10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Vicki Davis
  • 0.0 (0)
  • How To
  • Updated weekly

A teacher podcast for busy educators—about 10 minutes, every week. Stay current on artificial intelligence in education (plain English), edtech, and what matters in the classroom: culture, instruction, assessment, digital health and wellness, and more. Simple ideas you can use right away. Hosted by AP Computer Science teacher Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher)—author and longtime edtech blogger—this teaching podcast features best-selling teachers, researchers, and in-the-classroom administrators sharing practical strategies that connect with today's students. Follow the 10 Minute Teacher—the podcast for teachers and school leaders—for weekly, classroom-ready tips. Show notes & resources: https://coolcatteacher.com/podcast

  1. 8 hr ago

    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 turning point for her was when she was barreling through the hallway and the teacher she was with stopped and asked her, "Ms. Echols, do you always walk this fast?" That moment was a turning point for Vickie, and when she saw AI, she wondered how she could save time on tedious tasks to make more time for human moments, so she wrote AI for School Leaders: 62 Ways to Lighten Your Workload and Focus on What Matters. Vickie has lots of ideas, including how to fix tone in emails, how a superintendent used Gemini Notebook (formerly known as NotebookLM) to summarize meetings for board members, and the usefulness of Gemini Notebook when you're answering handbook questions (this tip is for teachers and administrators!). Show notes, the full transcript, and links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1012 In this episode, you'll learn: The hallway question that changed Vickie Echols's decisions for how she would lead as an administrator How to get a fast, straight answer with page numbers from your school handbook or policy manuals The board-meeting trick one superintendent uses with NotebookLM The one thing to do before you send anyone an AI-generated podcast Where AI notetakers might cross a line in schools How one teacher fixed her tone that caused her to be confrontational in her emails (without meaning to)

    AI for Teachers and Gemini Notebook (Formerly NotebookLM)

  2. 1 day ago

    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 seeing a kid misbehave, get a lollipop, and go back to class with no consequences seems like insanity to me; nothing is restored, and I would argue that, if that's what is happening, it is making the relationship worse. So, when I read Amanda Jamerson's story (she won the 2026 National High School Assistant Principal of the Year), I knew her story would give us some insight. Amanda, or "AJAM the Advocate" as she's called online, tells how her team cut office discipline referrals by 69% over three years and how they built a cell phone policy that is actually working on a five-building campus. I also like that she calls her work "heart work" because it is. Show notes, the full transcript, and links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1011 In this episode, you'll learn: Why a high schooler said it was "fair" to have his cell phone taken Why kids who get lunch detention with AJAM almost never come back What she checks before she'll act on a student referral A simple classroom routine for cell phone management that doubles as attendance Three questions a suspended student answers before coming back Some mistakes AJAM has observed with restorative practices How she helps her teachers know what to say when they are in the emotional moment of a student referral

    Restorative Practices and a Cell Phone Policy That Actually Works

  3. 4 days ago

    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 speak. They get opportunities. But how do you handle this? Today's guest, Dr. Will Deyamport (we call him "Dr. Will"), the author of The Edupreneur, talks about building an education business the right way. From disclosures to avoiding conflicts of interest (there are some things you can't do) to owning your own IP, Dr. Will's advice is solid and timeless. In this episode, you'll learn: The hard moment when Dr. Will realized he needed to have an opportunity on the side Why I don't like calling it a "side hustle" What you need to do before you cash your first check The criticism Dr. Will got for talking about money and how he answered it Why T-shirts and stickers shouldn't be payment for your work When working with an edtech company becomes a conflict of interest The question you need to ask before you create anything on a school-issued device Guest: Dr. Will Deyamport, III, author of The Edupreneur and host of The Dr. Will Show podcast. Show notes, the full transcript, and links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1010

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

  4. 5 days ago

    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, shares his findings. If your students highlight every page and call it studying, or your school plans lessons around learning styles, you'll want to hear this. What does the science of learning say actually works? In this episode, you'll learn: The simple question about learning that many teachers can't answer What a student is really telling you when they say, "Miss, what did you say?" The myth Ross once had to plan his own lessons around What helped my son learn to read, and why it isn't a learning style The chapter Ross calls the most frightening in his book Why a student who "highlighted everything" may have wasted the evening The one step Ross added to think-pair-share, and why it matters with 30 students Guest: Ross Morrison McGill, founder of TeacherToolkit and a former deputy head teacher in London. Show notes, the full transcript, and links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1009

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

  5. 14 Oct

    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 simulations. His tool is free in any browser and collects no student information. So today's Wonderful Classroom Wednesday is featuring a student. Every school has them. The quiet students who figure things out. As you listen to Ky'lin, ask yourself - how can we nourish and encourage students to solve problems in classroom subjects that interest them? Ky'lin taught himself to code from YouTube videos. If you teach chemistry, Atomency may be a free resource your students can use this week. In this episode, you'll learn: Why he built it without AI, and what he tells other students about AI now The feature that broke more than 50 times before it finally worked Why he made it free, with no login and no student data A molecule challenge a chemistry teacher can try this week What he wants adults to understand about his generation Why he says getting it right on the first try isn't always a win Guest: Ky'lin Spears, a high school student from Suitland, Maryland, and the creator of Atomency. Show notes, the full transcript, and links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1008

    Molecule Builder: How a Teen Coded a Free Chemistry App

  6. 13 Oct

    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 been hard to watch, but I've learned so much. As you listen to the innovations happening in the teacher education program at Valdosta State University, think about how reflection can improve your teaching. Dr. Karen Terry has spent more than 30 years in education as a teacher, administrator, district leader, and now a professor preparing future teachers. Her goal is for the teachers from her program to still be happy in the classroom ten years later. A big part of her program is the connection with mentor teachers. In today's show, Karen shares how her student teachers record their lessons and use both AI coaching AND mentor feedback to reflect and grow. I find it fascinating that each one adds value. Some student teachers who are eager to grow record themselves, reflect with AI, and try strategies they might not have found otherwise. I would argue that what changes these teachers is their commitment to reflection and growth, along with their willingness to listen to their mentors and use the tools they're given. Most teachers I know are overly critical of themselves, so we need to give ourselves grace when we watch ourselves teach. Yet reflective use of video can be a valuable tool! In this episode, you'll learn: What most student teachers say after they finally watch the lesson they thought was terrible How an AI coach walks a new teacher through reflecting on one goal at a time Why a skeptical veteran mentor ended up named mentor of the year How one student teacher used video to handle a student's tough behavior Karen's test for telling a lasting tool from a passing fad What happened when her students wrote their own rules for using AI If this episode helped you, please rate or review the show wherever you listen. It helps other teachers find it. Show notes, the full transcript, and the research behind this episode: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1007

    Reflective Teaching: How Video and AI Help Teachers Improve

  7. 12 Oct

    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 Sonia Ruiz builds. She is the 2026 National Middle Level Principal of the Year in the US. Incredibly but not surprisingly, her school's English learners and students with IEPs are making gains. Sonia says she didn't feel like school was built for her, but now she leads Jane Addams Middle School in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The school has earned the state's Exemplary status three years in a row. For her, love and high expectations go together. In this episode, you'll learn: The two survey questions that get middle schoolers to tell adults what they really need What a school dance looks like when not every student likes noise The three questions Sonia's staff asks before any decision How a chronically absent sixth grader finished eighth grade mentoring younger students Why Sonia uses a rubric to evaluate changes so change doesn't feel personal The one small thing students say makes them feel they belong What Sonia wishes adults outside school understood about middle schoolers Show notes, the full transcript, and the research behind this episode: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1006

    Student Belonging: A Principal of the Year's Plan

  8. 9 Oct

    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, focus, and teamwork, and you don't have to know how to play. Hall of Famer Patty Tucker created JumpStart Bridge, a free curriculum that has reached more than 12,000 students. It comes with scripts, videos, supplies, and a stipend for teachers who have never dealt a hand. In this episode, you'll learn: The one rule of bridge that teaches kids not to quit The grade levels Patty calls the sweet spot for starting What a teacher who doesn't play bridge gets for free, and how one teacher stays two weeks ahead of her class Why one school saw fewer tardies on bridge day How a Montana middle school outgrew its own bridge tournament and had to expand from one to three days What gifted-education teachers noticed about kids' social skills after the COVID years The line from an eighth grader's essay that sums up why face-to-face games matter Show notes, the full transcript, and links to Patty's free resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1005 If this episode gave you an idea for your classroom, take a moment to rate and review the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast. It helps other teachers find the show.

    Bridge in the Classroom: A Screen-Free Math Game
See All (1k)

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

About

A teacher podcast for busy educators—about 10 minutes, every week. Stay current on artificial intelligence in education (plain English), edtech, and what matters in the classroom: culture, instruction, assessment, digital health and wellness, and more. Simple ideas you can use right away. Hosted by AP Computer Science teacher Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher)—author and longtime edtech blogger—this teaching podcast features best-selling teachers, researchers, and in-the-classroom administrators sharing practical strategies that connect with today's students. Follow the 10 Minute Teacher—the podcast for teachers and school leaders—for weekly, classroom-ready tips. Show notes & resources: https://coolcatteacher.com/podcast

Information

  • Creator
    Vicki Davis
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1k
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2017-2026 Cool Cat Teacher LLC
  • Show Website
    10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
  • Provider

You Might Also Like