When I sat down to record this episode of Cool Cat Teacher Talk, I knew I wanted it to be practical, encouraging, and full of wisdom from some of the best people I know.

We start with Dr. Barbara Blackburn, one of my favorite experts on rigor. She reminds us that rigor isn’t about piling on work — it’s about raising expectations and giving students the support they need to succeed.

Then we’ll hear from my friend Dr. Desiree Alexander, who always has such clear, actionable advice. She shares simple time-saving tips that really help teachers create a sustainable pace. She also gives advice for getting organized that is essential to new teachers.

Next up is principal and life coach Barb Flowers, who talks honestly about teacher burnout and offers three powerful ways we can stress less and find joy again in teaching.

And finally, you’ll laugh with Mari Beasley, whose new book Teachers Have Bigger Fish to Fry is filled with hilarious true stories (like the snake that fell from the ceiling!) along with smart insights about AI productivity tips in the classroom.

Before all of that, I also share some important news updates for teachers — from AI hallucination rates to Google Notebook LM’s new features.

This episode is packed with encouragement and tips you can use tomorrow.

https://www.coolcatteacher.com/everychild

In this episode of Cool Cat Teacher Talk, Vicki Davis brings together four powerful voices in education to explore what it really means to teach every child.

• Isabelle Hau shares research and insight on the power of early childhood education.

• Andrea Bitner gives practical questions every teacher should ask English language learners to build trust and connection.

• Robert Barnett, founder of the Modern Classrooms Project, explains blended, self-paced, mastery-based instruction and how it transforms learning for all students.

• Joshua Stamper, educator, speaker, and podcaster, highlights trauma-responsive strategies and relationship-based behavior management that works.

Whether you teach kindergartners, multilingual learners, or high schoolers, this episode is full of practical wisdom to help you support every student who walks into your classroom.

🔗 Show notes and guest bios: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/everychild

In this episode of Cool Cat Teacher Talk, host Vicki Davis brings together four powerful voices in education with smart ideas for today’s classrooms.

• Jacob Kirksey shares urgent insights into the teacher certification crisis in Texas and why preparation matters for student success.

• Malia Hollowell introduces brain-friendly strategies for reading that help all students — including those with dyslexia — thrive.

• Nancy McCabe brings six practical ways to teach writing and reminds us of the joy and healing power of words.

• Jerry Kolber, creator of Who Smarted?, shows how screen-free podcasts can boost curiosity, listening, and learning for kids.

From policy to practice, literacy to engagement, this episode is packed with strategies you can use right now in your classroom.

👉 Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/smart2025

ick off the year with a no-fluff playbook: hook attention in the first five minutes, teach ADHD brains with novelty and challenge, protect teachers from burnout, and jump-start a campus culture that sticks.
Guests: Jheri South, Dr. Marc Isseks, Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson (Dr. PBJ), and “Stand Tall” Steve Bollar.

You’ll learn:
• ADHD-smart triggers that move students from stuck to started
• Why “save the best for first” beats the sleepy “do now”
• Simple, system-level moves to disrupt burnout
• A 7-week connection challenge that lifts school culture

Show notes & transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/s3e8

Back-to-school secrets from Richard Culatta, Brian Kulak, and Jessica Pack! Discover how to prepare AI-ready graduates, build strong school culture from day one, and engage students with creative storytelling — plus urgent AI safety news every educator should hear.

Full show notes & guest links: www.coolcatteacher.com/back2school2025

In this episode:
Kick off your school year with purpose, creativity, and strong connections in this back-to-school special of Cool Cat Teacher Talk. Three inspiring guests share actionable strategies you can use right away:

• Richard Culatta (CEO, ISTE + ASCD) — Preparing AI-ready graduates, rethinking assessment, and balancing human + AI strengths

• Brian Kulak (Principal, Author) — Simple, high-impact ways to build school culture, from name recognition to restorative practices

• Jessica Pack (California Teacher of the Year, Author of Moviemaking in the Classroom) — Creative first-week projects and storytelling ideas that engage every learner

We also open with urgent news from Common Sense Media about AI social companion apps — why they pose an “unacceptable risk” for kids under 18, and how educators can start conversations that protect students.

What You’ll Learn:

• Designing authentic assessment in the AI era

• Practical ways to connect with students from day one

• Why storytelling builds student voice and confidence

• How to talk with students about AI “synthetic relationships”

• Balancing human strengths and AI capabilities in learning

📖 Full show notes, guest bios, and resources: www.coolcatteacher.com/back2school2025

On today's show, we have some back-to-school reminders for teaching reading, a new AI reading tool from Digital Promise with Jean-Claude Brizard, building readers with Jennifer Burns, and teaching grammar playfully with Patty McGee. We will also have a Harvard student from Coventry, England, Zak Adams, who is one of a growing group of volunteers working with Project Access, a nonprofit that supports high-potential, low-opportunity students to help them apply to top universities across the world.

In our opening news we discuss the integration of AI into Canvas, some disturbing new research results about the dire consequences of kids using cell phones under the age of 13, research on cell phone ban opinions and parents, how leading AI models are recommending different salary ranges to people based on their gender and race, Delta Airlines is considering using AI pricing (and we'll all pay different prices for fairs if they do,) an excellent review from Tech and Learning of the paper "Your Brain on ChatGPT" that everyone's talking about, and the rollout of AI agent by ChatGPT and what it means for the future of the Internet.

Show notes, links to news articles and guest bios at: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/reading2025

In this episode of Cool Cat Teacher Talk, I sit down with educator, author, and the queen of spreadsheets—Alice Keeler—for a powerful conversation about the current state of AI in education. From vibe coding (yes, AI-assisted coding!) to the risks of flashy AI tools in Google Classroom, we pull back the curtain on what’s working, what’s broken, and what teachers really need to know.

🎯 Topics We Cover:

• What Google Gemini is actually doing in Google Classroom
• How vibe coding empowers teachers to build their own AI tools
• Privacy concerns and the problem with misleading AI buttons
• Why teachers must take back control of their data
• The dangers of “AI counseling” and students developing relationships with bots
• How we build tools that serve people — not platforms

If you're an educator trying to make sense of the AI wave—and want to protect your students while staying innovative—this is a must-watch conversation.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

Alice Keeler’s AI Teacher Toolkit: https://educatoraiassistant.com

Blog & Add-Ons: https://alicekeeler.com

“Frickin' Packets” Article by Jennifer Gonzalez: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/busysheets

📺 Full show notes and all Cool Cat Teacher Talk episodes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/googleai2025

When I lost my voice after ISTE/ASCD, my son John stepped in – and together we bring you game-changing insights on AI in education that challenge everything you've heard about robots replacing teachers.

Join us for exclusive interviews with three experts who are reshaping how we think about AI in schools:

• Dr. Sarah Thomas reveals how AI becomes a "creativity amplifier,"
• Dr. Caitlin Tucker exposes why AI-generated lessons are failing (and what actually works), and
• Jay James shares how Auburn University students defend against real cyber attacks while having an opportunity to enter a field that currently has $90,000 starting salaries.

Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/ai-cybersecurity-and-the-future-of-teaching-key-insights-from-iste-2025

• Dr. Sarah Thomas (Regional Technology Coordinator, Prince George's County Public Schools) on using AI to reclaim your creative genius
• Dr. Caitlin Tucker (Author of "Elevating Educational Design with AI") on the UDL framework that makes AI actually useful for differentiation
• Jay James (Auburn University) on building student-powered cybersecurity programs that protect schools while creating career pathways

1. Ai Updates: The Good, the Challenging, and the Practical
2. AI as a Creativity Amplifier with Dr. Sarah Thomas
3. Do AI Lesson Planners Measure Up? with Dr. Catlin Tucker
4. Cybersecurity Education Through Real-World Experience with Jay James from Auburn University
5. The Human Element - Why AI Can't Replace Teaching Relationships
6. My 6 Key Tools Highlighted from ISTE 2025
7. Instagram's School Safety Partnership - A Game Changer for Digital Wellbeing

• Microsoft Copilot now available for schools (ages 13+)
• Google Gemini launches for all ages with Classroom integration
• New AI rubric conversion tools that actually work
• Apple's strategic delay of AI features until 2026
• Instagram's partnership with ISTE for anti-bullying programs
• Concerns we should have about some of these announcements

Whether you're AI-curious or AI-concerned or somewhere in between (like me), this episode provides practical, research-backed strategies for thoughtful integration that enhances rather than replaces great teaching.

Newsletter: Get weekly teaching tips at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/newsletter

Connect: @coolcatteacher on all platforms

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