Posts

AI for Teachers Who Have Bigger Fish to Fry

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Schools are funny. The weirdest things happen. But even in the midst of all of that hurry and scurry, we still have jobs to do, and AI for teachers can help get things done. Maurie Beasley, author of Teachers Have Bigger Fish to Fry, has some great perspectives to share with teachers. Maurie is a former teacher, counselor, and assistant principal who now directs technology for a rural Texas district. She shares how you can still figure out the best uses of AI even when you have bigger fish to fry! What you'll learn: What happened when a snake fell out of the air conditioning vent onto a teacher's desk The difference between efficiency AI and opportunity AI, and which one to start with Why her book skips the AI's bad answers, and what she printed instead The question Maurie says AI is finally making us ask about being human Who should be in control when the laptop lid goes up Show notes and full transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1013 If this episode help...
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AI for Teachers and Gemini Notebook (Formerly NotebookLM)

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I asked Gemini Notebook (formerly known as NotebookLM) a dress-code question, and it gave me the answer and the page number from our handbook. Vickie Echols says the turning point for her was when she was barreling through the hallway and the teacher she was with stopped and asked her, "Ms. Echols, do you always walk this fast?" That moment was a turning point for Vickie, and when she saw AI, she wondered how she could save time on tedious tasks to make more time for human moments, so she wrote AI for School Leaders: 62 Ways to Lighten Your Workload and Focus on What Matters. Vickie has lots of ideas, including how to fix tone in emails, how a superintendent used Gemini Notebook (formerly known as NotebookLM) to summarize meetings for board members, and the usefulness of Gemini Notebook when you're answering handbook questions (this tip is for teachers and administrators!). Show notes, the full transcript, and links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1012 In this episod...
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Restorative Practices and a Cell Phone Policy That Actually Works

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If you're like me, you might have seen these nightmare "restorative practices" videos making the rounds on social media. I put restorative practices in quotes because seeing a kid misbehave, get a lollipop, and go back to class with no consequences seems like insanity to me; nothing is restored, and I would argue that, if that's what is happening, it is making the relationship worse. So, when I read Amanda Jamerson's story (she won the 2026 National High School Assistant Principal of the Year), I knew her story would give us some insight. Amanda, or "AJAM the Advocate" as she's called online, tells how her team cut office discipline referrals by 69% over three years and how they built a cell phone policy that is actually working on a five-building campus. I also like that she calls her work "heart work" because it is. Show notes, the full transcript, and links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1011 In this episode, you'll learn: Why...
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Side Jobs for Teachers or a Calling? Build an Education Business

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Teachers, IT coaches, and principals can get excited and present at a conference, and then it happens: side jobs for teachers come calling. People start asking them to speak. They get opportunities. But how do you handle this? Today's guest, Dr. Will Deyamport (we call him "Dr. Will"), the author of The Edupreneur, talks about building an education business the right way. From disclosures to avoiding conflicts of interest (there are some things you can't do) to owning your own IP, Dr. Will's advice is solid and timeless. In this episode, you'll learn: The hard moment when Dr. Will realized he needed to have an opportunity on the side Why I don't like calling it a "side hustle" What you need to do before you cash your first check The criticism Dr. Will got for talking about money and how he answered it Why T-shirts and stickers shouldn't be payment for your work When working with an edtech company becomes a conflict of interest The q...
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Think, Pair, Share, Show Me: Science of Learning in Action

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What are the learning myths we need to abandon? What does the neuroscience say? Today's guest, Ross McGill, author of The Teacher Toolkit Guide to the Science of Learning, shares his findings. If your students highlight every page and call it studying, or your school plans lessons around learning styles, you'll want to hear this. What does the science of learning say actually works? In this episode, you'll learn: The simple question about learning that many teachers can't answer What a student is really telling you when they say, "Miss, what did you say?" The myth Ross once had to plan his own lessons around What helped my son learn to read, and why it isn't a learning style The chapter Ross calls the most frightening in his book Why a student who "highlighted everything" may have wasted the evening The one step Ross added to think-pair-share, and why it matters with 30 students Guest: Ross Morrison McGill, founder of TeacherToolkit a...
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Molecule Builder: How a Teen Coded a Free Chemistry App

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His class didn't have the chemistry tools they needed. So, Ky'lin Spears built them. He's a student and has built a free molecule builder, periodic table, and chemistry simulations. His tool is free in any browser and collects no student information. So today's Wonderful Classroom Wednesday is featuring a student. Every school has them. The quiet students who figure things out. As you listen to Ky'lin, ask yourself - how can we nourish and encourage students to solve problems in classroom subjects that interest them? Ky'lin taught himself to code from YouTube videos. If you teach chemistry, Atomency may be a free resource your students can use this week. In this episode, you'll learn: Why he built it without AI, and what he tells other students about AI now The feature that broke more than 50 times before it finally worked Why he made it free, with no login and no student data A molecule challenge a chemistry teacher can try this week What he wants...
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Reflective Teaching: How Video and AI Help Teachers Improve

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Reflective teaching matters. As teachers and professionals, we need to ask ourselves: how are we reflecting and improving? The times I've videoed myself teaching have been hard to watch, but I've learned so much. As you listen to the innovations happening in the teacher education program at Valdosta State University, think about how reflection can improve your teaching. Dr. Karen Terry has spent more than 30 years in education as a teacher, administrator, district leader, and now a professor preparing future teachers. Her goal is for the teachers from her program to still be happy in the classroom ten years later. A big part of her program is the connection with mentor teachers. In today's show, Karen shares how her student teachers record their lessons and use both AI coaching AND mentor feedback to reflect and grow. I find it fascinating that each one adds value. Some student teachers who are eager to grow record themselves, reflect with AI, and try strategies they migh...
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