Cool Cat Teacher Blog is at coolcatteacher.com

10MT | #18 A 10-Minute Teacher Interview with Principal Ryan Kaczmark From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter When I called Principal Ryan Kaczmark @ rkaczmark , he bubbled over with excitement from the Lemonade Wars experience. This elementary school-wide reading project is a sizzling combination of reading, parent relations, community service, school spirit, communications, and social media savvy. Listen Now We were going to talk about technology or school design or something else. But I’m happy that he talked about the Lemonade Wars and raising money for Mike’s Lemonade stand to help childhood cancer and everything that had just happened. I had to let him tell his story. So, today’s Wonderful Wednesday with Ryan Kaczmark sounds more like a phone call between an excited educator (Ryan) and a curious one (me) than a “show.” But that’s OK. The 10-Minute Teacher is a journey into what’s happening in schools now and you get a cool proje...

Living a life well lived From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter This morning I was getting ready to hop in the shower. I had my cup of coffee on the bathroom counter and accidentally hit it! Coffee went everywhere. After washing hairbrushes and bottles and hairspray and everything, the coffee was gone. The bathroom smells very much like coffee, though. It led me to this thought, “If my life had a smell, what would it be?” Would it be the fragrance of a life well lived? Of joyful thoughts? Of fragrant conversations? Of sweet smelling friendships? Rotten Because there are some people, who might smell like the trash. They wake up every morning and splash on some bitterness. To that, they add anger. And then on top of it, they toss a little resentment. And that, my friends, is perhaps an aromatic life, but not in a good way. Some people wear the aroma of their life upon their face . As they walk, you see the anger. The pain. The hurt. And...

10MT | A 10-Minute Teacher Interview with Dr. Tom Grissom From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Let’s learn about One Note with Dr. Tom Grissom. But perhaps to understand why I’m a Microsoft One Note fan, I’d like to tell you a story from several months a go. This past fall, I ran into my former student, Miller, at an away football game. She had made the University of Georgia website as a top student and was just starting medical school. Listen Now We are hosting a giveaway for three lucky reviewers of the show. Dave Burgess is giving away books to 3 (three) winners! The winners will pick from all 22 of the books from Dave Burgess consulting! See the list . Wow! Thanks, Dave. All you need to enter is head over to  leave a review on iTunes  and just include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can reach you. Full rules at the bottom. As it goes when I connect with very dear students, we had a long talk about her life a...

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Great teachers attract their students to today’s topic of learning like a 3-year old boy to a mud puddle. Hooking students into a lesson is part of our essential craft of teaching. In my opinion, this artisanal craft of “hooking in” or “engaging” our students into a topic is best captured in Dave Burgess’ best-selling book, Teach Like a Pirate . Listen Now This book (called #tlap by those who follow its guidelines) is like an overstuffed tackle box for teachers full of useful tools, ideas, and tips for engaging kids and staging exciting experiences. In today’s show, Dave and I discuss: Some of the craziest things Dave has done to engage students Why Dave decided he had to be different as a teacher How Dave feels about leaving the classroom What Dave would do differently if he was in the classroom now A Monday Morning motivational “pep talk” for teachers that will REV YOU UP for your week of tea...

10MT | Jessica Gordon shares her tips on the 10-Minute Teacher Show From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter You can gamify your classroom. It isn’t hard. Sixth-grade teacher Jessica Gordon@ 1337teach  gives us tips, ideas, and links for how to gamify our classrooms now. Game based learning can be simple and free. Listen now Listen on iTunes Stream by clicking here . Download this episode as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “Save As.” Jessica is giving her book away free to 10-MT Listeners for Random Act of Kindness day! Click the link to go download it on Kindle today! (US Story only, sorry international friends.) Today’s FREEBIE!  Today only, February 17, to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day , Jessica is having her own random act of kindness to 10-MT listeners by giving away the Kindle version of her book free on the US Amazon Kindle store!” It’s a Teacher Thing! FAQ Guide and Reflective Journal for New T...

Sponsored Post by SMART Learning Suite From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Formative assessment and game based learning make a powerful combination in the classroom. I love SMART lab, a new feature of the  SMART Learning Suite . Recently, when they sponsored several of my 10-Minute Teacher episodes, I tested SMART Notebook. While testing their software as part of the vetting process, I fell in love with SMART lab. So, here’s a tutorial. Set up a free trial and try it yourself. In this article, you’ll learn how to use SMART lab to build fast games and lessons.  We’ll also look at how using this tool changes the lesson planning workflow. For example, for me, the SMART Notebook makes it easier to present student games, formative assessment, and contentin a smooth, seamless way. Tutorial: How to Make a Fast Game Based Learning Lesson with SMART lab This is a sponsored post by SMART Learning Suite . Download a fre...