10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

So many things have happened in the past week that impact schools: lots of Gemini Notebook updates, ChatGPT for Teens' harsh review from Common Sense Media, suspected freezer hacks at US military bases and confirmed ones in France, a university's chief academic officer resigning over undisclosed AI use in published materials, and a new heart study that our coaches need to hear about. I also recorded some bonus material for "geeks" or more advanced people that you can listen to for the last three minutes if you like. Oh, and much more. I ended up with 17 news stories plus 7 new features from Gemini Notebook and some notes for administrators about the repercussions of these stories.

This isn't the first change to hit the world, but it seems to be the fastest. AI is impacting everything but it is more than AI being discussed this week. Every source is linked in the show notes.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the cafeteria freezer belongs on your school's IT checklist
• The Gemini Notebook feature that lets teachers read student chats, and what to tell kids first
• How researchers found AI studies dated before ChatGPT even existed
• What happens to your custom GPTs on December 11
• How a university provost's undisclosed AI use came to light
• A new heart study every coach should hear about
• Bonus for vibe coders: why Claude might refuse to build that game
• and more...

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

Show notes and every link: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1022

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.