10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Alfred Thompson has secrets that transform Computer Science classrooms. Yet, he shares them openly. Project-based learning. Passion-based learning. Problem-based learning. These three P's of teaching perfection have been a mainstay in Alfred's classroom for many years. In today's episode, Alfred uncovers how his classroom works, the impact it has on student lives, and how his students learn outside their classroom. Congratulations to Alfred for winning the Computer Science award at ISTE - it is very deserving. Advancement Courses is today's sponsor From now until September 28, Advancement Courses, an online provider of professional development for K-12 teachers, is donating 10% of their sales to funding DonorsChoose.org projects. Go to coolcatteacher.com/give to submit your project. AND if you need some awesome PD, 10 Minute Teacher listeners get 20% off any online 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. Alfred Thompson - Bio As Submitted Alfred Thompson teaches high school computer science at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua NH. Prior to teaching Alfred worked in the software industry for many years. Blog: http://blog.acthompson.net Twitter: @alfredtwo Instagram @alfredtwo 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."

Student engagement! We need it! Today's guest, John Meehan, shares inspiring stories that help us use amusement parks, mud runs, and escape rooms to inspire exciting lessons in our classroom. John is the author of EDrenaline Rush: Game-changing Student Engagement Inspired by Theme Parks, Mud Runs, and Escape Rooms. Get excited. Let's do this! www.coolcatteacher.com/e546 Advancement Courses is today's sponsor From now until September 28, Advancement Courses, an online provider of professional development for K-12 teachers, is donating 10% of their sales to funding DonorsChoose.org projects. Go to coolcatteacher.com/give to submit your project. AND if you need some awesome PD, 10 Minute Teacher listeners get 20% off any online 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. John Meehan - Bio As Submitted John Meehan is an eleventh grade English teacher and instructional coach at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. He is the author of EDrenaline Rush: Game-changing Student Engagement Inspired by Theme Parks, Mud Runs, and Escape Rooms., which is now available from Dave Burgess Consulting everywhere books are sold. FTC Disclosure 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 the high-stress, fast-paced job of teaching - burnout can happen to anyone. In today's show, we talk about recognizing burnout, how to get help, and steps to tackle it when it happens. Amber Harper, an expert on the topic of burnout, discusses what we can do to help ourselves be our best for our students and families. www.coolcatteacher.com/e545 Challenge: Take the burnout quiz. Amber Harper - Bio As Submitted Amber is a Google Certified Trainer and Innovator and her mission is to help teachers beat burnout by helping them to activate their own self-empowerment. As a former elementary teacher, she knows how challenging the education profession can be and offers support for teachers struggling with burnout through her podcast, website, and free Facebook Group. Blog: www.burnedinteacher.com Twitter: @burnedinteacher - Free Teacher Burnout Quiz: www.burnedinteacher.com/burnoutquiz - The Burned-In Teacher Training eBook: bit.ly/burnedinbook - Burned-In Teacher Training Course: https://www.burnedinteacher.com/workwithme

Students need real leadership opportunities - not just running a note to the office or other tasks that may be called "leadership" but really aren't. Adam Welcome, co-author of Empower our Girls: Opening the Door for Girls to Achieve More www.coolcatteacher.com/e544 After listening to today's show, I think you will take one of two challenges: 1 - Give students a genuine way to lead in your classroom. 2 - Have a conversation with a colleague about student leadership and how your school is nurturing it and what you can do to improve student leadership opportunities. Adam Welcome - Bio As Submitted Adam has been a teacher, Principal, Director of Innovation for a district with 35,000 students and enjoys pushing the envelope to always do what's best for kids! Adam was Principal of the Year for his region, a 20 To Watch for the National School Board Association, guest blogger for EdWeek, NAESP magazine, and many other publications. Adam also consults and works with many education companies as a way to improve their product for others! Adam is passionate about technology integration with all educators and a huge advocate of social media and connecting with other educators from across the country. Adam makes it clear that kids come first and has preached the message of Team Kid for many years. He is also the co-founder of Kids Deserve It with Todd Nesloney and the author of Run Like a Pirate. He is co-author of Empower our Girls: Opening the Door for Girls to Achieve More. Adam has an amazing wife (Stacy) and two young children (Greta and Tilden) that keep life at home exciting and active. Adam also loves to run and has completed 22 marathons.

Presentation skills are an essential skill for students to master. How do you help students improve when there are many students in the class. Robert Donatelli has a solution: speed presentations. Learn how to use this technique to help students improve their presentation skills. www.coolcatteacher.com/e543 Professional PD Challenge Today's challenge is to try speed presentations in your classroom or in your teacher professional development. Rob Donatelli - Bio As Submitted RRob Donatelli is a business & computer science teacher at Dallastown Area High School. He is also the founder of the Donatelli EdZone. His passions include school leadership, education technology, presenting, entrepreneurship, and coaching. Follow him on YouTube at the Donatelli EdZone or on Twitter @DTown_MrD.

Pam Shoemaker is getting ready to retire from teaching. As she and her husband were returning home from looking for places to retire, a storm arose. While location services can be used to perhaps compromise our privacy, in this case, it may have saved Pam's life. Hear her story and learn how to examine your own location settings for safety. www.coolcatteacher.com/e542 Podcast PD Challenge Your challenge today is a safety challenge for you – and one other person of your choosing. Pick a weather app. Go into settings and educate yourself on how to turn it on for "always allow" if that is your choice. Understand that location-based services can be used to track where you are, so if you choose not to allow any location-based services, then, make sure you know how to turn it on while traveling or when weather is bad. As always, consult with your wireless carrier about your data plan and educate yourself on the apps you use. Set your privacy settings with intentionality and be safe! Pam Shoemaker - Bio As submitted Pam Shoemaker is the Instructional Technology Coach for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools in Michigan. She is a Google for Education Certified Trainer and the outgoing President of the ISTE EdTech Coaches PLN. She is retiring from her position in Walled Lake later this week (while recording the show - as of this airing, she is retired!) Blog: https://yesedtech.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @shoemap

He didn't like school. But now he's been a principal and written ten books and travels the world helping principals and educators learn how to engage today's students -- especially inner-city youth. Baruti Kafele has inspiring words for us on today's Motivational Monday episode. He has authored ten books, recently the Principal 50: Critical Questions for New and Aspiring School Leaders and Closing the Attitude Gap: How to Fire Up Your Students for Success. www.coolcatteacher.com/e541 Today's Podcast PD Challenge Here's your challenge for today: How will you start Day One building relationships? Don't just read your syllabus – you've got to start building those relationships. Start connecting. Check your attitude – have you decided you want to be an excellent, compelling engaging teacher who improves your craft every day? Make a decision about who you want to be. Baruti Kafele Milken National Educator, internationally-renowned speaker and best-selling author, Principal Baruti Kafele led the turnaround of four different New Jersey urban public schools including Newark Tech, which was three times recognized by U.S. News and World Report Magazine as one of America's best high schools. Blog: https://principalkafele.com/ Twitter: @PrincipalKafele

Sherry St. Clair gives us principles for effective instructional coaching. Targeted to both administrators, instructional coaches, and technology coaches - Sherry has five practical ideas to get us started. Sherry is the author of Coaching Redefined: A Guide to Leading Meaningful Instructional Growth. www.coolcatteacher.com/e540 Today's Challenge Today I challenge you follow Sherry's advice and build relationships. If you want some ideas, many people have shared their ideas on this tweet I asked about what schools do for fun. (You don't need Twitter to read it.) How do you bring laughter and fun to your school - specifically with your colleagues? Looking and listening for ideas! — Vicki Davis (@coolcatteacher) August 6, 2019 Sherry St. Clair - Bio As Submitted Sherry St. Clair is the founder of Reflective Learning LLC, an educational consulting agency based in Kentucky. Her organization works with schools around the world, creating specialized training and coaching services for school administrators and educators. Additionally, Sherry serves as a Senior Consultant for the International Center for Leadership in Education and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. She holds a master's degree in Instructional Leadership, as well as a Rank I in Instructional Supervision. As an international consultant, Sherry draws from her rich experience at various levels of public education–teaching elementary school, being an administrator in a high school of 1,300 students, working as a state consultant, and creating and facilitating virtual courses. Sherry is a highly regarded national speaker and consultant, providing educational agencies with expertise in the areas of instructional leadership, effective classroom practices, classroom walkthroughs, effective use of data and guidance on how to create structures for successful classroom coaching. Coaching schools to best meet the needs of all students is Sherry's passion. Sherry is a contributing author to Effective Instructional Strategies Volume 2 published by the International Center for Leadership in Education. She has published numerous professional learning activity guides and facilitated webinar series focused on leadership and effective instructional practices. Additionally, Sherry developed virtual instructional workshops for the CTE Technical Assistance Center of New York. In partnership with the Successful Practices Network, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and AASA—The School Superintendent Association, Sherry has recently been a part of bringing innovative practices to scale. Her latest publication, Coaching Redefined: A Guide to Leading Meaningful Instructional Growth., was released in June of 2019. 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.

Today, you'll get advice for creating grouping strategies for your classroom from an expert teacher and author on the subject. Barry Hoonan, author of What Are You Grouping For? (Grades 3-8 - how to Guide Small Groups Based on Readers, Not the Book)helps us understand how to start our school year with a plan for grouping students in reading groups that works. www.coolcatteacher.com/e539 Your challenge today is to plan several ways you can make groups 1 – Try thought partners 2 – If you have a student survey for reading, call them over to your desk and discuss but use Barry's technique of "and what else" For your bonus material today, I've shared my quick way of making groups using cardstock, a marker, and laminator. Check out "A Quick Way to Make Groups" at coolcatteacher.com/groups. Barry Hoonan - Bio As Submitted Barry Hoonan has received NCTE's Middle School Teacher of Excellence award and he is a three-time Fulbright scholar. He teaches 5th & 6th grade at Odyssey, a multi-age program with the Bainbridge Island School District.

BreakoutEDU is a box with locks that also can be a great educational experience. In today's show, Lucy Manley shares how breakout boxes are becoming an exciting part of her college's educational experiences including Freshmen orientation. www.coolcatteacher.com/e538 Today, your Podcast PD challenge is to create a breakout EDU experience with your students. I've written a post to give you 5 ideas for bringing breakout EDU into your classroom along with free links to free Breakout edu digital games and more. Today's challenge is to create one breakout edu experience for your students and to share what you did with at least one colleague. Go to coolcatteacher.com/breakout for 5 Ideas to bring Breakout EDU to your classroom. And as always, tweet or message me on social media to let me know what you did! Lucy Manley - Bio As Submitted Lucy Manley serves as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Garrett College. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, Lucy teaches first-year writing.