Cool Cat Teacher Talk

Vicki Davis, Cool Cat Teacher
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Want to supercharge your teaching with research-backed strategies that actually work? Join veteran educator Vicki Davis as she shares practical, real-world solutions to into spaces where every student thrives. Help and Hope for Teachers 🎙 Are you striving to improve student learning without increasing your workload? Education is changing fast, but practical, research-backed strategies can help you work smarter, not harder. Join veteran educator Vicki Davis, a full-time teacher, instructional technology coach, and award-winning podcast host, as she shares real-world insights from the classroom. Each 1-hour episode features top researchers, expert educators, and classroom teachers who are tackling today's biggest challenges—like student engagement, AI in education, classroom management, lesson planning, and teacher burnout. ✨ What You'll Get in Every Episode: 🎯 Cut through the AI hype—learn what works (and what doesn't) in real classrooms 📚 Engage students in meaningful ways without overwhelming yourself 🚀 Stay ahead in teaching with research-backed strategies that make an impact 🎤 This show is a blend of expert interviews and solo discussions, designed to give you real, actionable solutions you can use tomorrow. 🏆 Why Listen to This Podcast? ✅ Named Top Podcast Host in Education (Bammy Award) ✅ Recognized as a Top Global Edruptor (ICS Research, 2022 & 2023) ✅ 23-year classroom veteran & instructional tech coach helping educators from K-3 to college ✅ AP Computer Science Principles teacher with a 100% student pass rate 🌎 Join thousands of educators worldwide who trust Cool Cat Teacher Talk for authentic insights, inspiration, and practical strategies. 📅 New episodes released every Thursday! 📲 Subscribe now & leave a review to help more teachers discover the show. 🌐 Get show notes & connect with Vicki at coolcatteacher.com Join a community of passionate teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders who believe in teaching smarter, not harder. About Your Host: Vicki Davis is a practicing classroom teacher, instructional technology coach, and creator of the award-winning 10-Minute Teacher Podcast. With over 7 million downloads and 20+ years of experience, she brings you tested strategies that help students thrive. 🔹 New episodes drop Thursdays! Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. 📌 Get full show notes and resources at coolcatteacher.com.

  1. 1d ago

    Leading With Love: Two Principals of the Year on What Actually Works (Part 2)

    Two women were named a 2026 National Principal of the Year — and when you ask them how they did it, they both use the same word: love. In part two of this leadership series, Vicki Davis talks with Amanda Jamerson, associate principal at Shorewood High School in Wisconsin and the 2026 National High School Assistant Principal of the Year, about the restorative discipline framework that cut office referrals by 69 percent, a cell phone policy that actually worked, and why she calls all of it heartwork. Then Sonia E. Ruiz, principal of Jane Addams Middle School in Bolingbrook, Illinois and the 2026 National Middle Level Principal of the Year, explains how she built a middle school where English learners and students with IEPs make real, measurable gains — and why she leads con corazón, with heart. Show notes and full transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/becoming

  2. Aug 2

    Leadership You Can Learn — Part One: Who You're Becoming

    Leadership is not a personality you're born with. It can be learned — and if it can be learned, it can be taught. In part one of a two-part series, Vicki Davis talks with Ronn Nozoe, CEO of the National Principals Association (formerly NASSP), about what principals across the country actually told us about AI in their schools — and why the number one thing they need isn't a tool, it's time. Then Muriel Summers describes taking a struggling Title I elementary school and rebuilding it around a single conviction: every person in that building is a leader, including the five-year-olds who interview teacher candidates. The thread running through both conversations is the idea Vicki's mother gave her — make your to-be list before you make your to-do list. Character before tactics. Identity before activity. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why "time" — not training, not tools, not money — is what principals say they need most right now, and what a leader can actually take off a teacher's plate this week • How to find the two or three teachers everyone in your building already listens to, and why consulting them before a decision solves problems the front office can't • The difference between a multiplier who draws more capability out of people and a diminisher who shrinks it — and how to tell which one you're being • What happened when a Title I school taught leadership habits to kindergarteners: discipline referrals fell, academics followed, and the model spread to more than 8,000 schools in over seventy countries • Why "nobody is just anything" belongs on your wall, and what three words written above a school door did for the children who read them every morning Full show notes, every book and link from the episode, and the complete transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/becoming  Part two takes this into the building with two National Principals of the Year who lead with love and prove that it works. If this show helps you, the single best thing you can do is leave a rating or a review wherever you're listening — it's how other teachers find us. And if one educator comes to mind who needs to hear Muriel's story, send it to them.

  3. Jul 31

    AI With Intention: What Leaders Decide and Teachers Do

    AI is already in your school—the real question is how to use it on purpose. In Part 3 of the ISTE 2026 AI & EdTech Super Series, recorded live in Orlando, Vicki Davis talks with three education leaders about implementing AI across a whole school while keeping the teacher at the center. Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Owoh makes the case that reaching kids still starts with relationship. Author Tony Frontier (AI with Intention) reframes the conversation from AI detection to learning detection. And Renaissance product chief Todd Brekhus explains why his team pulled student-facing AI back and built a tool that keeps the teacher in the middle. In this episode, you'll learn: Why a strong school technology policy runs toward AI, not away from it How to shift from catching cheaters to detecting real learning—through integrity, transparency, and explainability What students actually say about how much they use AI (and how little guidance they get) Why one edtech company pulled its student-facing AI back and put AI on the teacher's side of the desk A simple "innovate like a turtle" way to start this week: pick one lesson where kids see what AI gets wrong This episode is sponsored by Renaissance Learning. Show notes, every link, and the full series: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/iste2026 If this episode helped you, leave a review wherever you're listening and share it with a teacher friend—it helps more educators find the show.

  4. Jul 30

    Humans Teaching Humans About the Machine — ISTE 2026 AI & EdTech Supershow, Part 2

    Host Vicki Davis takes her microphone onto the floor at ISTE 2026 in Orlando for Part 2 of the ISTE AI and EdTech Supershow. Karim Meghji, President and CEO of CodeAI — the nonprofit formerly known as Code.org — argues that AI literacy belongs in every classroom, and that the goal is students who can question an answer, not just generate one. Kimmie Fink, a thirteen-year classroom veteran now senior editor at the BBC Learning Hub, walks through free resources teachers can use tomorrow. And Brandie Wright tells the story of the student from her ISTE keynote — a real child that audience members assumed was invented by AI.

  5. Jul 30

    ISTE 2026, AI Assessment, and Space Education - ISTE AI/Edtech Supershow - Part 1

    ISTE 2026  Buzz + AI assessment + space education: the conversations every teacher is having this summer, with Dr. Carmalita Seitz, Steve Swanson, and Dr. Mark Wagner. This summer's biggest ed-tech conversations in one show. Dr. Carmalita Seitz of ISTE+ASCD previews what everyone will be talking about at ISTE 2026 — AI, instructional leadership, the tech backlash, "brain rot," and the return of project-based learning. High school engineering teacher Steve Swanson built his own AI grading tool, ClassLens — then deleted the one-button auto-grade feature because every grade should pass through a teacher's eyes. And Dr. Mark Wagner, author of Space Education, shows why the growing space economy needs every kind of learner. In this episode, you'll learn: - What teachers actually take home from ISTE 2026 — and why to lead with good teaching, not the tool - Why "human in the loop" matters for AI grading, and the privacy questions to ask first - How to vet an AI tool's data handling (OAuth verification, FERPA, NDPAs) - The four mindsets students need for the space economy - What the "overview effect" can teach your classroom Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/iste2026   Enjoyed the show? Leave a review wherever you're listening, and share it with a teacher friend.

  6. Jun 19

    Heart First. Tools Second. — How to Teach and Use Tech in Today's World

    Heart first, tools second. That's the secret to teaching well in the age of AI — and on this Cool Cat Teacher Talk, Vicki Davis and three educators show you how. Great teaching still happens, even in the hardest times, and the research is clear: the most powerful thing in any classroom is still a human relationship. In this episode, Vicki talks with Dr. Patricia Dickenson (author of "Smart Teaching in the Age of AI") about teacher-driven instruction and using AI to plan, differentiate, and rethink assessment; with Dr. Jie Tao (founding director of Fairfield University's AI & Technology Institute) about building AI out of compassion and using agentic AI without giving up control; and with instructional coach Amy Storer about the practical tools teachers are most excited about right now. In this episode, you'll learn: Why teacher-driven instruction still wins — and how to bring your authentic self into the room How to use AI to plan, differentiate, and assess without offloading your thinking How to build a custom GPT or Gem that knows your standards The PAIRR framework for teaching writing WITH AI How to use agentic AI safely — the interview pattern, the scratchpad, and keeping control The classroom tools teachers love right now: Adobe Express, Canva Code, and Scribe A note: one segment includes a brief, age-appropriate discussion of research being done to detect and prevent suicide. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) is referenced. Full show notes, links, and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/heartfirst Enjoying Cool Cat Teacher Talk? A quick rating and review in your podcast app helps more teachers find the show.

  7. Jun 11

    Leadership Lessons: See the Gap. Be the Bridge.

    Leadership in education isn't a title — it's seeing a gap and building the bridge. A 16-year-old coder, a college-readiness expert, and a national principal show how. In this episode of Cool Cat Teacher Talk, Vicki Davis brings together three voices on what leadership really looks like at every stage. Ky'lin Spears, a 16-year-old who taught himself to code, built a free chemistry simulation platform (Atomency) when his school lacked lab equipment. Dr. Johanna David-Tramantano shares her evidence-based CONNECT framework for the hard bridge from high school to college — and why "showing up is a habit, not a skill." And Raquel Martinez, the first Latina president of NASSP, explains how leaders grow other leaders through what they choose to say, and why multilingual learners are an advantage, not a deficit. In this episode, you'll learn: Why initiative — seeing a need and meeting it — is the heart of leadership at any age How to build the "enduring skills" students need before college (planners, self-advocacy, asking for help) Why "what's important to us is what we talk about the most" — and how that grows leaders How to reframe a second language as an advantage in every content area Practical ways to spot the gap in your own school and step in to bridge it Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/bethebridge If this episode encouraged you, please leave a rating and a review wherever you're listening — it helps more teachers find the show. And share it with a teacher friend who's ready to be a bridge.

  8. Jun 5

    Data Driven Schools: Driving Learning and Improving Relationships | Cool Cat Teacher Talk S6E2

    Data-driven schools aren't about spreadsheets — they're about seeing students. AJ Juliani led 150 educators in building AI-powered data dashboards using Claude Code, no coding required. Victoria Setaro introduces the framework of cold data vs. warm data that will transform how you use every number in your school. And Dr. Deborah Dennie, NASSP 2026 National Principal of the Year finalist, shows what a decade of data-driven leadership looks like when it's done with heart. In this episode, you'll learn: How non-coders built custom AI data dashboards that replaced expensive vendor tools  The critical data privacy steps every school must follow when using AI Victoria Setaro's cold data vs. warm data framework for making data actionable How Dr. Dennie uses attendance, discipline, and climate data together — not just test scores Creative incentive strategies that actually work (classic car shows, Miss Maryland!) Why collaborative planning time is the secret weapon of data-driven schools Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/datadriven  If this episode helped you think differently about data in your school, please take 30 seconds to leave a rating on the place you listen or watch this show!

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About

Want to supercharge your teaching with research-backed strategies that actually work? Join veteran educator Vicki Davis as she shares practical, real-world solutions to into spaces where every student thrives. Help and Hope for Teachers 🎙 Are you striving to improve student learning without increasing your workload? Education is changing fast, but practical, research-backed strategies can help you work smarter, not harder. Join veteran educator Vicki Davis, a full-time teacher, instructional technology coach, and award-winning podcast host, as she shares real-world insights from the classroom. Each 1-hour episode features top researchers, expert educators, and classroom teachers who are tackling today's biggest challenges—like student engagement, AI in education, classroom management, lesson planning, and teacher burnout. ✨ What You'll Get in Every Episode: 🎯 Cut through the AI hype—learn what works (and what doesn't) in real classrooms 📚 Engage students in meaningful ways without overwhelming yourself 🚀 Stay ahead in teaching with research-backed strategies that make an impact 🎤 This show is a blend of expert interviews and solo discussions, designed to give you real, actionable solutions you can use tomorrow. 🏆 Why Listen to This Podcast? ✅ Named Top Podcast Host in Education (Bammy Award) ✅ Recognized as a Top Global Edruptor (ICS Research, 2022 & 2023) ✅ 23-year classroom veteran & instructional tech coach helping educators from K-3 to college ✅ AP Computer Science Principles teacher with a 100% student pass rate 🌎 Join thousands of educators worldwide who trust Cool Cat Teacher Talk for authentic insights, inspiration, and practical strategies. 📅 New episodes released every Thursday! 📲 Subscribe now & leave a review to help more teachers discover the show. 🌐 Get show notes & connect with Vicki at coolcatteacher.com Join a community of passionate teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders who believe in teaching smarter, not harder. About Your Host: Vicki Davis is a practicing classroom teacher, instructional technology coach, and creator of the award-winning 10-Minute Teacher Podcast. With over 7 million downloads and 20+ years of experience, she brings you tested strategies that help students thrive. 🔹 New episodes drop Thursdays! Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. 📌 Get full show notes and resources at coolcatteacher.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Vicki Davis, Cool Cat Teacher
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Cool Cat Teacher Talk

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