10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Can you lead with love and be a successful principal? Jason Johnson, principal of Orange High School in Hillsborough, North Carolina, shows us that you can. I found some of the things he does shocking (but refreshing, actually).

Jason is the 2026 US National High School Principal of the Year. So, what does he do that is shocking?

• He once read all the mistakes he made one year at the last faculty meeting of the year.
• He tells brand-new teachers to make mistakes (and how he works with them).
• If kids want to drop an AP course, he wants them to talk to him personally.

In his 29 years in public education, most of them in Orange County Schools, he has built a school where the state performance grade climbed from a C to a B, and proficiency rose for every student group.

Jason also shares the one thing his principal said to him when he was a teacher that caused him to immediately go get an application for grad school to seek to be a principal. He also shares his ideas for giving effective feedback to teachers and tips for relating to students and teachers.

Even if you're a teacher, things he says in this show (like about math class) will be things you can use as you speak to students and colleagues.

What you'll learn:

• Why every faculty meeting at Orange High starts with two claps
• What his own teachers call him out for
• What he wishes he'd known in his first principals' meetings
• The 30-minute intervention block built on essential standards
• Why he thinks kids who hate math are really afraid of mistakes

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1021

Math anxiety and mental math are two topics math teachers talk about constantly. How do we engage students who are scared of math? And how important are math facts anyway?

Our guest, Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash, won the 2020 Mental Calculation World Championship doing math in his head. So what does a champion mental mathlete think about memorizing math facts? As he has worked to help kids get better at math, what has he learned about overcoming math anxiety? And what is wrong with the test scores we use every day that may be keeping kids out of future careers in math?

Let's talk about this and more with Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash, known as the world's fastest human calculator.

What you'll learn:

• What the world's fastest human calculator really thinks about memorizing math facts
• Why he walked away from competing to take on math phobia
• The teacher he'd choose over an AI that's right every time
• The placement test that got an eighth grader completely wrong
• What music class would look like if we taught it like math
• Why 10 comes after 9 (most kids have never been told)
• A story with enemy ships that hooks students who hate trigonometry

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1020

Happy National Principals Month! This is the perfect time to talk about having strong relationships between principals, teachers, and students for the good of our schools!

Raquel Martinez started her teaching career as a biology teacher, eventually becoming principal of Sageview High School in Pasco, Washington. In 2024 she served as the first Latina president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, now known as the National Principals Association. We often feature amazing principals from this organization.

In this Thought Leader Thursday, we're featuring an episode we recorded on October 8, 2024, about how this trailblazing principal leader charted her course. She shares how a principal encouraged her to lead her science department, what a teenager working in the fields needed from her teachers, and her message to every principal who feels alone.

What you'll learn:

• What a "tap on the shoulder" really felt like for Raquel
• The day her principal told her "you don't have a choice"
• What one science teacher said to a teenager working in the fields
• The mindset that keeps principals and teachers on the same team
• Why Raquel calls a second language an advantage, not a deficit
• What fills a principal's bucket when the job feels thankless
• Where principals can go so they don't lead alone

If this episode encouraged you, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other teachers find the show.

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1019

Explicit vocabulary instruction beats five words on Monday and a quiz on Friday. Students need to know vocabulary, and that old routine is not the fastest or most efficient way for kids to learn all that vocab.

Fifth-grade teacher Sean Morrisey makes vocabulary stick by using explicit vocabulary instruction. Sean spent eight years as a school psychologist who tested struggling readers. Frustrated that kids weren't learning, he moved into the classroom and has taught for eighteen years. He also created the Word Mapping Project, a curriculum that ties vocabulary, spelling, and word parts together.

In this episode, Sean shares the routine he uses to teach new words, how he teaches kids to use word parts to figure out words, and an awesome tip to help kids learn more words, faster (and probably easier).

What you'll learn:

• Why a word list and a Friday quiz don't stick
• The three moves Sean makes the first time students meet a new word
• What a flock of sheep has to do with segregation and congregation
• How a fifth grader figured out "voracious" before Sean taught it
• The most common vocabulary mistake Sean sees teachers make
• Why Sean says we set the bar too low on how many words kids can learn
• The one thing to try in your next vocab lesson

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1018

Prompt engineering is outdated. Yes, you heard it. That is what Christie Cloud, instructional tech facilitator, and Dave Hinrichs, director of digital platforms and pedagogy, said in their chapter in The Educators' AI Guide 2027.

Their favorite tool is ChatGPT. In this episode, they discuss what matters in the world of AI and offer a simple explanation of AI agents. They'll share their thoughts on why AI needs to be in schools and how we need to be wise about choosing our models.

Now, I do want to mention this is a highlight reel of our long interview (almost 45 minutes) as aired and published on Cool Cat Teacher Talk so if you want to dive even deeper, check out their episode on my long-form show.

What you'll learn:

• Why Christie thinks banning AI in schools is short-sighted
• The cell phone and social media lesson Dave says schools can't repeat with AI
• Why "prompt engineering" scared teachers off, and what to do instead
• The one-question-at-a-time trick Dave calls his unlock
• How a "multiplayer AI" lets two educators work from shared context
• Why Dave stopped using custom GPTs before OpenAI retired them
• The Constitution Day escape room Christie built with ChatGPT Work
• A plain-language way to explain AI agents to teachers who are just starting

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1017

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. Harris, a 20-year-old youth speaker and teen author, sat in our classrooms not long ago. He tells us what helped him and what made him pull away.

Lawrence shares the well-meaning phrases that shut struggling students down, the words that keep the door open, and one small thing you can do at the start of class this week.

What you'll learn:

• The two phrases teachers mean kindly that make a struggling teen retreat
• What to say when a student is clearly struggling but won't open up
• Why the student who seems happiest in class might be hiding the most
• The "one pebble a day" idea for a student who feels overwhelmed
• The decision that turned Lawrence's life around
• A start-of-class routine that gives students something to look forward to

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1016

If this episode helped you, please leave a rating or review wherever you're listening. It helps other teachers find the show.

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 than ever? Whatever you think about attention spans, we still have to engage the students sitting in front of us. Dr. Michael McDowell, an 18-year public school educator who served as a math and science teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent, shares classroom engagement strategies that can help!

Michael is the author of The Attention Gap. He walks us through a math lesson built in short intervals, and two routines you can try in any K-12 class tomorrow.

What you'll learn:

• Why splitting a lesson into I do, we do, you do can wear students out
• What the attention research measured, and what it means for your class period
• The one question that tells you if students are with you
• A silent routine that has students watching your every move
• What one dot on a piece of student work can teach the whole class
• The well-meaning teacher habit that widens the attention gap

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1015

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 Poth, is an attorney with a law degree from Duquesne University, a classroom teacher with a doctorate in instructional technology, and the author of 10 books. Her answer is no, and she explains why.

Today we dig into safety, protecting students by protecting their personally identifiable information (PII), and making smart use of AI.

What you'll learn:

• The one thing Rachelle checks before she trusts any "we don't share your data" promise
• The surprising details that count as personally identifiable information
• Whether what you type into AI really stays in your account
• How far back one school data breach turned out to reach
• Who could be liable when a teacher accidentally shares student information
• Why educators are in the best position to teach students what not to type

Disclaimer: This episode is general information, not legal advice. Listening does not create an attorney-client relationship with our guest or with Cool Cat Teacher, LLC. Laws vary by state and situation, so talk with your school or district's legal counsel about your specific circumstances. Our guest's views are her own.

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1014

If this episode helped you, take a moment to rate and review the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast wherever you listen.

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 done. Maurie Beasley, author of Teachers Have Bigger Fish to Fry, has some great perspectives to share with teachers.

Maurie is a former teacher, counselor, and assistant principal who now directs technology for a rural Texas district. She shares how you can still figure out the best uses of AI even when you have bigger fish to fry!

What you'll learn:

• What happened when a snake fell out of the air conditioning vent onto a teacher's desk
• The difference between efficiency AI and opportunity AI, and which one to start with
• Why her book skips the AI's bad answers, and what she printed instead
• The question Maurie says AI is finally making us ask about being human
• Who should be in control when the laptop lid goes up

Show notes and full transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1013

If this episode helped you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other teachers find the show.

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 and his approach to encouraging innovation in the classroom.

So many teachers are tired of playing "AI whack-a-mole," but it is so helpful to hear how Jeremy helps his district make decisions that bring everyone on board. He says that schools should learn together and set clear expectations. He started as an English teacher in Little Rock, served as an assistant commissioner at the Arkansas Department of Education, and now leads the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District while serving as board president of ISTE+ASCD.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What did ISTE+ASCD CEO Richard Culatta say when he read Jeremy's technology policy?
• Why his district asked students to help rewrite the rules
• The AI tutoring pilot he calls "a game changer," and how he decided whether it worked
• What a former English teacher says matters more than grading the five-paragraph essay
• The one thing every superintendent should do before making AI decisions

Dr. Jeremy S. Owoh is superintendent of the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District in Arkansas and president of the ISTE+ASCD Board of Directors. ISTE+ASCD is now the International Society for Transforming Education. He began his career in 2003 as an English teacher at Parkview Magnet High School in Little Rock.

If this episode helped you, please leave a rating or review wherever you're listening. It helps other teachers find the show.

Full show notes, research, and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1004

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 teachers — we all deal with death. I had to this past school year, and it was hard. It still is. And not everyone experiences it the same way. There's no one-size-fits-all.

On this show, first-grade teacher Haleigh Bresnan and school psychologist Rebecca Brigner share how to help grieving kids and yourself. Their precious children's book about grief, If You're Lucky Enough to Know a Unicorn, honors Kennedy, a baby girl who lived just four months.

I knew this show would be about grief, but it took such an honest turn that it became one of the most authentic conversations about grief in the classroom that I've ever heard. I'm glad we had this conversation and I hope it helps people better understand both what teachers have to help kids with and what we deal with ourselves.

A gentle note: this episode talks about the death of a baby and about miscarriage. If little ones are listening, you may want to save it for later.

When a student is grieving, do you bring it up or let them be? Some kids want to talk. Others just want a normal day with their friends. Haleigh and Rebecca are cousins who work in the same Connecticut school district, so their advice comes from the children they see every day.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How does grief show up in a classroom when a child never says a word about it?
• The one word a school psychologist says every teacher needs when a student is grieving
• Why Haleigh wrote a poem a few lines at a time for six years while rocking her baby son to sleep
• What it's like to show up for your students when you're grieving yourself, and why Haleigh says no one talks about it
• How Kennedy's family reacted when they first saw the book, and what happened the day the first copies arrived

Haleigh Bresnan teaches first grade in eastern Connecticut and wrote If You're Lucky Enough to Know a Unicorn. Her cousin, Rebecca Brigner, is a school psychologist in the same district and illustrated the book.

Full show notes, research, and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1003

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. Relationship is still one of the top factors driving student success. Part of using AI is knowing when to use it and when to put it away.

Patricia has a third option for every teacher torn between using AI for everything and banning it altogether: let AI carry some of the planning load, so you have more time for what only you can do, which is connecting with your students. She spent more than 18 years in Los Angeles classrooms and now prepares new teachers, so her advice comes with examples you can use this week.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What did a fourth-grade teacher going through chemo teach Patricia about showing up?
• The custom GPT that tells a brand-new teacher what students should already know before the first lesson
• Never taught a student with auditory processing disorder? How AI can help you plan for the student you haven't met yet
• "Guess what? They're already using it." Her answer to teachers who want to ban AI and go old school
• The one thing Patricia's dissertation found best predicted whether students engage

Dr. Patricia Dickenson is an associate professor of teacher education at National University and spent more than 18 years as a teacher and math coach in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She is the author of Smart Teaching in the Age of AI and co-author of Technology-Infused Math Instruction.

If this episode helped you, would you take 30 seconds to rate and review the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast? It helps other teachers find it.

Full show notes, research, and the complete transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1002