Martians in Your Classroom, STEM, and Making Makerspaces Accessible
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Release Date: 05/14/2019
ADHD Misconceptions: What Your Students Need You to Know
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
ADHD misconceptions are sabotaging your students’ confidence and success. In this episode, Jheri South—a certified ADHD specialist and mom of seven neurodivergent kids—reveals the five things that actually engage an ADHD brain, the hidden emotional struggle affecting 95% of people with ADHD (rejection sensitivity dysphoria), and why “just try harder” is the worst advice you can give. Learn practical strategies for classroom engagement, how to recognize hyper-focus, and why consistency matters more than you think. In this episode: The difference between ADHD behaviors and ADHD...
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Free AI Resources for Teachers: Hour of AI and Beyond
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Free AI literacy resources for every K-12 teacher — not just computer science. Karim Meghji, President and CEO at Code.org, shares how to teach AI in any classroom. In this episode, you'll learn: Why AI literacy belongs in every subject, not just CS class How to get started with Code.org's free Hour of AI activities at hourofai.org Unplugged AI activities that work without any computers — perfect for K-5 Why teachers need to invest in their own AI education first (and a free way to do it) Where to start by grade level: elementary, middle school, and high school resources Karim...
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Inquiry Based Learning Made Simple for K-8
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Inquiry-based learning doesn't have to mean overhauling your entire schedule. Terra Tarango, Chief Education Officer at Van Andel Institute for Education, shares practical ways K-8 teachers can weave inquiry and hands-on science into any subject — starting small and building from there. Sponsored by the VAI Educator's Studio from Van Andel Institute for Education. In this episode, you'll learn: How a 5-lesson kindergarten bee project covers science, math, ELA, and SEL Why "Beat the Bot" is the perfect activity for teaching kids what humans do better than AI How to flip your planning...
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Brain Friendly Reading Strategies That Actually Work
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
In this episode, Malia Hollowell shares actionable, science-backed strategies to transform early reading instruction. Learn how to organize sight words by phonics rules, leverage spoken language as your teaching superpower, support dyslexic learners, and use word ladders for real reading growth. You'll also discover why leveled readers fall short and how to find trustworthy literacy resources. In this episode, you'll learn: How to organize sight words by phonics rules instead of random lists Why spoken language and sound tapping beats flashcard drilling How to support the 20% of learners...
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Phone Addiction in Teens: What Actually Works
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Phone addiction in teens is real — and Australian psychologist Dr. Brad Marshall has evidence-based strategies that actually work from treating 2,500+ families. Dr. Brad Marshall, known as the Unplugged Psychologist and Director of Australia's Screen & Gaming Disorder Clinic, joins Vicki Davis to share what two decades of clinical work and university research reveal about helping kids break free from phone addiction — without shame or judgment. In this episode, you'll learn: Why parental control software fails — and the "handbrake rule" that actually works What happened when...
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Executive Function Strategies K through 3rd Grade Teachers Can Use Today
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Executive function strategies Kindergarten through 3rd grade teachers can implement today. Dr. Sarah Oberle shares science-backed ways to support working memory, inhibition, and focus in the classroom. Dr. Sarah Oberle is a primary educator and cognitive science expert whose upcoming book, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom, translates learning science into practical classroom strategies. In this episode, she breaks down the six executive functions developing in young children and explains why they matter more than content knowledge for student success. In this episode, you'll...
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Balanced Class Lists: A Principal's Guide to Planning Ahead
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Balanced class lists set students and teachers up for success. Principal Carrie Hetzel shares her team approach, time-saving tech tools, and advice for planning ahead. is this podcast. for your free trial of Class Composer. For elementary principals and guidance counselors, this is a must-use. Creating balanced class lists is one of the most important — and labor-intensive — tasks elementary principals tackle each spring. In this episode, Carrie Hetzel, principal of Paradise Canyon Elementary School in California (a National Blue Ribbon School), explains how her team builds balanced...
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How Teachers Can Give High-Potential Students a College Roadmap
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Too many bright, high-achieving students hit a wall because they lack access, know-how, and the “network advantage” that makes college applications feel possible. In this episode, I talk with Zak Adams, a junior at Harvard University, about how mentorship can help high-potential, low-opportunity students pursue “dream universities” they might not otherwise consider. We discuss Project Access, an international, UK-registered charity that pairs students with mentors connected to their target universities. If you work with juniors right now, this conversation will help you see practical...
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Reaching English Language Learners: Day One
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Speakable: Today's Sponsor This podcast is by . Want to bring daily speaking practice to your classroom without adding prep or grading? Speakable helps language teachers assign speaking tasks, give instant feedback, and leaders can track progress, all with tools aligned to ACTFL and WIDA standards. ✅ Instant AI grading ✅ No setup or training required ✅ Student data and growth insights 👉 Explore how works, whether you're a teacher or a school leader, you'll find the right place to start.
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AI as an Assistant: Rethinking Learning and the Future of School
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Opening Paragraph In this episode, we tackle the challenges educators face as uncertainty around AI, demographic shifts, and evolving student futures continue to reshape schools. Teachers are feeling the pressure to personalize learning for every student, and we explore how AI might assist rather than overwhelm us in that work. Jennifer Womble, Conference Chair for FETC, joins us to unpack trends that matter now and in the years ahead. Whether you’re attending FETC or not, this conversation will help you make sense of what’s next in education. What You’ll Learn In this episode, you’ll...
info_outlineThe first person to walk on Mars has already been born and is in our classrooms today, so the experts tell us. He or she could be in your classroom or mine. The question is if we're equipping that child and the others to go behind them with the knowledge and intuitive exploration of making things work together for success through rich making and STEM spaces. Today we talk to Rachael Mann, author of The Martians in Your Classroom: STEM in Every Learning Space.
Today's Sponsor: SmartBrief
Keeping up with the news is challenging. Today’s sponsor, SmartBrief, has some email newsletters that will help you stay current. Whether you want to follow education technology, special education, math, or just teaching best practices, SmartBrief has an email newsletter for you. Check them out at coolcatteacher.com/smartbrief and sign up today.
Related Resources
- The Martians in Your Classroom: STEM in Every Learning Space
- "The Spaces You Will Go" by Rachel Mann
- How Does STEM Bring the Real World Into the Classroom?
- Other Podcasts with Rachael Mann
I will curate a Wakelet collection to go along with the podcast: https://wakelet.com/@RachaelEdu
Rachael Mann - Bio as Submitted
Rachael Mann is the founder of #TeachlikeTED and coauthor of The Martians in Your Classroom. She speaks and writes about the future of education and helps educators rethink the learning spaces of today. Prior to #TeachlikeTED, Rachael was the Network to Transform Teaching and STEM Professional Learning Director for Northern Arizona University’s AZK12 Center and State Director for Educators Rising Arizona. A former high school Career and Technical Education teacher and hailing from a family of educators, she has 14 years of classroom teaching experience. Rachael is a Google Certified Educator with a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. She is a founding member of the Council on the Future of Education, President-Elect for the NCLA Executive Board, and serves on the Region V Policy Committee.
Blog: https://rachaelmann.co/
Twitter: @RachaelEdu