Cool Cat Teacher Blog is at coolcatteacher.com

Day 27 of 80 Days of Excellence From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter You don’t have to talk about work all the time. You don’t have to be intense every single moment. Sometimes, take the time to ask people about their weekend, their hobbies, and their families. It has taken time for me to learn this important point. But the bottom line is that we like to be around people we like. And people liking each other is all about having a relationship. And we need relationships to work together. John Maxwell says, “All things being equal, people will work with people they like. All things not being equal, people will still work with people they like.” Now, I’m not saying everyone will like you or me or that we should all worry terribly about being popular. However, being likable is important because if you’re unlikeable it is hard to accomplish what you’re put here to do. We tend to find interested people interesting. Want to have someone t...

Jodie Pierpoint on episode 243 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Emerging administrator leaders and administrators are participating in an emerging leadership virtual mentorship program created by Jodie Pierpoint and many volunteers. Learn about this program, how you can join in, and how you can become a better mentor. Jennifer Gonzalez has released her 2018 Teachers Guide to Technology with over 200 education technology tools including tools for assessment, flipped learning, presentations, parent engagement, video engagement and more. Jennifer gives you a description in simple language, a screenshot of the tool in action and then a play button that takes you to a video about how the tool works. Learn more at coolcatteacher.com/guide Listen Now Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher Stream by clicking here . *** Enhanced Transcript Virtual Mentorship for Emerging Leaders Link to sh...

Day 26 of 80 Days of Excellence From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter The greatest battles are often in the brain just behind a person’s eyes. For that is where we try to mask the emotions and the vulnerability we feel when we finally admit to ourselves that things aren’t OK. After reading the book, The Deeper Life , I was challenged by the author Daniel Henderson to write my personal theology statement. And one of my own goals is to “live transparently before the God who knows my every thought.” But people aren’t God. They don’t read minds. So, we have to COMMUNICATE . People Don’t Read Minds (And You Can’t Either) I opened up to someone today about something and they said, “I had no idea you ever needed anything. You seem like you have everything together all the time.” Well, I don’t. I’m hurting. I’m having a hard time in some areas in my life right now. There are things I can’t and won’t talk about on social media. But j...

Dr. Kristen Mattson on episode 242 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Digital citizenship education doesn’t work in a lecture format. Dr. Kristen Mattson, author of Digital Citizenship in Action talks about how they’ve integrated digital citizenship into all of their courses at her school and how you can too. Jennifer Gonzalez has released her 2018 Teachers Guide to Technology with over 200 education technology tools including tools for assessment, flipped learning, presentations, parent engagement, video engagement and more. Jennifer gives you a description in simple language, a screenshot of the tool in action and then a play button that takes you to a video about how the tool works. Learn more at coolcatteacher.com/guide Listen Now Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher Stream by clicking here . *** Enhanced Transcript Digital Citizenship that Works Link to show: www.coolcatteac...

Day 25 of 80 Days of Excellence From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter After writing about mountain climbing last week, I began wondering when climbing mountains might not be a good idea. So, Kip and I watched the movie Everest over the weekend. Now, I warn you, if you want to see the movie, don’t read further as it contains some spoilers. The Deadly 1996 Everest Expedition that Killed 12 People So, the movie Everest is about a disaster on Mount Everest on May 10-11, 1996. The expedition leader was  Rob Hall , the man who had climbed Mt. Everest more at that time than any non-Sherpa mountaineer. After seeing the movie, Kip and I have spent most of the weekend discussing leadership failures and what we can learn from this disaster to apply to our lives. Here are some of our thoughts. Not following our own safety rules.  Expedition leader Rob Hall had made a hard rule that he called the “2 o’clock window.” For a crew to safel...

Pam Moran on episode 241 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Students can co-create curriculum and their classrooms with teachers for powerful learning experiences. Learn how students are teaching each other drone piloting and other examples from Albemarle County, Virginia with Superintendent Pam Moran. Jennifer Gonzalez has released her 2018 Teachers Guide to Technology with over 200 education technology tools including tools for assessment, flipped learning, presentations, parent engagement, video engagement and more. Jennifer gives you a description in simple language, a screenshot of the tool in action and then a play button that takes you to a video about how the tool works. Learn more at coolcatteacher.com/guide Listen Now Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher Stream by clicking here . *** Enhanced Transcript Kids Co-Creating Curriculum Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e241...

Day 24 of 80 Days of Excellence From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Why do we climb when we cannot stay upon the mountain? Why do we love when we know that the other person or we will be parted in death? Why do we love colleagues when we know one of us will retire or go first? Why do we aspire for great achievements when we know that, if we are honest, we know that another will come along one day and wrest away whatever title we attain? I think perhaps Rene Daumal said it well,   “You cannot stay on the summit forever, You have to come down again… So why bother in the first place? Just this: what is above knows what is below; But what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, But one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up.” While there are a multitude of reasons to aspire for excellence, something abou...

Day 23 of 80 Days of Excellence From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter We know plants need fertilizer, sun, and the proper temperature to grow. As humans, we need proper conditions to grow as well. Children in a classroom depend on their teacher and school to help create a strong learning environment. As we get older, we become responsible for our own growth and learning. How are you promoting your own growth? This upcoming week, plan at least one way that you’ll promote your own learning. But remember this, over time we can get complacent. Sometimes we have to intentionally bust up our routine and change things around so we can learn. Don’t settle in the land of complacency, move around and grow. 5 Ideas to Disrupt Your Day and Help You Grow Choose a different topic or new author to spur growth. 1 – Read a Book Not In Your Typical Topic “Readers are leaders and leaders are readers,” says my pastor, Michael Catt. He’s right. I alwa...