5 Ways to Step Back into the Classroom Better Than We Ever Were Before
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Release Date: 08/26/2019
Play, Curiosity, and the Joy of Math with Dan Finkel
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
What if math could feel like play? 🎲 In this inspiring episode, mathematician and educator Dan Finkel—founder of —joins Vicki Davis, the Cool Cat Teacher, to explore how curiosity, productive struggle, and play can make math more meaningful and fun for every learner. Discover how to start math lessons with questions, why struggle builds deeper understanding, and how to help students fall in love with problem-solving again. Perfect for teachers, parents, and anyone who wants to make learning joyful. 📘 Show Notes & Links: 🧲 Sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by...
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Can AI Replace Teachers? Dr. Catlin Tucker on Smarter Lesson Design and UDL
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Dr. Catlin Tucker, bestselling author and blended learning expert, joins Vicki Davis to talk about how teachers can design better lessons with AI—without losing their essential human touch. From universal design for learning (UDL) to creating meaningful student choice, Dr. Tucker explains how AI can elevate lesson planning when used with intentionality and creativity. They discuss the limits of “AI lesson generators,” what true differentiation looks like, and why great teaching still depends on relationships, empathy, and design thinking. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Clixo, an...
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6 Ideas for Teaching Writing Now with Nancy McCabe
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Teaching writing can feel challenging in today’s world of short attention spans and AI-generated text—but it doesn’t have to be! In this encouraging episode, author and professor Nancy McCabe joins host Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher) to share six creative strategies that help students rediscover the joy of writing. From 10-minute free writing sessions to outdoor field trips and imitating great authors, Nancy shares proven ideas that work for every age. She also explains why mistakes and “messy drafts” are not problems to fix—but signs of authentic thinking and growth. Sponsored by...
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AI, Speakable, and the Future of Language Teaching
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Learning a new language can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! In this inspiring conversation, Spanish teacher Dawne Beck joins host Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher) to share practical ways to create a low-anxiety, high-engagement classroom where students actually enjoy speaking another language. From using game-based learning and storytelling to integrating AI pronunciation tools like Speakable, Dawne explains how to build students’ confidence while keeping the focus on communication over perfection. She also discusses strategies for helping third-language learners and students who...
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ChatGPT, Mental Health and the Teen Tragedy We Can't Ignore
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
My students asked me about the Adam Raine wrongful death suit. Parents have asked me. So, I had to spend some time digging into the issues there and how I will be part of the solution. Part of protecting kids from their favorite 'homework helper.' We should all be concerned, and I look forward to continuing to learn and converse about the issue of our times as it relates to children. Show notes and resources:
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Why Teachers Must Learn to Say "No" (And How to Do It)
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Teachers often feel pressured to say “yes” to everything. Dr. Brad Johnson shares why assertiveness is the secret to avoiding burnout and thriving in your teaching career and how you can do it in a way that you're not considered negative. 3 Takeaways: • Assertiveness is about healthy boundaries, not aggression. • Saying “no” is essential to teacher self-care. • Administrators and teachers both benefit from assertive communication. Growth Reflection: How do you set healthy boundaries as an educator? Show Notes Link:
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A Cool Secret for Helping Kids Understand Math
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Too many kids see math as boring or irrelevant. Tinashe Blanchet shares how creative, real-world projects like scale models can help students engage deeply with math while still hitting standards. Read more: 3 Takeaways: • Scale models and PBL connect math to real life. • Measurement is often the weakest test area—but projects can fix that. • Teachers can start small with PBL, even in tight schedules. Growth Reflection: How have you used projects to make math more engaging? Show notes link:
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Richard Culatta: What an AI-Ready Graduate Really Looks Like
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
AI didn’t break assessments—it revealed just how flawed they already were. Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE+ASCD, shares how schools can prepare AI-ready graduates, address bias, and rethink what learning really looks like. Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e912 3 Takeaways: • Assessments weren’t broken by AI—they were broken already. • An AI-ready graduate needs strong human skills like storytelling and problem-solving. • Addressing bias requires both human awareness and AI tools for cross-checking. Growth Reflection: How should schools redefine assessments in the age of...
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Building Cybersecurity Skills in Schools: The Student SOC
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Cyber attacks on schools are growing. Auburn University’s Jay James shows how student-led cybersecurity operations prepare learners and protect campuses. 3 Takeaways: • Student SOCs give real-world, hands-on cybersecurity training. • AI tools like Microsoft Security Co-Pilot mentor students in real time. • K-12 schools can start small with focused projects and grow from there. Growth Prompt: How do you prepare students—or staff—for real cybersecurity threats? Show notes link:
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Low Morale or Toxic Culture? Solutions with Stand Tall Steve Bollar
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Staff morale slipping or culture feeling off? In minutes, Stand Tall Steve Bollar shares quick, no-cost moves to lift school climate, empower staff, and unite your campus. Full links + guest bio: . Follow the 10 Minute Teacher for weekly classroom-ready tips. 3 Takeaways • Run a 7-week student-to-staff micro-challenge to build relationships fast. • Use five levels of decision-making to boost empowerment and morale. • Choose shared “anchors” to align subcultures and reduce toxicity. Growth Prompt Which micro-move will you try first—learn names, compliment shoes, thumbs-up...
info_outlineStudents need our help to regulate their own emotions. Today, psychologist Dr. Jody Carrington helps us understand five ways we can connect with our students and help them regulate their emotions. Understanding these simple principles can help us connect, improve classroom management, and be better teachers.
Challenge
We learned 5 ways to step back in but today, I’m giving you the Name that Child Challenge. I challenge you to call the names of as many children as possible in a positive way today as many times as possible. If you do this challenge with a friend, then share at the end of the day the kind of response you received from the children.
Dr. Jody Carrington - Bio from Her Website
I grew up on a farm in rural Alberta.My parents were high school sweethearts. My brother and I grew up together in a pretty happy place. Then my parents divorced. As adults, my brother and I learned that we had a full biological sister – who my parents had given up for adoption before we were born. I learned that even when you have a “secure base” and “safe haven”, sometimes you need a little help sorting out “your story”. For me, sorting out my own early story helps me be a better writer of the next chapters of my story – the one’s called “wife”, “mother”, “sister”, “friend”, and “psychologist”.
My “story” of becoming a psychologist started at Red Deer College. I transferred to the University of Alberta, where I earned my Bachelor of Arts with distinction in 1998. I completed a year-long internship during that degree with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and became very passionate about police work and the significant toll that trauma can take on people. I was also lucky enough to spend some time working with some amazing families through Ronald McDonald House and I also volunteered with Victim Services. I then continued my studies at the University of Regina with the thought of pursuing a career in Police Psychology. Although I loved that work, my passion began to shift to families, especially those who experienced trauma. I completed my pre-doctoral residency in Nova Scotia in 2006 where I trained primarily in Cognitive-Behavioural and Narrative approaches. I completed rotations both with adults and children and learned that I really enjoyed understanding the “stories” of children—particularly those who had difficult experiences.
I returned home to Alberta and accepted a job at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary on the Inpatient and Day Treatment Units, a position that would forever change the course of my career. I quickly learned my “cognitive-behavioral skills” were not enough for kids and families with long and often traumatic stories with multi-generational influences. I needed to connect in order to have any significant impact. Desperate to learn more about attachment, I set off on a quest for mentors who “got it” and have been very lucky to have been influenced by some of “the greats”.
You will see a lot in my story about attachment. I have learned the power of the relationship. Empathy. Connection. I have learned that these are important for anyone who might want to understand their story and shift it in some way. Or heal in some way. Or repair it in some way. Or change their story once and for all. So that their next chapter as “teenager”, “spouse”, “parent”, or “friend” can be better. I have worked with adults and children, as well as families, and I would be honored to learn about your story and perhaps influence your next chapters.