10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Using AI? Keep Teachers in the Driver's Seat

Oct 6, 2026
Dr. Patricia Dickenson, a teacher educator, former Los Angeles teacher and math coach, and author of Smart Teaching in the Age of AI, explores how educators can use AI without surrendering their role. Topics include standards-based planning, supporting diverse learners, preparing students for AI, and why authentic relationships and emotional connection remain central to engagement.
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INSIGHT

Bring Your Authentic Self Into Teaching

  • Effective teaching includes the teacher’s identity, energy, gifts, and lived experience, not just prescribed curriculum.
  • Patricia Dickenson remembers a guitar-playing fourth-grade teacher who made learning authentic and engaging.
ANECDOTE

The Teacher Who Showed Up Through Chemo

  • Patricia Dickenson’s fourth-grade teacher kept showing up during chemotherapy, modeling courage and persistence.
  • That example later helped Patricia continue through difficult moments rather than give up.
ADVICE

Use AI To Map Prerequisite Knowledge

  • Explore ChatGPT or Gemini to understand how they can support planning and standards analysis.
  • A custom GPT can map prerequisite knowledge, identify learning gaps, and suggest pre-assessments for new teachers.
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