10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Words of Encouragement for Struggling Students

Sometimes when we try to speak words of encouragement for struggling students it can backfire. When a teen is hurting but they won't talk, what do you say? Lawrence C. Ha

Classroom Engagement Strategies for Short Attention Spans

Classroom Engagement is something all teachers can struggle with. Does it ever feel like kids can't pay attention anymore? Do you feel like attention spans are shorter th

AI in Schools, the Law, and Student Data Privacy

If an AI site promises it won't "share your data," should you believe it? Well, first of all, there's a reason I put that in quotes! Our guest today, Dr. Rachelle Dené Po

AI for Teachers Who Have Bigger Fish to Fry

Schools are funny. The weirdest things happen. But even in the midst of all of that hurry and scurry, we still have jobs to do, and AI for teachers can help get things do

AI for Teachers and Gemini Notebook (Formerly NotebookLM)

I asked Gemini Notebook (formerly known as NotebookLM) a dress-code question, and it gave me the answer and the page number from our handbook. Vickie Echols says the tu

Restorative Practices and a Cell Phone Policy That Actually Works

If you're like me, you might have seen these nightmare "restorative practices" videos making the rounds on social media. I put restorative practices in quotes because see

Side Jobs for Teachers or a Calling? Build an Education Business

Teachers, IT coaches, and principals can get excited and present at a conference, and then it happens: side jobs for teachers come calling. People start asking them to sp

Think, Pair, Share, Show Me: Science of Learning in Action

What are the learning myths we need to abandon? What does the neuroscience say? Today's guest, Ross McGill, author of The Teacher Toolkit Guide to the Science of Learning

Molecule Builder: How a Teen Coded a Free Chemistry App

His class didn't have the chemistry tools they needed. So, Ky'lin Spears built them. He's a student and has built a free molecule builder, periodic table, and chemistry s

Reflective Teaching: How Video and AI Help Teachers Improve

Reflective teaching matters. As teachers and professionals, we need to ask ourselves: how are we reflecting and improving? The times I've videoed myself teaching have bee

Student Belonging: A Principal of the Year's Plan

When a principal and her school achieve amazing results, I find one thing stands out: the focus on helping students belong and grow. Student belonging is the first thing

Bridge in the Classroom: A Screen-Free Math Game

Going screen-free is an emphasis right now, as is building emotional intelligence. Perhaps that is why bridge is really attractive to some kids. You can also teach math,

Screen Value, Not Screen Time: Leading Schools in the AI Age

ISTE+ASCD 2026 Board President Dr. Jeremy Owoh explains how his district runs toward AI instead of away from it. He also shares why AI can never replace a good teacher an

Grief in the Classroom When Teachers Are Grieving Too

Sometimes we need to talk about hard things, like grief in the classroom. Because real life is hard, and real life is in our classroom every day. Our students and we as t

Using AI? Keep Teachers in the Driver's Seat

Dr. Patricia Dickenson, author of Smart Teaching in the Age of AI, shows how teachers can use AI to plan and differentiate without losing the heart of teaching. Relations

A Blind Teacher on Truly Seeing Your Students

Kathy Nimmer is the 2026 Helen Keller Achievement Award winner. Her story is so heartwarming that, to celebrate episode 1001, we're airing an extended episode focused on

Celebrating 1,000 Episodes: My Son Turns the Tables on Me!

Thank you so much! It was February 2017 when I took a day off school to "figure out" how to publish this podcast. I started by telling the story of "Sue and Mrs. Scruggs"

Productive Struggle: When to Help and When to Hold Back

Productive struggle is the sweet spot between too easy and too hard. Dr. Barbara Blackburn, author of more than 40 books on rigor and motivation, explains when to help a

New Teacher Advice From a 3-Time Teacher of the Year

New teacher advice from a three-time Teacher of the Year. Retired fifth-grade teacher Eric Hall spent 27 years in the classroom, and he says it starts with relationships

Frustrated With AI? Make It Interview You First

Frustrated with AI? Make it interview you first. Dr. Jie Tao of Fairfield University explains why "prompt and pray" gives you brilliant answers one day and useless ones t