Current Research and 4 Trauma Informed Principles to Help Students Now
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Release Date: 10/26/2020
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....
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Teaching and Having Gratitude and Thankfulness
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
This special extended episode is for family and friends to listen to in the car or around the holidays. It is from what I call my "legacy project," Cool Cat Teacher Talk, soon to be released as its separate podcast. In this, I'll tell you about the Cool Cat Teacher Talk Show project, why I'm doing it, and how it is being created and shared. Then, I'll share my 58-minute Cool Cat Teacher talk episode on Gratitude and Thankfulness. I hope you enjoy the show. Show notes:
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How to Get Kids Excited About Writing
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Speech-to-text, audio, personal drawings and pictures, and writing about things kids love are all part of helping kids get excited about writing. In today's show, we talk to 15-year educator Randi Ahrndt about encouraging kids to get excited about writing as we discuss interactive writing strategies and one of the best free tools for teaching writing. We also talk about an authentic project of having kids write a personal book and the various steps of making it happen. We'll explore how to leverage technology and interactive strategies to turn even the most reluctant students into...
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Practical Tips on How to Teach Reading from Jennifer Serravallo
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Sometimes, teachers can struggle to "fit it all in" when it comes to reading. What a relief it is to hear reading instructional leaders like Jennifer Serravallo talk about the artistry of teaching, how to overcome the challenges of teaching reading, and teacher autonomy and responsiveness. Jennifer also reflects on where the research is "fuzzy" in reading instruction needs more work and discusses where we go next (including the challenges of teaching children with changing attention spans). If you teach reading, Jennifer's show is a must-listen. Episode Highlights: Effective Lesson...
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NASSP Principal of the Year 2025: Dr. Tracie Anderson Swiley
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Dr. Tracie Anderson Swilley the Principal of Fairfield High School in South Carolina was named the 2025 Principal of the Year for the United States by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Today we're going to talk to her about the culture transformation at her school that improved their graduation rate and built a school pride that is promoting excellence in everything they do. She also talks about school safety and how she has approached this sensitive topic. Listen to this inspiring principal and make your school a better place too. Show notes:
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An Interesting Interview with My Principal: Meet Jonathan Dyal
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
This episode of The 10 Minute Teacher was a lot of fun. Not only did I get to interview my principal, Jonathan Dyal, but my film class, the "Sherwood Showstoppers," filmed the interview. (I'm so proud of how much they are learning!) After a tweet I sent out in October 2023, George Couros and Allyson Apsey invited me to write a chapter about Jonathan in their book out this year. (You can about what truly makes a great principal and the five pillars shared in the book.) Principal Dyal shares his philosophy of walking the halls frequently to stay connected with teachers and students,...
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How to Help Students and Schools in Traumatic Times
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
In today’s episode, we discuss a critical issue many schools are facing—how to help students and staff heal from trauma. Whether it's a safety event, severe weather like Hurricane Helene, or individual traumas, schools across the nation are navigating unprecedented challenges. To help students learn, we must first help them process what they've been through. As Lana Penley says, "In moments of crisis, we need to provide space for students and teachers to process what they've been through before diving back into academics." I want to acknowledge those still in the midst of trauma, like...
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Things That Will Make a Truly Great Principal
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
In today’s episode of The 10-Minute Teacher Podcast, we sit down with well-known educator and author George Couros to dive into his latest book, . With insights from educators, principals, and contributors from around the world, George discusses how great principals build strong relationships, encourage continuous learning, and create environments that elevate both teachers and students. (I also was able to contribute a chapter about my principal and we talk about that a little as well.) Questions Answered in This Podcast: What makes a great principal? What are the five pillars of effective...
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What Makes Kids Excited to Learn?
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
We want our students to be engaged and to want to learn. Particularly since the pandemic, many schools have struggled to engage learners. Today's episode shows us not only how we can creatively include play in our classrooms, no matter the age group or subject, but also why it's never too late to re-engage students. Additionally, Dr. Nash shares fascinating data from a recent survey involving over 6,000 administrators, teachers, parents, and students that reveals the importance of student engagement and how play-based learning can drive meaningful educational experiences across all ages....
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The Spectacular Story of Quest Academy: Whole School Competency-Based Learning
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Nicki Slaugh is a trailblazing principal who pioneered personalized competency-based learning at Question Academy Junior High in Utah. Nicki's innovative approach has captured national attention, increasing student engagement, test scores, and teacher retention. In today's episode, Nicky shares the journey of shifting from a traditional school to a dynamic, customized learning environment where every student thrives at their own pace. Here’s what we’ll cover in today’s episode: How did Nicki transform her school culture to engage students and raise test scores? What strategies did she...
info_outlineWe've updated the popular show from the spring with current research in October 2020 with Dr. Eric Rossen, the Director of professional development and standards for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) which has created a recent COVID19 Resource Center. In today's show, Dr. Rossen helps us understand how we can help children wherever they are learning and wherever we are teaching.
Sponsor: Impero Teachers are often a first line of defense when it comes to looking out for students’ wellbeing. I’ve discovered an amazing FREE tool from Impero Software that can help. Impero back:drop is a free, cloud-based solution that helps schools manage and record student health information such as mental health, behavioral or health issues (including COVID-19 symptoms) or other concerns. Impero back:drop eliminates the need for paper-based reporting, plus provides a safe and secure place to record and store information about student safety concerns.
I love Impero back:drop because it really helps inform educators about a student’s health, from first aid, to sickness, to more complex mental health issues they may be experiencing. It’s FERPA, COPPA and HIPAA compliant, plus information can only be shared with permitted staff members. I hope you’ll check out Impero back:drop. You can sign up at imperosoftware.com/us/coolcatteacher.
Resources Mentioned on the Show
- 10 Trauma-Informed Principles for Educators Now with Dr. Eric Rossen March 2020 Show
- COVID19 Resource Center
Dr. Eric Rossen - Bio as Submitted
Dr. Eric Rossen is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, a licensed psychologist in Maryland, and a credentialed National Register Health Service psychologist.
Dr. Rossen is currently the Director of Professional Development and Standards with the National Association of School Psychologists which has created a recent COVID19 Resource Center.
He has worked in public schools and in independent practice and has served as a college instructor and adjunct faculty at the University of Missouri and Prince George’s Community College. He has presented across the US and internationally, and published dozens of articles and book chapters related to school psychology, school safety, and trauma. He is most recently the editor of Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students: A Guide for School-Based Professionals, 2nd Edition, and coauthor of the book Applying a Trauma-Informed Framework to The IEP Process: From Referral to Development.
You can learn more about Dr. Rossen on his website: www.ericrossen.com; and follow him on Twitter: @E_Rossen
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."