10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

How do students actually learn? AP Psychology teacher Blake Harvard — The Effortful Educator — shares the cognitive science of attention and memory that every K-12 teacher can use tomorrow. In this episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast, Vicki Davis talks with Blake Harvard about why attention is a necessary component of learning, the simple pre-test that primes the brain, and the mistake of mak...

Experiential learning through travel changes students for good — and Denver science and CTE teacher Angela Cannava proves any teacher can lead it. In this episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast, Angela shares how curriculum-aligned international trips with EF Explore America transformed her students: a forensics lab in Great Britain where they did real DNA fingerprinting, and a Belize Ridge-to-R...

Art teacher Tim Needles brings AI art into the classroom without losing the watercolors, clay, and joy of real art. In this Tech Tool Tuesday, Tim shares how he uses Adobe Express and text-to-image to amplify student imagination, why the kids who use AI well are simply more descriptive, and the daily 10-minute creativity habit that helps teachers fight burnout. Plus: the legacy mural project that...

Vibe coding for teachers means describing what you want in plain English and letting AI write the code — no coding background required. 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Donnie Piercey joins Vicki Davis to show how any teacher can build custom classroom tools that save real time. Donnie shares the small-problem-first method he used to build printable daily student task lists, auto-translate his cl...

MIT's Justin Reich interviewed 120 teachers and students about AI in the classroom — and his honest takeaway is that there are no research-based best practices yet. Here's what to do instead. In this episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast, Justin Reich (MIT Teaching Systems Lab, host of The Homework Machine) joins Vicki Davis to talk about what AI is really doing in K-12 classrooms, why the rese...

Moviemaking in the classroom isn't the fun thing you do at the end of the year — it's how Jessica Pack gets to know her students on day one. The 2014 California Teacher of the Year and author of "Moviemaking in the Classroom" shares the exact projects she uses in the first two weeks of school to lift student voice, build creative confidence, and weave in generative AI the right way. You can use it...

Dr. Sarah Thomas says AI is a creativity amplifier — a tool that gives teachers back their time so they can do the work only humans can do. In this episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast, Dr. Sarah Thomas — founder of EduMatch and a Regional Technology Coordinator — reframes artificial intelligence as a creativity amplifier rather than a replacement for human thinking. We talk about what she act...

Four STEM teachers. Four trips that changed students forever. From Panama to the UK to MIT to DC. When a student does real science in a real place, STEM stops being abstract. Miranda Grabowski's biology class planted mangroves in Panama. Angela Cannava's biomed students ran a live DNA fingerprinting experiment in London. Karen Spencer's seventh graders toured MIT and Harvard in Boston. Edith Corte...

Jean-Claude Brizard, President and CEO of Digital Promise, joins Vicki on this Thought Leader Thursday episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast. From his beginning teaching incarcerated youth at Rikers Island, where he met a young man his own age who couldn't do basic math, to leading a global nonprofit that's reshaping how teachers and developers co-create AI tools — Jean-Claude shares why he's b...

Brain first AI teaching: a new MIT Media Lab study shows students who think before they use AI have a clear advantage over those who start with AI. Philip Seyfried — Teachers College, Columbia doctoral student and co-author of AI-Enhanced Literacy — shares the brain-first framework, why AI detectors don't work, how to monitor AI use in the classroom transparently, and how to build the kind of trus...

What does real world STEM education look like in a high school where students run actual manufacturing contracts on industry-grade equipment, intern at MIT, and learn AI ethics alongside CAD? Joe Fatheree (Top 10 Global Teacher Prize, Illinois Teacher of the Year) and Dr. Mark Buckner (Smart Industry Top 50 Innovator, founder of Oak Ridge High School's iSchool and Wildcat Manufacturing) take Vicki...

ADHD misconceptions are sabotaging your students' confidence and success. In this episode, Jheri South—a certified ADHD specialist and mom of seven neurodivergent kids—reveals the five things that actually engage an ADHD brain, the hidden emotional struggle affecting 95% of people with ADHD (rejection sensitivity dysphoria), and why "just try harder" is the worst advice you can give. Learn practic...

Free AI literacy resources for every K- 12 teacher — not just computer science. Karim Meghji, President and CEO at Code.org, shares how to teach AI in any classroom. In this episode, you 'll learn: Why AI literacy belongs in every subject, not just CS class How  to get started with Code.org 's free Hour of AI activities at hourofai.org Unplugged AI activities that work without any computers — perf...

Inquiry-based learning doesn't have to mean overhauling your entire schedule. Terra Tarango, Chief Education Officer at Van Andel Institute for Education, shares practical ways K-8 teachers can weave inquiry and hands-on science into any subject — starting small and building from there. Sponsored by the VAI Educator's Studio from Van Andel Institute for Education. In this episode, you'll learn: Ho...

In this episode, Malia Hollowell shares actionable, science-backed strategies to transform early reading instruction. Learn how to organize sight words by phonics rules, leverage spoken language as your teaching superpower, support dyslexic learners, and use word ladders for real reading growth. You'll also discover why leveled readers fall short and how to find trustworthy literacy resources. In...

Phone addiction in teens is real — and Australian psychologist Dr. Brad Marshall has evidence-based strategies that actually work from treating 2,500+ families. Dr. Brad Marshall, known as the Unplugged Psychologist and Director of Australia's Screen & Gaming Disorder Clinic, joins Vicki Davis to share what two decades of clinical work and university research reveal about helping kids break free f...

Executive function strategies Kindergarten through 3rd grade teachers can implement today. Dr. Sarah Oberle shares science-backed ways to support working memory, inhibition, and focus in the classroom. Dr. Sarah Oberle is a primary educator and cognitive science expert whose upcoming book, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom, translates learning science into practical classroom strategies....

Balanced class lists set students and teachers up for success. Principal Carrie Hetzel shares her team approach, time-saving tech tools, and advice for planning ahead. Class Composer is sponsoring this podcast. Sign up now for your free trial of Class Composer. For elementary principals and guidance counselors, this is a must-use. Creating balanced class lists is one of the most important — and la...

Too many bright, high-achieving students hit a wall because they lack access, know-how, and the "network advantage" that makes college applications feel possible. In this episode, I talk with Zak Adams, a junior at Harvard University, about how mentorship can help high-potential, low-opportunity students pursue "dream universities" they might not otherwise consider. We discuss Project Access, an i...

This episode focuses on how teachers can better welcome and support English Language Learners from the very first day of school. Many educators want to help multilingual students thrive but aren't always sure what to ask, how to plan, or how to build connection quickly. Andrea Bitner shares practical, experience-based guidance to help teachers create inclusive classrooms where every student feels...

Opening Paragraph In this episode, we tackle the challenges educators face as uncertainty around AI, demographic shifts, and evolving student futures continue to reshape schools. Teachers are feeling the pressure to personalize learning for every student, and we explore how AI might assist rather than overwhelm us in that work. Jennifer Womble, Conference Chair for FETC, joins us to unpack trends...

Many teachers are frustrated when AI gives great results one day and confusing or unreliable responses the next. This episode explores why that happens and how it affects both teachers and students in real classrooms. I sit down with Rob the AI Guy to unpack a key concept that explains much of this inconsistency and helps educators use AI more wisely. If you want clearer results and better classro...

The science of attention explains why learning cannot happen without focus—and why one teacher can make all the difference. Learn how to understand the science of attention and help students learn. This episode is an extended episode shared from my other podcast/radio/TV show: Cool Cat Teacher Talk. I'm sharing it because it is helpful, but also because I share a very special story at the end. - I...

Every child can become a reader — but only when we build strong foundational skills. In this episode, literacy consultant Jennifer Burns explains the "Fundamental Four" every student needs to read with confidence: seeing like a reader, hearing like a reader, thinking like a reader, and believing they are a reader. Whether you teach early learners, support struggling readers, or want practical stra...

What if math could feel like play? 🎲 In this inspiring episode, mathematician and educator Dan Finkel —founder of Math for Love —joins Vicki Davis, the Cool Cat Teacher , to explore how curiosity, productive struggle, and play can make math more meaningful and fun for every learner. Discover how to start math lessons with questions, why struggle builds deeper understanding, and how to help studen...