Teaching Fireworks: Why Zest Simmons Loves Teaching #LoveTeaching
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Release Date: 02/17/2020
Teaching Writing in an AI World: A Practical Guide
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
As AI tools like ChatGPT become more accessible, how can teachers help students develop authentic writing skills? In this episode, Vicki Davis talks with Dawne Beck, an experienced ELA teacher, about practical strategies for integrating AI into writing instruction while maintaining academic integrity. You’ll learn: ✅ How to teach writing as a process to reduce AI misuse. ✅ Ways to use AI for feedback and editing without replacing student creativity. ✅ How to design writing prompts that AI can’t complete well. ✅ Why students often prefer their own writing over AI-generated...
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11 Simple Hacks for Teachers to Save Time | Dr. Desiree Alexander
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Are you a teacher feeling overwhelmed by endless tasks and struggling to find time for what truly matters—your students? In this episode of The 10 Minute Teacher Podcast, Dr. Desiree Alexander, an award-winning educator and consultant, shares 11 practical time management hacks every teacher can use to reclaim their time and reduce stress. 📋 Show Notes: Access the full show notes and links mentioned in this episode at coolcatteacher.com/e879. 🎓 About Dr. Desiree Alexander: Dr. Desiree Alexander is the Founder and CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting, LLC, and the Deputy Director for the...
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Why RTI and MTSS Matter: Strategies to Support Every Learner with Mike Mattos
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Discover how to revolutionize student support with RTI (Response to Intervention) and MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) in this expert-led episode. Mike Mattos, an internationally recognized educator, author, and co-creator of the RTI at Work™ model, shares proven strategies to help schools ensure every learner thrives. Drawing from decades of experience as a teacher, principal, and thought leader in professional learning communities, Mike breaks down practical tips, common mistakes to avoid, and insights for building a powerful framework of student success. Whether you're a teacher,...
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Breaking the Algorithm: How Flipboard and the Fediverse Empower Educators (Episode 877)
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Discover how to break free from algorithmic echo chambers and reclaim your personalized news feed. In this episode, William “Coach” Jeffery, an experienced educator and innovator, shares insights on using tools like Flipboard and the Fediverse to curate reliable, authentic, and diverse content for educators. Learn how to overcome filter bubbles, follow relevant hashtags, and amplify your professional learning with human-curated tools. Whether you're an educator or someone curious about alternative approaches to consuming news, this episode is packed with actionable strategies and inspiring...
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Apple Intelligence and Its Impact on the Classroom
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
In today’s ever-evolving educational landscape, technology is redefining how we teach and learn. With the release of Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia, students and educators now have AI tools at their fingertips, embedded in everyday devices and apps. In this episode of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast, Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher will cover: How Apple Intelligence integrates into apps, web browsers, and writing tools like Google Docs. A comparison between Apple Intelligence and Google's Gemini AI in education. Practical classroom applications, tips, and strategies to harness...
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From Ego to Excellence: Leadership Growth with Dr. Samuel Nix
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
🌟 Leadership is not about ego; it’s about transformation. 🌟 In this inspiring episode, Dr. Samuel Nix, award-winning educator and Chief Academic Officer of Duncanville Independent School District, shares actionable strategies for transforming school culture, rebuilding trust, and leading with humility. Whether you're striving to improve assessments, foster thriving school environments, or grow as a leader, this episode is packed with insights you can use immediately. 🔑 What You'll Learn: How to shift from being a results-only leader to one who inspires trust and connection....
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How to Help Kids Use Devices Responsibly
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
In this episode of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast, I sit down with Jordan Shapiro, author of The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World. We tackle one of the most pressing challenges for parents and teachers today: how to help kids develop healthy relationships with their devices. From cell phone bans to managing screen time, we dive into the heart of the frustrations many adults face when navigating technology with children. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why kids struggle with device self-regulation and how adults can help them develop this critical skill. The...
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4 Essentials for Every Teacher: How to Design Lessons, Engage Kids and Manage Your Classroom
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
As a teacher, we must build our classrooms from the ground up. Today, veteran teacher and teacher coach and author of Always a Lesson: Teaching Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, Gretchen Bridgers, shares the four ways we build our classroom. From designing lessons that engage students powerfully to classroom management and student engagement, learn the fundamentals in this quick listen. And hear about the top level where all of us veteran teachers want to hang out "student ownership." Let's listen to what we can learn about building the best classroom ever! This episode is a...
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91% Proficiency: How One Teacher Transformed Reading Outcomes In Just One Year
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
What if you could achieve a 40% increase in ELA proficiency in just one school year? Teacher Ezera Washington from Paterson, New Jersey, did exactly that—reaching an astounding 91% proficiency rate with her students. In this episode, Ezera shares her proven methods for improving reading test scores while building meaningful relationships with students. You’ll learn how to: Adapt teaching using real-time data and formative assessments. Scaffold complex content to ensure all students meet grade-level goals. Build strong parent-teacher partnerships to reinforce learning at home. Inspire...
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12 Easy Ways to Teach Kids to Code: Hour of Code & CS4Ed Week 2024
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Get ready for CS4Ed Week 2024 and the Hour of Code with this special episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast! 🎉 We’re sharing 12 practical and fun coding activities that will inspire creativity and teach kids computational thinking. From gamified platforms like CodeCombat to app development with Mad Learn, hands-on robotics, and unplugged challenges, there’s something here for every educator and student. 💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How to use CodeCombat and Code.org to engage students in coding. Creative ideas like Dance Party, Minecraft, and coding with Anna and Elsa....
info_outlineWe can get out of education, but the kids can't. Today's students need educators who love them and who love teaching. Zest Simmons, award-winning AP Teacher and Alabama State Teacher of the Year 2019 tells the story of how she ignites learning and loves students in her classroom. We can reach every child. Zest talks about how.
Zest Simmons - Bio as Submitted
Inspired to become an educator by her own teachers, Zestlan Simmons, a National Board Certified teacher, was once told by a family friend to “reconsider her options” when she shared her dream. However, for her, the joy of seeing students engaged in mastering writing skills has been the catalyst for pursuing her dream. This love of empowering students with the awareness of their capabilities led her to return to Booker T. Washington (BTW) Magnet where she once benefited from an arts education through the Carver Creative and Performing Arts Program (CCPAC), which is now BTW. In her role as an educator at BTW, she contributes to cross-curricular planning initiatives, which encourage art and academic teachers to collaborate on special projects and classroom instruction.
When her school partnered with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) and A+ College Ready, she started teaching Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition in 2009 and was recognized by NMSI as the AP English Teacher of the Year for increasing the AP Language exam scores for minority students.
In 2017, she pursued a certification in Instructional Leadership so that she could continue to mentor new teachers. Her greatest joy has been to see her former students become teachers in Montgomery, in Alabama, and in the nation
Twitter: @ZestlanSimmons
Instagram: @zsimmons99