselves interpret professional learning. A teacher’s prior experiences, their confidence, and even their sense of identity can act as powerful filters.

• A piece of feedback might be heard as encouragement by one teacher, but as criticism by another.
• A CPD session might excite someone who sees the value immediately, but leave another disengaged if it clashes with their existing beliefs.
• Even observing a colleague can be filtered; one teacher sees possibility, another sees only obstacles.

Why It Matters

If we ignore this hidden world, professional development can miss its mark. Leaders may deliver the same message, but teachers will interpret it in very different ways.

That is why effective CPD cannot just be about presenting strategies. It must also create space for reflection, discussion or coaching that surfaces the teacher’s hidden world. When teachers articulate their assumptions, hopes and worries, they become more open to growth. I think Cognitive Coaching has a good chance of providing this if delivered by knowledgeable teachers.

Closing Thought

Nuttall’s three worlds help us understand the complexity of learning in classrooms. But if we want to understand the complexity of teacher development, we need to add the fourth: the hidden world of teachers themselves. It is in this world, of beliefs, values and interpretations, that the success of CPD is often decided.

I have a free webinar on ideas around supporting experienced teachers on 25/9/25 details here.

Or just buy the book 🙂