10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Latest Episodes:

How to Teach AI in Any Classroom, Not Just CS Class — Episode 956 Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Most teachers know AI belongs in their classroom — almost nobody tells them where to start if they don't teach computer science. Karim Meghji, President and CEO of CodeAI (the nonprofit formerly known as Code.org), gives the answer at ISTE 2026.

Vicki took one of Karim's classes on the ISTE show floor before this conversation — including a lesson that asks AI to generate a "healthy meal" and then hands students the cultural bias in the result to talk about. That design choice is the whole episode: students don't learn what AI gets wrong by being told, they learn it by watching it happen and then discussing it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- Why CodeAI rebranded from Code.org — and what "glass box instead of black box" means for how you teach - Why Karim's teams deliberately build lessons where the AI answers incorrectly - The question he wants every student asking: who is in control — you or the AI? - What sits behind free student AI tools — pre-filters, post-filters, and hundreds of jailbreak tests - The exact first step for a teacher who has never taught a line of code

Karim's answer to "where do I start" is shorter than you'd expect, and it puts the teacher and the students in the same boat on purpose.

Full show notes, every resource, and the transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e956

If this show helps you teach better, leave a review wherever you're listening — it's how other teachers find us.

How to Teach Confident Communicators with Dr. Jeff Bogaczyk Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

You gave the directions. You were clear. You wrote them on the board. Half the class still did it wrong — here's the reason why.

Dr. Jeff Bogaczyk, head of school at Christian Life School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, holds a Ph.D. in rhetoric and studies media ecology — how our communication technologies shape the way we think, relate, and learn. In this Motivational Monday conversation, he explains the cognitive bias that quietly sabotages teacher-to-student communication, and what one school does about it on purpose.

In this episode, you'll learn:

The curse of knowledge: a 1990 Stanford study asked people to tap out a familiar song's rhythm — and revealed why what's obvious to you is noise to everyone else
The illusion of transparency: why we assume other people know what we're thinking and feeling, and what that assumption costs in a classroom
The repetition rule one head of school gives his teachers: the moment you're sick of saying it is the moment they're finally starting to hear it
Why the brain-as-computer metaphor is wrong, and why emotional intelligence is the skill AI can't replace
How "confident communicators" becomes a real, teachable outcome in a portrait of a graduate

Jeff's line that will stick with you: "There is no relationship without communication. Communication is — you might even say it is the relationship."

Show notes, resources, and the full transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e955

If this one gave you language for something you've felt in your classroom, share it with a teacher friend who needs it this week.

How to Teach About Space in the Classroom with Mark Wagner Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

How do you teach about space in any classroom—not just science? Dr. Mark Wagner says space is the ultimate hook for engagement, and the growing space economy means every student needs to understand it. In this conversation, the CEO of Aries Learning and author of Space Education shares why space belongs in every subject, the mindsets students need, and simple ways to bring exploration into your room this week.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why the space economy (projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030) touches nearly every career
How satellites and Starlink already shape agriculture, GPS, and global internet access
The four mindsets Mark teaches: explorer's mindset, moonshot thinking, design thinking, and operational mindset
Low-cost, hands-on ways to let students explore—from a simple map to student-built payloads
What the "overview effect" teaches students about caring for our planet

Full show notes, links, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e954

If this episode helped you, share it with a teacher friend who'd love to bring more wonder into their classroom.

Servant Scholarship: Choosing a Dissertation Topic That Helps Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Choosing a dissertation topic? Dr. Maggie Broderick shares "servant scholarship" — how to pick research that helps real teachers and students instead of just checking a box.

In this conversation, Dr. Maggie Broderick — associate professor at National University, dissertation chair, and editor of the International Journal of Online Graduate Education — joins Vicki Davis to explore how doctoral students and classroom teachers alike can choose research with a servant's heart.

In this episode, you'll learn:

What "servant scholarship" is and why your motivation ("your why") shapes better research
How to support teachers of less commonly taught subjects who often feel isolated
Why connecting research to practice — and policy — matters more than just "learning the ropes"
How researchers can keep a servant's heart even when funding is involved
Encouragement for anyone weighing a PhD or EdD

Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e953

If this episode helped you, please rate the show and leave a review wherever you're listening — it helps more educators find these conversations. And share it with a teacher friend who's thinking about grad school.

Project-Based Social Studies Ideas Students Never Forget — Episode 952 Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

Project-based social studies ideas students never forget — from 2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year Megan Philbrook, whose students secretly nominated her for the award.

Megan Philbrook teaches social studies to grades 5 through 8 in rural New Hampshire, where her students wrote, directed, and filmed their own play on Ancient Rome, podcast about the American Revolution, and research WWII veterans buried fifteen miles from their school. In this conversation she shares how project-based learning and civic engagement make history unforgettable — and the classroom moves that made her students love her enough to nominate her for Teacher of the Year without telling her.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to reuse last year's student projects to inspire this year's students
A 30-second door-greeting ritual that starts every class with connection
The "look through the window" rule for teaching controversial history without taking sides
Where to find free state-level resources for America's 250th birthday
Why "close your mouth but open your ears" is her best advice for new social studies teachers

Full show notes and every resource mentioned: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e952

Share this one with a teacher friend who makes learning magical.

Building Apps with Students Using MAD-learn — Episode 951 Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Can elementary students build their own apps? Two elementary teachers — Erin Keith and Edward Courtney — show how they use MAD-learn for gold-standard project-based learning, and how app-building teaches the soft skills that last long after the code.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How teachers with no coding background get started with app development
Real student apps — from advocacy projects to digital portfolios to "Meet the Teacher" apps
The soft skills students build: persistence, teamwork, and design thinking
How to introduce AI to elementary students safely and thoughtfully
Why moving students from app users to app creators changes engagement

Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e951

This is a sponsored episode featuring MAD-learn. If this one helps you, share it with a teacher friend who's curious about coding with kids.

950 - Valuing Students and Teachers: Become a Hope Agent Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

What students achieve is tied to whether they feel valued — and the same is true for the teachers who serve them. In this Motivational Monday conversation, coach and author Debbie Simões (founder of Best Questers, co-author of High Five to Thrive) shows teachers how valuing students transforms a classroom, even on the hardest days.

Drawing on years in inner-city classrooms, Debbie shares how to see past a child's behavior to the person of value underneath, how to communicate to connect instead of to correct, and how to be a "hope agent" for yourself and your colleagues in a season of burnout and teacher shortages.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why "communicate to connect" changes how kids respond to correction
The difference between behavior-based praise and identity-based praise
How to respond when a student is at their worst
What it means to be a "hope agent" when your own tank is low
The mantra that can transform a school: people of value who value people and add value to them

Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e950

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a teacher friend and rate the show wherever you're listening.

11 Books for Your Teacher Summer: AI, Faith & Focus — Episode 949 Jul 18, 2026

Show notes

Summer reading for teachers — 11 books I've highlighted over 6,800 times and keep coming back to. This Significant Saturday special is my personal summer list for educators and lifelong learners, spanning AI ethics, productivity, faith, and the classroom-management classics I hand every first-year teacher.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why The Age of AI by Jason Thacker belongs at the top of a Christian educator's list
The one big-picture idea from The Future Is Faster Than You Think that brings hope about technology
Which books to reach for when you're feeling burned out or overwhelmed
The productivity and knowledge-management book that changed how Vicki organizes ideas
The two classroom-management classics worth giving every new teacher

Pick just one or two — you don't have to read them all. Choose what speaks to where you are right now.

Full list with links to every book: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e949

If this list pointed you to your next read, leave a rating or review wherever you're listening, and share it with a teacher friend who needs a good book this summer.

AI Tools Inside Adobe Express and Canva for Teachers — Episode 948 Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Adobe Express and Canva are packed with AI tools that save teachers hours — Amy Storer shares the features her teachers love most.

Innovative learning specialist Amy Storer (Montgomery ISD, TX) walks through the AI-powered tools inside Adobe Express and Canva that teachers and students are getting most excited about — from studio-style student podcasts to interactive games you can build without writing a line of code. She also shares a favorite bonus tool for creating step-by-step how-to guides, and closes with a word of encouragement for any teacher feeling buried by "all the things."

In this episode, you'll learn:

How Adobe Express's Create a Podcast and one-click Enhance make student podcasting simple
Why Animate a Character is an easy win for your youngest learners and GT projects
How Canva Code lets you build interactive, self-grading activities with no coding
A hidden Canva presentation timer and how Scribe turns clicks into a how-to guide
Amy's "pick one tool" philosophy for teachers who feel overwhelmed

Full show notes and links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e948

If this one gave you an idea you can use, share it with a teacher friend who could use a time-saver.

Teacher Burnout: How to Reconnect and Feel Fulfilled — Episode 947 Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Teacher burnout isn't weakness — it's disconnection. Michelle Singh shares how teachers can reconnect, set boundaries, and feel fulfilled again.

Michelle Singh — National Board Certified Teacher, founder of The Restful Teacher, and CEO of LCT-E Learning Solutions — spent more than 20 years in the classroom and district leadership before her own burnout forced a change. In this honest conversation with Vicki Davis, she offers teachers a path back to the work they love.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why teacher disengagement is an "iceberg" with far more below the surface
How to serve from fulfillment instead of sacrifice
The power of starting with acknowledgement
How to build a support team so you're not doing it alone
The "clarity audit" — a simple self-reflection tool you can try this week
Why writing down small wins carries you through the hard days

Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e947

Share this episode with a teacher friend who needs the encouragement.

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