10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

The end of the school year can be so exciting and give us ideas for great teaching. Jillian DuBois talks about her end of the school year and from the conversation we have twelve inspiring ideas for classrooms everywhere including: how to use the element of surprise in learning vocabulary building ideas watching bald eagles and teaching ideas about them how eagles fly higher on turbulent winds how to know children in even a very large class and more. Show notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e783 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Last summer I took my professional development with Advancement Courses and I am so glad that I did! On my blog, I recently shared 10 Ways to Rejuvenate and Learn This Summer. All of the course ideas come from the advancement courses catalog to go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 Learn about some courses you might want to take and some things that you need to do this summer. Your current needs should impact your professional development. Advancement Courses makes it so easy to complete your PD with courses that are online and self-paced so you can take them anywhere any time with up to six months to complete. And right now you can use the code COOL15 to get 15% off your course today. So go to www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 and begin deciding what you want to learn this summer. Jillian DuBois - Bio as Submitted Jillian is a repurposed elementary educator from Clearwater, FL, and currently serves as a Professional Learning Guide for Forward Edge/Edge•U in Ohio. Her passion is to infuse joy to those in educational leadership by focusing efforts on listening, serving, and growing. She uses her voice to foster hope by celebrating equity and empathy. She is a children's book author and illustrator of Liv's Seashells, Road to Awesome: A Journey for Kids, and Look at YOU, Piper Lou!, and Destiny's Amazingly Different Dreams. She is the founder + Chief Optimistic Originator of Imparted Joy, LLC, which provides services to help others 'spark their stories' with confidence. Each day is a FRESH opportunity to listen, be slow to criticize, and be quick to empathize. Keep dancing and dreaming with JOY. Twitter: @JillDuBois22 Instagram: jilliande FB: jilliandee TikTok: JillDuBois22 www.linkedin.com/in/jill-dubois Web: www.impartedjoy.com Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Awesome teachers connect with their students. KeKe Powell teaches second grade and has lots of ideas for ending the year and also just connecting with kids. She also shares some of her story of deciding to share what she does with a wider audience as she is becoming an education influencer. If you're considering if you want to share or if you just want great teaching ideas, this is a great listen for you. Scroll down for the show notes and transcript. Notes and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e782 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Last summer I took my professional development with Advancement Courses and I am so glad that I did! On my blog, I recently shared 10 Ways to Rejuvenate and Learn This Summer. All of the course ideas come from the advancement courses catalog to go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 Learn about some courses you might want to take and some things that you need to do this summer. Your current needs should impact your professional development. Advancement Courses makes it so easy to complete your PD with courses that are online and self-paced so you can take them anywhere any time with up to six months to complete. And right now you can use the code COOL15 to get 15% off your course today. So go to www.coolcatteacher.com/top10 and begin deciding what you want to learn this summer. Keke Powell - Bio as Submitted Just a teacher learning and spreading my aloha with others! I relocated from Hawaii to the great state of Texas! I enjoy learning new things and exploring the outdoors. Blog = www.mspowellteaches.com Twitter = @mspowellteaches Instagram = @mspowellteaches TikTok = @mspowellteaches_ Linked in - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspowellteaches/ I have created my platform to showcase ways I implement new things in my classroom. I have learned so many new things from other educators and I enjoy to continue to pay it forward! As educators, we are all doing great things inside our classroom and I believe we should highlight each others success! Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

School leadership is more challenging than ever. Assistant superintendent Chris Chappotin shares ideas for making yourself available, the importance of taking things off teachers' plates (and not adding to them), and questions you can ask when encouraging leaders. Practical, encouraging ideas are shared throughout this show for principals, administrators, and anyone working to encourage school leaders. Transcript and Resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e781 Sponsor: Readlee is an amazing literacy tool that enables teachers to go from collecting reading data a couple times a year to getting data each week (or day!) in just 5-10 minutes. Developed in collaboration with researchers at the Harvard School of Education, students read aloud and the tool collects data on fluency and accountability (think words correct per minute and total time read, among others) and a recording and transcript of their reading. You can provide feedback to your students on any text (print or digital) and they can hear you read as well.This is a perfect tool for summer school, reading tutors and anyone teaching reading. Go to Readlee.com today to set up your free account and get started. Chris Chappotin - Bio As submitted Chris Chappotin has been serving as Assistant Superintendent for Boyd ISD in Boyd, TX since January 2020. Chris grew up in Farmington, IA, Irving & Keller, TX, and completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology at Abilene Christian University. After a 14-year career in student & worship ministry, public speaking, and starting churches, in 2011, Chris began working for Burleson ISD in Burleson, TX as a 4th and 5th Grade Math and Reading Special Education Teacher at J.W. Norwood Elementary School. Chris earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington, and was promoted into administration in Burleson ISD where he served as Academic Associate Principal at Centennial High School and Academic Associate Principal and Principal at STEAM Middle School. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctorate of Educational Leadership at Texas Tech University with an expected graduation date of May 2024. Chris is passionate about leading empowerment organizations, designing innovative instructional systems, and accomplishing both in the context of meaningful, team-oriented relationships. He has been featured on the Teach Better, Aspire Lead, Teachers On Fire, and Many Voices of Grit podcasts. Furthermore, he was the parody writer and voice of Burleson ISD's school year launch videos from 2016 to 2019. Chris and his wife, Heidi, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary on July 25, 2022. They have 5 children: Torie (21), Ryan (15), Hudson (12), Ava Grace (10), and Sam (7), and live in Boyd, TX with their 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 snakes, and 1 goat. Blog: https://linqapp.com/ChrisChappotin Twitter: @Chris_Chappotin Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Did you know you can use a live translator app in PTA meetings, parent teacher conferences, and presentations -- that actually works? Did you know there is a tool that will translate your parent newsletters? How about one that parents can use to translate homework so they can help their children? Well, all of these exist! You'll learn about these and more on a special extended episode of the podcast with Teresa Magpayo Castro and Ricardo Recinos. You'll learn to empathize with students who struggle with English as a second language as Teresa and Ricardo tell their own stories. If you have students in your school who do not have English as their primary language, this is a must-listen-to episode. (Or read the transcript at the end of this post.) Help every student become included in learning and become empowered. We can do this! Transcript and Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e780 Sponsor: Readlee is an amazing literacy tool that enables teachers to go from collecting reading data a couple of times a year to getting data each week (or day!) in just 5-10 minutes. Developed in collaboration with researchers at the Harvard School of Education, students read aloud and the tool collects data on fluency and accountability (think words correct per minute and total time read, among others) and a recording and transcript of their reading. You can provide feedback to your students on any text (print or digital) and they can hear you read as well.This is a perfect tool for summer school, reading tutors and anyone teaching reading. Go to Readlee.com today to set up your free account and get started. Bios as Submitted Teresa Magpayo Castro​ Teresa Magpayo Castro is a Technology TOSA for the Unified School District of Hacienda La Puente USD. Her tech team conducts professional development for teachers and admin levels Prek-12. She is also part of the Transformational Technology team who provides weekly PDs to educators all over the globe. Blog: https://www.bit.ly/transformationaltech Twitter: @CastroCorner Note from Teresa: We conduct weekly PDs across 5 platforms, including our YouTube Channel https://www.bit.ly/transformationaltech on topics requested by our teachers! We also create tutorials on our District YouTube Channel https://www.bit.ly/hlpyoutube. Our Newsletter provides important info and highlights our teachers https://sites.google.com/hlpusd.k12.ca.us/tech/edtech-focus-newsletter?authuser=0 . Ricardo Recinos​ Ricardo Recinos is a proud Technology TOSA in Hacienda La Puente USD and a supervising instructor for John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. His role includes training teachers and administrators on all things related to technology and district initiatives. He is a part of the Transformational Tech team and a lead for Region 3 ILC for CTA. He is also a College Board ETS Table Leader and College Board Consultant. Blog: https://sites.google.com/hlpusd.k12.ca.us/tech/edtech-focus-newsletter?authuser=0 Twitter: @TechTosas Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Years ago when I discussed strategy with a Disney Cruise leader, they told me that people tend to remember how an experience starts and how it ends. Therefore, they designed events with intentionality, particularly on the first day and the last night. So, I adopted this approach in my own classroom and so has today's guest fourth-grade teacher, Alana Stanton. Over the last seventeen years, Alana has created some traditions in her classroom and today she shares them. Get ready to end the school year in a memorable and fun way for your students (and you!) Transcript and Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e779 Advancement Courses - Show Sponsor Advancement Courses is who I chose for my professional development. I love their courses because they are flexible with up to 6 months to complete and you can receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners or continuing education units that meet your state requirements. I recently shared 21 Top PD Topics for Teachers. With over 280 courses to choose from, Advancement Course offers subjects in everything from educator wellness to social-emotional learning and more. After you pick your PD, use the code COOL15 to save 15% off when you sign up at Advancement Courses. I highly recommend Advancement Courses for your professional PD. Alana Stanton Bio As Submitted Alana Stanton is a kindergarten teacher at Mulberry Elementary in Gwinnett County, Georgia. She has taught several grades over her 14-year career including K-3 literacy special, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, and technology special. Alana believes that relationships always come first in the classroom and the classroom should be a place where students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. She currently writes for her blog, More Than A Lesson where she shares the stories of her classroom and her heart. Blog: http://morethanalessonst.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @stantonalana Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Nicole Biscotti had children, and she was a teacher. She thought she understood everything about children. That was until her fourth son, Jason, was born. As Jason grew, Nicole knew he was different. Nicole shares how eventually she discovered Jason had ADHD and how she changed her high school classroom to reach all of the children. Kids with ADHD are different and need accommodations, but it can be challenging for already stressed teachers to figure out how to reach every child. Nicole shares her solution and some surprising things she learned as she has helped Jason grow and succeed in the classroom and at home. This show is a must-listen episode for parents of kids with ADHD and the teachers working to reach these precious children. Show Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e778 Advancement Courses: Show sponsor Advancement Courses is who I chose for my professional development. I love their courses because they are flexible with up to 6 months to complete and you can receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners or continuing education units that meet your state requirements. I recently shared 21 Top PD Topics for Teachers. With over 280 courses to choose from, Advancement Course offers subjects in everything from educator wellness to social-emotional learning and more. After you pick your PD, use the code COOL15 to save 15% off when you sign up at Advancement Courses. I highly recommend Advancement Courses for your professional PD Nicole Biscotti - Bio As Submitted Nicole is proud to be an educator and believes that everyone should have access to a quality education that connects them with their purpose. She seeks to bridge understanding, spark conversations, and inspire through her speaking, consulting, and writing. She wrote I Can Learn When I'm Moving: Going to School with ADHD with her 9 year old son about ADHD from the unique perspectives of a child and a mother who is also a teacher. She has seen both personally and professionally how children struggle to be understood and how adults are often at a loss with how to handle the difficult behaviors associated with ADHD and believes that by sharing her and her son's story, along with researched-based strategies, she can bridge understanding for kids who desperately need our support. Blog NicoleBiscotti.com Twitter @BiscottiNicole Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

World language teachers can have challenges with teaching students. Particularly when many want to use technology translators instead of learning the language. However, Rachelle Dene Poth has experience engaging and exciting students in her Spanish classroom From building relationships to using technology, she shares how Spanish teachers can engage students in learning. She uses augmented reality and virtual reality along with basic teaching concepts that apply to any world language classroom. Transcript and Show Notes: CoolCatTeacher.com/e777 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Last year, when I needed to take a college CEU course, I chose Advancement Courses and learned so much about teaching computer science in the classroom. I recently wrote about this on my blog called Seven Reasons Advancement Courses has Excellent Teacher Professional Development. Signup for a new course at Advancement Courses and use the code COOL15 to receive 15% off your Advancement Courses purchase. Thank you, Advancement Courses for awesome PD and for sponsoring today's episode. Rachelle Dene Poth - Bio As Submitted Rachelle Dene Poth is an edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher. Rachelle teaches Spanish and STEAM: What's nExT in Emerging Technology at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master's in Instructional Technology. She is a Consultant and Speaker, owner of ThriveinEDU LLC Consulting. She serves as the past president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and serves on the Leadership team of the Mobile Learning Network. At ISTE19, she received the Making IT Happen Award and a Presidential Gold Award for volunteer service to education. She is also a Buncee Ambassador, Nearpod PioNear and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Rachelle is the author of four books, 'In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking," "Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU" (EduMatch) and "The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead," In 2020, Rachelle Dene published with ISTE "Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow's World." She recently published Your World Language Classroom: Strategies for In-Person and Digital Instruction. Rachelle is a blogger for Getting Smart, Defined Learning, District Administration, NEO LMS, and the STEM Informer with Newsweek. Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915 ThriveinEDU is also a weekly show on Learningrevolution.com on Wednesdays.

As teachers, we have many ways to open class. Bell ringers, conversation starters, and even special handshakes can open class. But what if the answer is a question that helps create social connections? Dr. Leigh Zeitz from the University of Northern Iowa surveys his students. The result has helped him (and us) better engage students. (He also will share why his students said they turned off their cameras in zoom.) The results might surprise you! Show Notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e776 Show Sponsor: Advancement Courses is my preferred professional development provider. Last year when I needed to take a college CEU course, I chose Advancement Courses and learned so much about teaching computer science in the classroom. I recently wrote about this on my blog called 7 Reasons Advancement Courses Has Excellent Teacher Professional Development. Go to Advancement Courses and use the code COOL15 to receive 15% off your Advancement Courses purchase. Thank you Advancement Courses for awesome PD and for sponsoring today's episode! Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The best Instructional Technology Coaches are partners, culture leaders, encouragers, and easy to work with, says Dr. Katie Ritter. She covers ten essential points for being a successful education technology coach based on her research and her personal coaching of instructional technology coaches and teachers. This blog post includes a full transcript, a pinnable (or printable) graphic, and the podcast episode. Show Notes, Resources and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e775 Today's sponsor is Lum.io, an award-winning digital learning tool that will transform your lessons into active, collaborative learning experiences If you're looking for a collaborative learning tool to make it easy to level up your lesson materials you already have with assessments, game-based activities, collaborative spaces and lots more all in one place, Lumio is the perfect choice for you. Head to Lum.io for more information and to sign up for FREE. Dr. Katie Ritter - Bio As Submitted Katie serves as the Director for Curriculum & Technology Integration at Forward Edge in Cincinnati, Ohio, working closely with district leaders to help them identify needs of their staff, develop and implement plans for improvement, and oversees the Curriculum & Integration Department. In the C&I department, Katie supervises a team of 15+ instructional design coaches that serve about 20 school districts, oversees a national coach mentorship program, and also created and oversees Edge•U Badges, an anytime anywhere professional learning program for educators. Before joining Forward Edge in 2015, she worked in adult education, supervised students in an alternative school, taught computer science, and was an instructional technology coach at both the building and K-12 district levels. Katie finished her Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University in December 2021, where her research focused on instructional coaching in K-12 schools. She served on the leadership team for the EdTech Coaches Network of ISTE from 2015-2020, was a Future Ready Schools Instructional Coaches Thought Leader from 2017-2020, is a cohost of the Restart Recharge Podcast for coaches, and is a Google Certified Innovator, Coach, and Trainer. Through her Innovator project, she developed Classroom Bridges, a site to connect educators to other educators around the world to develop global collaboration experiences for students. Katie is driven to empower others to realize their full potential so that they can make a positive difference on those around them! For contact information, please see visit http://linktr.ee/katiemritter. Blog: http://talktechwithme.com Twitter: @Katie_M_Ritter Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Surprise can increase learning and change the lives of our students in positive ways. Today's guest researcher, Dr. Michael Rousell, studies the neuroscience of surprise and has some interesting points for educators and presenters. The Johns Hopkins' article, The Element of Surprise Helps Babies Learn Significantly Better, points to a phenomenon that impacts all ages. For example, if you've played peekaboo with a baby, you know the surprise is what makes them laugh. Interestingly, researchers found that once babies saw something that surprised them, their engagement with the object peaked their learning behavior which improved significantly compared to a baby who was not surprised. So they found that babies who were shown surprising events were able to learn faster and more efficiently afterward than those who were not. Today we will discuss how surprise applies to learning. Show Notes and Transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e774 Sponsor: Today's sponsor is Lum.io, an award-winning digital learning tool that will transform your lessons into active, collaborative learning experiences If you're looking for a collaborative learning tool to make it easy to level up your lesson materials you already have with assessments, game-based activities, collaborative spaces and lots more all in one place, Lumio is the perfect choice for you. Head to Lum.io for more information and to sign up for FREE. Dr. Michael Rousell - Bio as Submitted I'm a teacher, associate professor, psychologist, and author. I taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. As an academic, I study formative moments, those events that instantly change what you believe about yourself. My next book is titled, The Power of Surprise: How Our Brain Secretly Changes Our Beliefs, (not yet published). My slogan: Whoever learns the most wins. You can see my recent TEDxSalem talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5O6mFWpgZo Blog: michaelrousell.com Twitter: @rousellm

Classroom culture defines your classroom. You can feel a classroom culture, but what is a classroom culture? How do you build a positive classroom culture? In this show, Andrew Sharos, author of Finding Lifelifes: A Practical Tale about Teacher and Mentors, shares how to create a thriving classroom culture. He also talks about creating positive classroom habits. Furthermore, you'll learn how he measures the success of his classroom culture. See transcript and additional resources in the show notes at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e773 Sponsor: Advancement Courses Voting is now open in the Advancement Courses' Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge. Would you rather teach Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter or Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Ferris Bueller or Bart Simpson? From now until March 30, you'll have a chance to vote for which character you want to see advance through each round and see the winners announced on March 31. So, go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament to get your votes in and start playing. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

You can have the first day back to school activities any day of the year. We all need classroom management tips and first-day back stations are one of those you can use any time of the year. Right now, this is more important than ever as classrooms return from quarantine, teachers handoff substitute teachers, students come back to school from spring break, or a classroom may get off track and need a fresh start. First-day back stations are a teaching tactic to add to your tool belt so you can help reestablish the procedures that give the order that students need and crave. See the full blog post, podcast, and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e772 Sponsor: Voting is now open in Advancement Courses' Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge. Would you rather teach Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter or Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Ferris Bueller or Bart Simpson? From now until March 30, you'll have a chance to vote for which character you want to see advance through each round and see the winners announced on March 31. Go to www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament to get your votes in and start playing. Angelina Murphy is a secondary English language arts teacher based in Los Angeles. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and has a master's degree in education from UCLA, where her focus was on trauma-informed teaching, ethnic studies, and community-grounded praxis. Twitter: @magicalmsmurphy Instagram @magicalmsmurphy Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/profile/angelina-murphy Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The harsh reality of classroom life is that students and teachers both report lower motivation and morale right now. We must reengage students! Games can help us! SEL games can help you teach social-emotional learning skills and life skills. Today's expert, Dr. Matthew Farber, gives us an interesting twist on games by integrating them with SEL. He has practical ideas for understanding and using game-based learning in the classroom. Games make a great addition to every teacher's toolkit. From board games, in-class games, or video games, students love them! So, let me encourage you to take some time to learn about SEL games today in this podcast. 8 Actions Teachers Can Take After Reading this Post and Listening to This Podcast Understand that parents do not typically like the term social-emotional learning and prefer the term "life skills" but as you teach life skills, they want to partner with teachers in the process. Understand games can be a powerful way to teach life skills Find some games to try with students in class Understand the concept of asymmetrical game design and how it can teach teamwork. Educators should look for games with asymmetrical design as they test games for the classroom. Understand the concept of situational game design and how it can open up conversation in the classroom. Understand that the Nintendo switch can be hooked to a projector and passed around the room to create conversations about situational games. Check out 16 links for game-based learning resources. Look at practical classroom resources to dig deeper into game-based learning and SEL Resources Transcript and Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e771 Thank You Advancement Courses: Thank you Advancement Courses for sponsoring today's show. This month, Advancement Courses is kicking off their annual Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge where educators can win up to $2,000 in prizes. This year's "Mischief-Makers Edition'' features some of the most incorrigible students from literature and film, including Draco Malfoy, Veruca Salt, Bart Simpson, and Ferris Bueller. From now until March 20, choose which mischief-maker you'd rather teach and submit your bracket in order to play. Then from March 21-30, you'll have a chance to come back and vote for your favorites to advance. Enter now and you could win prizes like a $1,000 Amazon gift card and more. Visit www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament/ to learn more and submit your brackets!

How do we accelerate learning? The US Department of Education Roadmap for Reopening Safely says that "accelerated learning provides opportunities for students to learn at grade level rather than through tracking or remediation…." Simply put, acceleration "builds on what students know as a way to access new learning." (Roadmap p 18) Sponsor: Advancement Courses Thank you Advancement Courses for sponsoring today's show. This month, Advancement Courses is kicking off their annual Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge where educators can win up to $2,000 in prizes. This year's "Mischief-Makers Edition'' features some of the most incorrigible students from literature and film, including Draco Malfoy, Veruca Salt, Bart Simpson, and Ferris Bueller. From now until March 20, choose which mischief-maker you'd rather teach and submit your bracket in order to play. Then from March 21-30, you'll have a chance to come back and vote for your favorites to advance. Enter now and you could win prizes like a $1,000 Amazon gift card and more. Visit www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament/ to learn more and submit your brackets! This report also says that the pandemic negatively impacted math and widened achievement gaps. There is little doubt that many amazing kids are struggling to reengage with their learning progress. We cannot be content to let a generation of kids fall by the wayside. This is our watch and our duty and we have to work to do what is best. So, while some advocate acceleration for gifted kids, we need acceleration for all kids. It isn't about "catching up" right now education is about reaching every child's potential. We would love to see this generation transcend and rise above the many challenges of our world. To get there, we must reengage. Acceleration research says it is a way to do that. Dr. Nancy Frey has researched Acceleration Research along with Douglas Fisher and shared their results in Rebound: A Playbook for Rebuilding Agency, Accelerating Learning Recovery, and Rethinking Schools. This episode is a companion to podcast episode 768 with Douglas Fisher about schools that rebound. This episode focuses specifically on acceleration research. See the transcript and full show notes at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e770

Reading stamina matters. Prior to the pandemic, nearly two-thirds of students in the US were not at or above grade reading level for grade 4,8, and 12 (NAEP). If that isn't bad enough, UNESCO found that more than half of children and adolescents were not even learning worldwide. Furthermore, in September 2020, UNICEF reported that 1 billion children worldwide aren't learning at all. With these big picture stats and stories coming from the classroom, teachers need advice on helping students develop reading stamina. In episode 769 and this blog post, we're going to dig into reading stamina, why it is important, and practical ways we can help our students progress with reading stamina. My goal is to create a useful resource that teachers everywhere can use to get started with building reading stamina. Today's guest is Lisa Hollihan Allen. Sponsor: Today's sponsor, Literal is an app to help students in grades 6-12 engage with reading. The books literally are broken into text message-sized chunks making reading easier, plus Literal has classroom management features for teachers. Go to https://www.literalapp.com and use the promo code "coolcat" to get a free Educator account to try Literal in your classroom. Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e769

Acceleration research can teach us how to accelerate learning. Dr. Douglas Fisher, co-author of the best-selling book Rebound, Grades K-12: A Playbook for Rebuilding Agency, Accelerating Learning Recovery, and Rethinking Schools. Instead of learning loss, Dr. Fisher is advocating how we can accelerate learning. He reflects on what we have learned and how we can move forward together as we work to emerge (hopefully) from the pandemic. Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e768 Today's episode is sponsored by Tract. Tract will empower your students to develop 21st-Century Ready skills through project-based peer-to-peer learning. For a limited time, you can pilot Tract's on-demand project-based classes and clubs free in your classroom. I am a project-based learning classroom and have joined the pilot. Request free access today at teach.tract.app with the access code COOLCATTEACHER. If you have students aged 8 or older, you'll want to bring students into this self-directed project-based platform that will rock your classroom and their world. See my review, 10 Ways to Personalize Project Based Learning with Tract. Try out Tract today! Related Episodes A 4 Part Distance Learning Framework that Works with Dr. Douglas Fisher Successful Distance Learning for Young Kids with Nancy Frey Dr. Douglas Fisher - Bio as Submitted Doug Fisher is professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High in San Diego, CA. He is the co-author of The Distance Learning Playbook, along with several other books. Blog: www.fisherandfrey.com Twitter: @DFISHERSDSU Youtube Channel: Fisher and Frey - YouTube Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

"Really, we have to write?" say some students. No more! If you're working to engage your student in writing that is engaging and exciting, Dr. Sarah Levine from Stanford University has some practical ideas for you and your students. In this episode, you'll learn ways to engage students in writing using digital media. You'll also learn about an incredible idea "audio gifts" which you could use to support writing and gift giving for the upcoming holiday season. She also gives us the language for how to help students strengthen their writing with strong verbs and concrete language as they create their audio gifts. Sponsor: Defined Learning has engaging project-based lessons for your students., Take a look at the PBL tools & resources on Defined Learning with an online library of engaging hands-on projects, inspiring career-focused videos, research resources & more to help you create deeper learning opportunities for your students. Listeners of this podcast can get free 60-day access to all of Defined Learning's PBL resources by going to definedlearning.com/coolcat. Show Notes: www.coolcatteacher.com/e767 About Dr. Sarah Levine - Bio As Submitted Sarah Levine is an Assistant Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Dr. Levine's primary goal as an academic is to help shape the teaching and learning of secondary English teachers and contribute to research that will help students — especially those in urban and under-resourced schools — become independent readers and writers. Twitter: @s_r_levine Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Digital portfolios are an essential part of the modern student's creation process. In this show Tisha Poncio shares her tips on digital portfolios and classroom teaching. Learn how to plan ahead to allow for project based learning and digital portfolios and best practices for implementing them in the classroom. Transcript posted on the show page: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e766 Today's episode is sponsored by Tract. Tract will empower your students to develop 21st-Century Ready skills through project-based peer-to peer learning. For a limited time you can pilot Tract's on-demand project-based classes and clubs free in your classroom. I am a project based learning classroom and have joined the pilot. Request free access today at teach.tract.app with the access code COOLCATTEACHER. If you have students aged 8 or older, you'll want to bring students into this self-directed project based platform that will rock your classroom and their world. Try out Tract today! Tisha Poncio - Bio As Submitted Tisha Poncio, M.S. Learning Technologies/Instructional Design, has served in education for the last 21 years. She has led students in the classroom teaching English, Web Design, Graphic Design, Business Computers, Programming, and Broadcast Journalism. She has also coached educators, students, and administrators as a digital learning specialist for 12 years. She is a Google Certified Trainer, and a Flipgrid, Wakelet, and Buncee Ambassador. Her biggest accomplishment to date has been the creation of a student-led technology leadership group that helps her present globally on student voice, digital citizenship, and the #studentsCANlead movement.

Thomas Arnett from the Christensen Institute Shares What the Insitute has learned from administrators and teachers about best practices for teaching during the pandemic. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e765 Sponsor: Screencastify. This year, I introduced the free screencasting tool, Screencastify, the first week of school to all of my students so they could record screencasts. Screencastify isn't just a screen recorder. You can record, edit, and submit to students quickly as they can to you. The new version of Screencastify has analytics so you can know who is watching and when and more. Head over to screencastify.com today. Thomas Arnett - Bio as Submitted Thomas Arnett is a senior research fellow for the Clayton Christensen Institute. His work focuses on using the Theory of Disruptive Innovation to study innovative instructional models and their potential to scale student-centered learning in K–12 education. Thomas began his work in education as a middle school math teacher in Kansas City Public Schools through Teach For America and as an Education Pioneers fellow with the Achievement First Public Charter Schools. He has also served as an elected trustee and board president for the Morgan Hill Unified School District in Morgan Hill, California, and currently serves as the chair of the board of Compass Charter Schools in California. https://www.christenseninstitute.org/results/?authors=toma Potential unfulfilled: COVID-19, the rapid adoption of online learning, and what could be unlocked this year (https://www.christenseninstitute.org/publications/online-learning-potential/?authors=toma) Carpe Diem: Convert pandemic struggles into student-centered learning - https://www.christenseninstitute.org/publications/blended-learning-2021/?authors=toma Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

These are challenging times, but what if you're trying to find some normalcy amidst the challenges? Today's guest, Michelle Blanchet, co-author of the Startup Teacher Playbook talks about a method she teaches teachers to help determine the specific issues of concern so that improvements can be made and the teacher can have a sense of forward progress. Social Emotional Learning isn't just for students, this episode focuses on teachers. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e764 Today's sponsor is NaliniKIDS, creator of wordworkouts.org, a fantastic free SEL resource that will bring reflection and movement to your classroom. At wordworkouts.org you can select a word as the focus to help students get in the right mindset for a day of learning while making connections between academics and daily life. Wordworkouts.org is great for morning meetings, brain breaks, class transitions or advisory and is a wonderful relationship-building tool for your classroom community. Michelle Blanchet - Bio as Submitted Michelle is an educator striving to improve how we treat, train, and value our teachers. After ten years of experience working with young people, she founded the Educators' Lab, which supports teacher-driven solutions to educational challenges. Michelle earned a master's in international relations from Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. She has taught social studies in Switzerland and the U.S. and has presented at numerous events, including SXSWedu and TEDxLausanne. Michelle is a part of the Global Shaper Community of the World Economic Forum. She has worked with organizations like PBS Education, the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, Ashoka, and the Center for Curriculum Redesign. The Startup Teacher Playbook through Times 10 Publications is her first book. She occasionally blogs for Edutopia.

Tiffany Wycoff, the co-author of the bestselling book, Blended Learning in Action, talks about the state of blended learning today. She shares how some teachers are battling blended learning burnout but that it is necessary for learning today and how we move forward. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e763 Sponsor: Screencastify. This year, I introduced the free screencasting tool, Screencastify, the first week of school to all of my students so they could record screencasts. Screencastify isn't just a screen recorder. You can record, edit, and submit to students quickly as they can to you. The new version of Screencastify has analytics so you can know who is watching and when and more. Head over to screencastify.com today. Tiffany Wycoff - Bio as Submitted After spending many years in the classroom teaching and several as a school principal, Tiffany co-founded LINC and now serves as Chief Operating Officer at LINC. She is the co-author of the bestselling book, Blended Learning in Action, and a prominent speaker on innovative learning and leadership. blinaction.com @TeachOnTheEdge Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and lead developer of RULER, a systemic, evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning reflects on where students are now and how to reach them. This Social Emotional Learning (SEL) focused episode is relevant for Fall 2021 as students and teachers return to school. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e762 Today's sponsor is NaliniKIDS, creator of wordworkouts.org, a fantastic free SEL resource that will bring reflection and movement to your classroom. At wordworkouts.org you can select a word as the focus to help students get in the right mindset for a day of learning while making connections between academics and daily life. Wordworkouts.org is great for morning meetings, brain breaks, class transitions or advisory and is a wonderful relationship-building tool for your classroom community. Dr. Marc Brackett - Bio as Submitted Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine at Yale University. His grant-funded research focuses on: (1) the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationship quality, and mental health; (2) the measurement of emotional intelligence; and (3) the influences of emotional intelligence training on children's and adults' health, performance, and workplace performance and climate. Marc has published 125 scholarly articles and has received numerous awards, including the Joseph E. Zins Award for his research on social and emotional learning and an honorary doctorate from Manhattanville College. He also is a distinguished scientist on the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development and on the board of directors for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Marc is the lead developer of RULER, a systemic, evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by over 2,000 public, charter, and private pre-school through high schools across the United States and in other countries, including Australia, China, England, Italy, Mexico, and Spain. RULER infuses social and emotion learning into the immune system of schools by enhancing how school administrators lead, educators teach, students learn, and families parent. Research shows that RULER boosts academic performance, decreases school problems like bullying, enriches classroom climates, reduces teacher stress and burnout, and enhances teacher instructional practices. Marc is the author of Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive (Celadon/Macmillan), which will be released in September of 2019. Marc regularly consults with large companies on best practices for integrating the principles of emotional intelligence into training and product design. He is co-founder of Oji Life Lab, a corporate learning firm that develops innovative digital learning systems for emotional intelligence. With Facebook, Marc has developed a number of products, including: social resolution tools to help adults and youth resolve online conflict; a bullying prevention hub to support educators, families, and teens; and InspirED, an open-source resource center to support high school students in leading positive change in their schools. Marc also holds a 5th degree black belt in Hapkido, a Korean martial art. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Financial literacy is a must-teach topic for students, a topic Kailen Stover has been teaching for years. In this show, she shares what every student needs to know and how to teach them. Money matters. Let's talk about how. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e761 Sponsor: Everfi sponsored this episode. If you need standards-aligned, digital resources to teach real-world topics like financial literacy, communication skills, leadership, and SEL, social-emotional learning, then EVERFI has a course for you. This past school year, EVERFI had over 72,000 active courses with 4.8 million student enrollments. These digital resources are free to K-12 schools, so every teacher has access to them, no matter your classroom setting. From sports to banking, you will find a topic with a real-world angle that your students will love. So go to get.EVERFI.com/coolcat. And when you do, sign up to get a virtual swag bag full of free goodies and check out the show notes for links. Kailen Stover - Bio as Submitted Kailen Stover is a High School Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Teacher in Colorado. Family and Consumer Sciences falls within the realm of Career and Technical Education (CTE). Although Kailen teaches many pathways inside of FCS CTE the majority of her time is spent on classes that teach how to "adult". She is dedicated to preparing students for life after high school by focusing on 21st-century workplace readiness and Social-Emotional Learning. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Some awesome changes have happened with Google Apps over summer 2021. In today's show, Eric Curts talks about Google Classroom, Google Docs, and other Google apps and what has happened that is new and cool and how these changes will help classrooms improve this school year. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e760 Sponsor: Today's podcast is sponsored by Google and their Applied Digital Skills Curriculum. All opinions my own and that of my guest. Eric Curts - Bio As Submitted Eric has been in education for 30 years, and currently serves as a Technology Integration Specialist for SPARCC in Canton, Ohio where he oversees G Suite for Education implementation, training, and support, as well as other technology integration initiatives. Eric is an authorized Google Education Trainer and Innovator, and provides training to schools, organizations, and conferences throughout Ohio and across the country. He is a co-leader of the Ohio Google Educator Group at https://bit.ly/gegohio. Eric runs the award-winning blog https://www.ControlAltAchieve.com where all of his edtech resources can be found, and is the author of the book "Control Alt Achieve: Rebooting Your Classroom with Creative Google Projects". Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

In today's show, we are working to develop empathy for some of our most struggling students - students who are refugees. Looking at Syrian Refugee students in Lebanon, we are spotlighting students who need our encouragement and help. This is not an easy topic, but we should all consider. Take the time to talk to students in your school who are refugees and help others develop empathy and reach out to help them. We all need someone to help us. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e759 Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorsChoose projects from August 18 – September 24. Submit your project to https://www.advancementcourses.com/give/submityourproject/ for the chance to be funded. Remember that you can receive 20% off their online professional development courses with the code COOL20. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification is only $359. So, go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to learn more and use the code COOL20. Never stop learning! Ibrahim M. Karkouti - Bio as Submitted Ibrahim M. Karkouti is an independent thinker, a young scholar, and a life-long learner who recently defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Hartford, CT - USA. Ten years of professional experience in Lebanon, Qatar, and the United States have taught Ibrahim that learning has no boundaries and that education matters the most when it is used to remedy the deleterious effects of segregation, racism, sectarianism, and other forms of discriminatory practices that prevent historically excluded populations from attaining their basic rights to education, healthcare, and prosperity. Karkouti's research focuses on diversity issues in higher education, the elements that aid in the facilitation of the use of technology in the classroom and the types of social support K-12 teachers need to embrace and implement reform. Twitter: @ibrahimkarkouti Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahim-m-karkouti-30938696/ Restoring Hope for Syrian Refugees: Social Support Students Need to Excel at School https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/imig.12642 Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Nancy Barile has an incredible story of how she uses the show The Walking Dead to engage learners in writing skills and more. Her administration has let her recraft the curriculum around this show with pretty astounding results. Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorsChoose projects from August 18 – September 24. Submit your project to https://www.advancementcourses.com/give/submityourproject/ for the chance to be funded. Remember that you can receive 20% off their online professional development courses with the code COOL20. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification is only $359. So, go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to learn more and use the code COOL20. Never stop learning! Nancy Barile - Bio as Submitted Nancy Barile has been a public high school English Language Arts teacher working with kids in Massachusetts for over twenty-seven years. In 2007, she was named a member of the USA Today All-Teacher Team, and in 2011 she was awarded the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award in Creative Leadership. She is a 2013 recipient of the Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award. In 2013 she was named Boston Red Sox Most Valuable Educator. She was a 2015 Top 50 Finalist for the Varkey Global Teacher Prize. Nancy is also an adjunct professor in the undergraduate and graduate schools of education of a Boston-area college. Her writing has been featured in the Huffington Post, The Guardian, Ozy, Education Week, the College Board, and Hey Teach. Nancy is the author of I'm Not Holding Your Coat: My Bruises and All Memoir of Punk Rock Rebellion, which was published by Bazillion Points in 2021. Available at bazillionpoints.com or on Amazon. Nancy lives outside Boston with her husband Al Barile and Flippy the Beagle.

Students are coming back to school and many of them are struggling with reading. While this has always been a challenge, this year it may be even more so. In this episode, literacy expert Pam Allyn gives advice to teachers in specifically in grades 6-12 when they have students struggling to read. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e757/ Sponsor: Today's sponsor, Literal is an app to help students in grades 6-12 engage with reading. The books literally are broken into text message-sized chunks making reading easier, plus Literal has classroom management features for teachers. Go to https://www.literalapp.com and use the promo code "coolcat" to get a free Educator account to try Literal in your classroom. Pam Allyn - Bio As Submitted Pam Allyn is an award-winning education innovator, author of books for families and educators, public speaker and experienced business executive in the area of educational products and sales. She is the founder of the award-winning global nonprofit organization LitWorld, and co-founder of the family engagement platform Dewey. pamallyn.com @pamallyn

Google's Applied Digital Skills Curriculum is a fantastic free resource of lesson plans, videos, and learning experiences for students everywhere. Today's guest Coach Victor Hicks talks about how he's used the curriculum for grades kindergarten and up. Sponsor: Today's podcast includes sponsored content from Google and their Applied Digital Skills Curriculum. All opinions are my own. coolcatteacher.com/skills The "If-Then Adventure Story" that Victor recommends as a starting point is an excellent resource and beginning lesson plan for teachers. www.coolcatteacher.com/if www.coolcatteacher.com/e756 Coach Victor Hicks - Bio As Submitted "Coach" Victor Hicks is the founder of Coding with Culture; a computer science instructional company that combines computer science, digital literacy and the history and culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Victor is also an educator in Atlanta, Georgia. Overall, Coach Hicks has over 20 years experience in education positively impacting the lives of young people in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia. Coach Hicks' work is featured on the Google Applied Digital Skills website and he was blessed with the opportunity to present on behalf of the Tynker Corporation at the ISTE convention in Chicago. His work was featured in Forbes Magazine and he received the Educator of the Year award from InspireEDU among others. In his time outside of school and Coding with Culture, Coach Hicks is a Code.org professional development facilitator and the proud Coach of the Psi Phi Beta "HBCU Ready" Step Team! Blog: http://www.coachhicks.com Twitter: @codingwculture Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Paolo Tolomeo gets kids excited about learning math and language arts by sailing the 7 seas. Learn how it does it, how he keeps on track with lessons, and how to avoid common mistakes when adding gamification to your classroom. Show Notes with Links: www.coolcatteacher.com/e755 Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorsChoose projects from August 18 - September 24. Submit your project to https://www.advancementcourses.com/give/submityourproject/ for the chance to be funded. Remember that you can receive 20% off their online professional development courses with the code COOL20. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification is only $359. So, go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to learn more and use the code COOL20. Never stop learning! Paolo Tolomeo - Bio As Submitted I am a 4th grade teacher preparing to enter my 16th year teaching. I am constantly looking for ways to further engage my students, creating epic storylines for us all to navigate each year in my gamified classroom. Twitter: @MrTSVedu Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Karen Janowski and her coauthors have written a book Inclusive Learning 365: Edtech Strategies for Every Day of the Year. Today she talks about a mindset of including students who learn differently and better reaching the children you have in the classroom. She also shares some practical examples and edtech tools in the process and how you can work to innovate every day of the year in a way that is not overwhelming. Show Notes: www.coolcatteacher.com/e754 Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorChoose projects from August 18 - September 24. Submit your project to https://www.advancementcourses.com/give/submityourproject/ for the chance to be funded. Remember that you can receive 20% off their online professional development courses with the code COOL20. With this coupon, a 3 grad credit course for continuing education, salary advancement, or recertification is only $359. So, go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to learn more and use the code COOL20. Never stop learning! Karen Janowski - Bio as Submitted Karen is an Inclusive Technology Consultant and President of EdTech Solutions, Inc serving school districts in the Greater Boston area. She is a nationally recognized speaker and is passionate about removing the obstacles to learning to ensure that all learners achieve independence and success. Blog: https://teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @karenjan Inclusive Learning 365 https://inclusive365.com/ Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

With free financial literacy courses for high school and middle school, social-emotional learning, and digital literacy classes, today we highlight six ways you can help students learn real-world skills. Right now, many of us are looking for high-quality, easy-to-use materials that can reach students both at home and in the face-to-face classroom. Today's show features six ideas for courses with this in mind and is sponsored by Everfi. We talked to educator Alyssa Lyons about how to bring real-world skills to your classroom with some powerful curriculum. Everfi sponsored this episode which contains advertorial content. All opinions are my own. A full transcript of this episode is available at www.coolcatteacher.com/e753 Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast advertorial episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Evernote has been my go-to tool for over 10 years. In this productivity episode, I talk through how I'm using Evernote, how I organize my files (across all platforms), and some information on the new tasks feature in Evernote. I'll share the screenshots from Evernote into the show notes for this episode. For me, Evernote is more about organization and not collaboration. This is a peek into how I have kept my files organized for over ten years with ten ways I use Evernote now. The show notes include screenshots and lots of links: www.coolcatteacher.com/e752

You can engage every learner as you head back to school. I share eight ways to engage every learner as we head back to school in this special extended bonus episode. This was first shared at Pear Fair. Check out the show notes to see the extended video: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e751 Sponsor: Thank you Peardeck for sponsoring today's show and letting us release the full presentation from their recent Pear Fair. The whole day is archived at www.peardeck.com/pear-fair with lots of presentations including some on how to use the formative assessment tools built into Peardeck. So, check out Pear Fair and get engaged with your students today! Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

When students come into your math class, are they ready to learn? Is their brain in a ready state? In today's show, Liesl McConchie shares how to help students get their brains ready to learn from the moment they walk into the classroom. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e750 In this show, I also share some updates at the end of the show about what's next for this podcast. We're starting season 10 of the 10-minute teacher that I'm dedicating to my precious Mom. Learn more about what is going on with the show after you listen to Liesl McConchie talk about how the brain learns math. Liesl McConchie - Bio as Submitted Liesl McConchie is an international expert on how the brain learns, and co-author of best-selling book Brain-Based Learning with Dr. Eric Jensen. She has been published in ASCD's Educational Leadership journal. With over 20 years of experience in education, Liesl bridges her knowledge of how the brain best learns with her experience of teaching secondary math to create tangible strategies to support teachers and schools across the globe. She has a rich background in education that includes creating new schools, leading whole-school reforms, delivering workshops to educators, and speaking at conferences. Learn more about Liesl and her contributions to education at lieslmcconchie.com.

Deeper Learning can happen as we work to connect with students and transform them into critical thinkers as well as knowledgeable about our content areas. Professor Jal Mehta from the Harvard University School of Education has co-written an award-winning book "In Search of Deeper Learning" and reflects on how deeper learning can happen at the secondary level. Sponsor: Pear Deck. Pear Fair is back with another hit virtual event designed to energize and equip you with the resources you need to make this year a success! Pear Fair is happening Wednesday, July 28th and I'll be presenting 8 Ways to Engage Every Learner along with many other fantastic educators. Just go to peardeck.com/pear-fair to reserve your seat. It's free. There are two tracks of this conference - one focusing on pedagogy and hot topics and the other on best practices for using Pear Deck and GoGuardian. You can mix and match your tracks. So, reserve your spot. If this event has already passed still go to the website and register as some recordings (including my presentation) will be posted after the event. Jal Mehta - Bio As Submitted Jal Mehta is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research explores the role of different forms of knowledge in tackling major social and political problems, particularly problems of human improvement. He has also written extensively on what it would take to improve American education, with a particular focus on the professionalization of teaching. Jal is the author of The Allure of Order: High Hopes, Dashed Expectations and the Troubled Quest to Remake American Schooling (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013) and the co-editor of The Futures of School Reform (Cambridge: Harvard Education Press, 2012). He is currently working on two projects: In Search of Deeper Learning, a contemporary study of schools, systems, and nations that are seeking to produce ambitious instruction; and The Chastened Dream, a history of the effort to link social science with social policy to achieve social progress. He is co-editor of the Learning Deeply blog at Education Week, and in 2014 was the top-ranked junior faculty scholar in the Rick Hess Education Week rankings. He is also the winner of the Morningstar Teaching Award at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Teaching kindergarten has never been easy, but could you imagine doing it for forty-four years? Mrs. Sharon Howard has done just that. She reflects on her teaching career, the kind of teaching she does that would cause a senior to name her as a STAR teacher, and how she taught in-person in 2020-2021 without missing a day of school. Mrs. Howard is a truly remarkable woman and I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I have. Congratulations on your retirement, Mrs. Howard and for all of the contributions you made to so many children and families over the years! This is a bonus, extended episode of the 10 Minute Teacher. Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e748 Read: Beloved Sherwood Kindergarten teacher retires at the Albany Herald to learn more about Mrs. Sharon Howard and her career.

An amazing fall starts now with the administrative preparation this summer. Dawn Stansbury discusses eight things administrators need to do this summer and we highlight differences in those items now after the pandemic. This show includes a transcript to use and discuss with beginning or veteran administrators as part of training and discussion. See the show notes and a full transcript at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e747 Advancement Courses sponsored this show. All opinions are my own. Dawn Stansbury - Bio As Submitted I am currently working as an Instructional Designer for Advancement Courses, A Wiley Brand. I hold a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education, earned at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. My Masters Degree was earned at University of South Dakota in the area of Educational Administration. During my years of working in elementary education, I spent time as a classroom teacher as well as a school leader, all with the Sioux City Community School District in Sioux City, Iowa. I enjoyed teaching for six years in grades 2-5 as well as working as a reading specialist. Although I loved teaching children, I spent the next thirteen years of my career as the elementary principal of a K-5 school. During my time as an elementary principal, I led my building of 700 students and 80 staff members to becoming one of the first elementary STEM schools in the state of Iowa, offering many specialized programs to our students. As a STEM school, we were proud to have the 2017 Northwest Iowa STEM Teacher of the Year, as well as a state of Iowa Teacher of the Year top five finalist. I am passionate about offering educational opportunities to students and educators alike, realizing that the stronger teachers are, the better the learning opportunities for students. When we offer current and impactful learning to teachers, our students, families, and communities' benefit. As an educational leader, I recognize that it is impossible for administrators to be all-knowing on all aspects of education. Advancement Courses offers valuable resources to educational leaders so that they can best meet the needs of their teachers and allowing those teachers to best meet the needs of their students. I am proud to be a part of providing these resources to the world of education so that we can more efficiently and appropriately differentiate the ways in which our educators are learning.

As we teach students how to discern the truth, Amanda Brace has five steps for fact-checking that she teaches her students. Digital literacy is an essential topic for all of us and this show will help teachers (and parents) understand a simple way to help their students work through topics to get to the truth. Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e746 Sponsor: Advancement Courses. Recently, I shared 21 Hot Topics for Teacher Professional Development for Summer 2021. If you have accreditation or learning requirements as I do, take the opportunity to look at this post. And join me as I take my courses this summer from Advancement Courses. Remember to use COOL20 to receive 20% off your course. Amanda Brace - Bio As Submitted My name is Amanda Brace and I am a grade 3 teacher, Masters student, and #EdTech educator in Regina, SK, Canada. I have been teaching for 6 years, but I have recently started a Masters journey in Educational Technology and Digital Media. I am currently researching and exploring the art of podcasting and I have even started my own called EdTech Endeavours. I am excited to see where this journey of learning takes me! Blog: https://edtechendeavours.wordpress.com Twitter: @amandajebrace

Today's episode focuses on the realities of hybrid teaching. Teacher Tennille Johnston reflects on the real struggles, challenges, and quality of education in the school year 2020-2021. Her words reflect the honesty of a hard year of teaching - what many of us would say is the hardest years of our careers. Take a listen to episode 745, "What Really Happened in Hybrid Classrooms During the pandemic." Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e745 Sponsor: Advancement Courses. Recently, I shared 21 Hot Topics for Teacher Professional Development for Summer 2021. If you have accreditation or learning requirements as I do, take the opportunity to look at this post. And join me as I take my courses this summer from Advancement Courses. Remember to use COOL20 to receive 20% off your course. Tennille Johnston's Bio As Submitted Tennille is a 10-year veteran Science teacher in the second-largest public school district in the state of Texas, transitioning to this career through an alternative certification program after working as a wildlife biologist for several years after graduating with a B.S. in Natural Resources/Wildlife Management from The Ohio State University. She is a member of the Science Teacher's Association of Texas, the Texas Computer Education Association, the National Wildlife Federation, and is a Level 1 Certified Google Educator. Formerly she served as a teacher mentor in the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Math Teaching and has attended special training for inquiry-based, Maker-based, and project-based learning with the University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University, and NASA's Johnson Space Center. She has coached teams of students participating in the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, SeaPerch Robotics competitions, and has given presentations on coaching robotics and inquiry-based learning at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) and at Dallas ISD's STEM Expo. You can support Ms. Johnston's classroom at http://www.donorschoose.org/Tennille.Johnston Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Educator Canvas is a free 1-page organizer that helps teachers take ideas into action whether it is self-care, classroom management, or anything- Darcy Bakkegard talks about the Educator Canvas and also shares some about the 30 day PD Challenge starting on June 1st. This is episode 744, "A Simple Free Way to Turn Ideas into Action" Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e744 Sponsor: Advancement Courses. Recently, I shared 21 Hot Topics for Teacher Professional Development for Summer 2021. If you have accreditation or learning requirements as I do, take the opportunity to look at this post. And join me as I take my courses this summer from Advancement Courses. Remember to use COOL20 to receive 20% off your course. Darcy Bakkegard - Bio as Submitted Darcy Bakkegard is an English/Theatre teacher and professional development coach who got tired of traditional sit-n-get PD and now creates the type of PD she always wanted. With 10 years of experience teaching English and Theatre, Darcy specializes in interactive strategies for the classroom, meaningful technology integration, and building relationships with students. She is an ISTE Certified Educator, an experienced international presenter, and a dedicated teacher-empowerer. Darcy hopes her book, The Startup Teacher Playbook helps teachers rekindle their joy and passion for teaching. She lives in Fargo, ND with her husband Jeff and their 15-month-old triplets, Kurtis, Benjamin, and Cordelia. You can reach her at [email protected] or @dbakkegard on Twitter.

There's a new generation in town. That's right. Gen Z is now followed by Generation Alpha. Today's guest, Mike Fisher has been studying Gen Alpha and wants to talk about how they are different and what we need to know about teaching this generation of students. No, change never stops and great teachers always work to be relevant to the kids in their classroom. This is episode Episode Link: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e743 Sponsor: Advancement Courses. Recently, I shared 21 Hot Topics for Teacher Professional Development for Summer 2021. If you have accreditation or learning requirements as I do, take the opportunity to look at this post. And join me as I take my courses this summer from Advancement Courses. Remember to use COOL20 to receive 20% off your course. Mike Fisher - Bio as Submitted Michael Fisher is an author and instructional coach who works with schools to design contemporary curriculum and modernize instruction with an array of technologies. Michael is the author of several books published by ASCD, Solution Tree, and Times10 publications, most recently Hacking Instructional Design. For more information, visit The Digigogy Collaborative (digigogy.com) or find Michael on Twitter (@fisher1000).

Every student can lead and impact their school and community. Learn how you can improve your student council, implement a microgrant program to spur creativity and conservation, and encourage all students to participate in school leadership from Dean J. Fusto, a school leader who encourages student leadership. Sponsor: Advancement Courses. Recently, I shared 21 Hot Topics for Teacher Professional Development for Summer 2021. If you have accreditation or learning requirements like I do, take the opportunity to look at this post. And join me as I take my courses this summer from Advancement Courses. Remember to use COOL20 to receive 20% off your course. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/21-top-professional-development-topics-for-teachers-now/ Bio as submitted Dean J. Fusto is the President at Brandon Hall School, a global boarding and day school in Atlanta serving students from over 20 countries in grades 6-12. He founded the www.teachlearnlead.org global edu-library in 2013 and the Center for Global Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurial Studies at Brandon Hall School https://brandonhall.org (Facebook @BHSglobalyouth) in 2016. Blog: http://www.teachlearnlead.org Twitter: @djftll Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

We teachers need to take care of ourselves. Sarah Parker Wolf, author of Daily Intentions for the Classroom Teacher, talks about some intentional things every teacher can do to improve their thought process and how they take care of themselves. Can you try just one thing from this show? Show Sponsor: This summer, I'm taking my professional development with Advancement Courses. Recently, I shared the five-step process I used to select the perfect course for me at Advancement Courses. Go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/5-steps-to-choose-your-summer-pd/ to see how I selected my course. Your professional development should be customized to your current needs and what will benefit your career. Advancement Courses makes it easy to pick a course so you don't have to stress out. The filters on their website are simple to use so you can find the perfect course for your grade level, subject area, or need. You can also use the coupon code COOL20 to get 20% off your course today. So go to coolcatteacher.com/select and begin picking out your courses today. Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e741 Sarah Parker Wolf - Bio As Submitted Sarah Parker Wolf is a writer, wife, and mother of three who loves to dabble in all things creative. She taught high school Spanish for fourteen years before returning to a career as a copywriter. She also wrote/hosted The Focused Intention Podcast. Sarah's first non-fiction book, Daily Intentions for the Classroom Teacher,: Fifty-two weeks of reflections and intentions to get you focused on the things that matter, (available through Amazon.com) is based on her classroom experiences and in her belief that mindfulness is life-changing. Originally from Wisconsin, she lives just outside of Chicago with her family. Blog: http://www.sarahparkerwolf.com Twitter: @spwolfauthor Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

As we return to in-person learning, we should not return to business as usual. David Bott gives us three things that, based upon current research, we should rethink in schools. Show Sponsor: This summer, I'm taking my professional development with Advancement Courses. Recently, I shared the five-step process I used to select the perfect course for me at Advancement Courses. Go to https://www.coolcatteacher.com/5-steps-to-choose-your-summer-pd/ to see how I selected my course. Your professional development should be customized to your current needs and what will benefit your career. Advancement Courses makes it easy to pick a course so you don't have to stress out. The filters on their website are simple to use so you can find the perfect course for your grade level, subject area, or need. You can also use the coupon code COOL20 to get 20% off your course today. So go to coolcatteacher.com/select and begin picking out your courses today. Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e749 David Bott - Bio As Submitted David Bott is the Associate Director of the Institute of Positive Education. David is a sought-after speaker and education consultant who works with government organizations and some of the world's leading schools to help guide wellbeing vision and strategy. As an expert in applied wellbeing science, David has supported thousands of educators from hundreds of schools around the world in designing and implementing system-level approaches to wellbeing. David sits on the Dubai Future Council for Education, is a Director on the PESA (Positive Education Schools Association) board, and has published in academic journals and industry periodicals. David's bestselling book, 10 Things Schools Get Wrong: And How We Can Get Them Right was published in 2020. David oversees the Institute's research strategy and its curriculum design and development. David's current role is informed by his 15 years of practical teaching experience in Australia and the UK where he held senior pastoral and academic leadership positions. Website: 10thingsbook.com Twitter: @davidbott Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Assessment is part of what teachers have to do in school. Although it is required, we teachers can make sure we assess with respect. Today's guest, Starr Sackstein, author of Assessing with Respect: Everyday Practices That Meet Students' Social and Emotional Needs, shares an overview of what is needed so that every student feels respected even as they are given the necessary feedback to improve and level up their learning. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e739 Starr Sackstein - Bio As Submitted Over 16 years ago, Starr Sackstein started her teaching career in Far Rockaway High School, eager to make a difference. Quickly learning to connect with students and develop rapport, she was able to recognize the most important part of teaching, relationships. Fostering relationships with students and peers, to encourage community growth and a deeper understanding of personal contribution through reflection, Sackstein has continued to elevate her students by putting them at the center of the learning. Starr Sackstein currently works at Long Island City High School as a Teacher Center Teacher and ELA teacher. She spent nine years at World Journalism Preparatory School in Flushing, NY as a high school English and Journalism teacher where her students run a multi-media news outlet at WJPSnews.com. In 2011, the Dow Jones News Fund honored Sackstein as a Special Recognition Adviser and 2012 Education Updated recognized her as an outstanding educator. Currently Sackstein has thrown out grades, teaching students that learning isn't about numbers, but about the development of skills and ability to articulate that growth. In 2012, Sackstein tackled National Board Certification in an effort to reflect on her practice and grow as an educational English facilitator. After a year of closely looking at the her work with students, she achieved the honor. She is also a certified Master Journalism Educator through the Journalism Education Association (JEA). Sackstein also serves at the New York State Director to JEA to help serve advisers in New York better grow journalism programs. Author of Teaching Mythology Exposed: Helping Teachers Create Visionary Classroom Perspective, Blogging for Educators, Teaching Students to Self Assess: How do I help Students grow as learners?, The Power of Questioning: Opening up the World of Student Inquiry, Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School, Hacking Homework: 10 Strategies that Inspire Learning Outside the Classroom and most recently Peer Feedback in the Classroom: Empowering Students to be the Experts. (You can find all of the books here: https://amzn.to/3vPs9go) Sackstein co-moderates #sunchat as well as contributes to #NYedChat. She has made the Bammy Awards finals for Secondary High School Educator in 2014 and for blogging in 2015. In speaking engagements, Sackstein speaks about blogging, journalism education, throwing out grades and BYOD, helping people see technology doesn't have to be feared. Most recently, Sackstein was named one of ASCD's Emerging leaders class of 2016, in addition to presenting a TedxTalk about throwing out grades. Balancing a busy career of writing and teaching with being the mom to 10-year-old Logan is a challenging adventure. Seeing the world through his eyes reminds her why education needs to change for every child. Contact information: [email protected] @MsSackstein on Twitter Starr Sackstein, MJE Facebook Fan page Disclosure of Material Connection: This episode includes some affiliate links. This means that if you choose to buy I will be paid a commission on the affiliate program. However, this is at no additional cost to you. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

Joel Lookadoo, 2020 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, shares why he loves teaching, the stories he is seeing of teachers (and students) overcoming and encouragement for teachers now. Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e738 Related Resources The Well-Rounded Educator Podcast (started in the fall of 2020) Joel Lookadoo - Bio as submitted Joel Lookadoo is an eighth-year educator in Springdale, Arkansas who coached basketball for three years before transitioning to full-time teaching in the classroom where he has taught Algebra 1 and is a National Board Certified Teacher in High School Mathematics. He created "Beyond", which is a college-prep program, that supports first-generation college students by mentoring students and discussing college admissions and scholarship opportunities. Lookadoo, the 2020 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, is also certified in English as a Second Language and has led professional development on teaching English Learners, building high-performing PLCs, and standards-based grading. Blog: The Well-Rounded Educato‪r‬ Twitter: @CoachLookadoo Instagram: @2020ATOY FaceBook: @2020ATOY

Previous Shows Relating to This topic Bio as submitted Eric is an Associate Partner with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). Prior to this, he was the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership, his school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices. Eric oversaw the successful implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that radically transformed the learning culture at his school while increasing achievement. We all have undergone disrupted thinking because of our disrupted society due to the pandemic. But many of us hope we don't go back to business as usual. Thought Leader Eric Sheninger has a challenge for us today about what we can learn from the pandemic and the opportunities we have to use disruptive thinking in the classroom for the good of our students. Check out Eric Sheninger's new book, Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms. Episode Sponsor: The Stone Soup Leadership Institute would like to invite you and your students to be delegates at the 17th Youth Leadership Summit for Sustainability - from June 21-25, featuring inspiring speakers from their new book, Stone Soup for a Sustainable World: Life-Changing Stories of Young Heroes. In May, there will be a teacher orientation on how to use the companion educational curriculum. At the culmination of the Summit, you will be guests at the World's Largest Book Signing. And in honor of Earth Day, the Institute is offering you a pre-order link on Amazon to buy the book at a discounted rate. Do you know any students who are passionate about sustainability? Well, from now until May 6, just go to www.coolcatteacher.com/apply and apply now Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e737 Eric Sheninger's Bio as submitted Eric is an Associate Partner with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). Prior to this, he was the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership, his school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices. Eric oversaw the successful implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that radically transformed the learning culture at his school while increasing achievement. Blog: http://ericsheninger.com Twitter: @E_Sheninger FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/EricCSheninger/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esheninger/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/esheninger/ Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

Sophia is a student in Oman. During the 2020 shut down, Sophia wanted to help the children in her neighborhood have a fun learning experience -- so she created a virtual summer camp online. We can learn about learning in this example where the teacher and students are kids and everything is optional. What an exciting story. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e736 Sophia - Bio As Submitted Sophia is a 15 year old rising sophomore from Cooperstown, NY, who attends Al Batinah International School in Sohar, Oman. She started a virtual camp for the children in the neighborhood as a way to offer summer activities based around art, science, STEAM, drama and Getting Ready for School! Each week she sends out several different activities based on the theme of the week. At the end of each week she sets up online meetings for the campers to attend if they want to share what they've created, what they've learned, or even just to talk about what they've been doing. She hopes to develop the camp into virtual after-school activities once the online school year begins and get other teenagers from school involved in this venture as well. This is her first volunteering initiative and she has enjoyed creating activities for and meeting with the campers.

Caring for our earth is a focus of Earth Day. Today we discuss ways that any classroom can talk about sustainability and caring for the environment, no matter the political landscape of your community or school. Teachers will find ideas they can use to help their students year-round know how to care for their environment and community. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e735 Episode Sponsor: The Stone Soup Leadership Institute would like to invite you and your students to be delegates at the 17th Youth Leadership Summit for Sustainability - from June 21-25, featuring inspiring speakers from their new book, Stone Soup for a Sustainable World: Life-Changing Stories of Young Heroes. In May, there will be a teacher orientation on how to use the companion educational curriculum. At the culmination of the Summit, you will be guests at the World's Largest Book Signing. And in honor of Earth Day, the Institute is offering you a pre-order link on Amazon to buy the book at a discounted rate. Do you know any students who are passionate about sustainability? Well, from now until May 6, just go to www.coolcatteacher.com/apply and apply now Rebecca Anderson - Bio As submitted Rebecca came to the Alliance for Climate Education in its inception in 2008 as an Educator, and now serves as ACE's Director of Education. Rebecca develops ACE's science content, manages the online climate education resource Our Climate Our Future, oversees the ACE Teacher Network, and works with schools in the Reno-Tahoe area. Rebecca holds a B.A. in Geosciences from Williams College and an M.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Colorado. For her graduate degree, she studied melting ice caps on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. Some of the ice caps she studied in 2005 are now completely gone. Rebecca has also worked in Antarctica as a member of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Core Drilling Project, where she analyzed the age of the ice core, shoveled mountains of snow, lived in a tent, and worked in an (no joke) air-conditioned room at -30ºF. When not fighting climate change, Rebecca enjoys chasing her husband Andy and young son Huck over the slopes, rocks, and trails around Truckee, CA. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Thursday, April 22 is Earth Day. As citizens of this planet, we should all care about caring for this world. Today, Monica Burns gives us practical ways to teach and encourage students to be good caretakers of the world we live in. Every teacher will find an idea they can use any time of the year to encourage sustainability and caring for our environment. www.coolcatteacher.com/e734 Monica Burns - Bio As Submitted Dr. Monica Burns is a curriculum and educational technology consultant, Apple Distinguished Educator and founder of ClassTechTips.com. As a classroom teacher, Monica used one-to-one technology to create engaging, standards-based lessons for students. Monica has presented to teachers, administrators and tech enthusiasts at numerous national and international conferences including SXSWedu, ISTE, and EduTECH. She is a webinar host for SimpleK12 and a regular contributor to Edutopia. Monica is the author of Deeper Learning with QR Codes and Augmented Reality: A Scannable Solution for Your Classroom (Corwin Press, 2016) and #FormativeTech: Meaningful, Sustainable, and Scannable Formative Assessment with Technology (Corwin Press, 2017). Monica visits schools across the country to work with PreK-20 teachers to make technology integration exciting and accessible. She also provides support to organizations using technology to reach children and families in need. Her mission is to help educators place tasks before apps and promote deeper learning with technology. You can find out more about working with Monica, and her books and resources by visiting ClassTechTips.com.