In this episode, Malia Hollowell shares actionable, science-backed strategies to transform early reading instruction. Learn how to organize sight words by phonics rules, leverage spoken language as your teaching superpower, support dyslexic learners, and use word ladders for real reading growth. You'll also discover why leveled readers fall short and how to find trustworthy literacy resources.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to organize sight words by phonics rules instead of random lists
• Why spoken language and sound tapping beats flashcard drilling
• How to support the 20% of learners with dyslexia using audio-focused strategies
• Why word ladders are more effective than traditional leveled readers
• Where to find trustworthy literacy sources backed by research
• Free editable sight word games from Playdough to Plato

Show Notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e929

About the Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Van Andel Institute for Education. The Educator's Studio is a resource-packed platform with classroom-tested lessons, hands-on projects, professional development, and a supportive educator community. Get 50% off with promo code COOLCAT at coolcatteacher.com/vai.

Phone addiction in teens is real — and Australian psychologist Dr. Brad Marshall has evidence-based strategies that actually work from treating 2,500+ families.

Dr. Brad Marshall, known as the Unplugged Psychologist and Director of Australia's Screen & Gaming Disorder Clinic, joins Vicki Davis to share what two decades of clinical work and university research reveal about helping kids break free from phone addiction — without shame or judgment.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why parental control software fails — and the "handbrake rule" that actually works
• What happened when Australia banned phones in every school
• Why sleep is the number one thing to protect from screen overuse
• Why expecting teens to self-regulate phone use is "neurologically ridiculous"
• How to have a non-judgmental conversation with teens about their phone habits

Show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e928

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Executive function strategies Kindergarten through 3rd grade teachers can implement today. Dr. Sarah Oberle shares science-backed ways to support working memory, inhibition, and focus in the classroom.

Dr. Sarah Oberle is a primary educator and cognitive science expert whose upcoming book, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom, translates learning science into practical classroom strategies. In this episode, she breaks down the six executive functions developing in young children and explains why they matter more than content knowledge for student success.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The six executive functions and how they develop in K-3 students (core vs. higher-order)
• Why working memory is more limited than most teachers realize — and how to offload it with visual reminders, brief instruction bursts, and student-created notations
• How inhibition affects not just behavior but also attention and focus
• Why your classroom decor and seating arrangement may be taxing executive functions without you realizing it
• The science behind why music with lyrics creates a barrier to student focus

Show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e927

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Balanced class lists set students and teachers up for success. Principal Carrie Hetzel shares her team approach, time-saving tech tools, and advice for planning ahead.

Class Composer is sponsoring this podcast. Sign up now for your free trial of Class Composer. For elementary principals and guidance counselors, this is a must-use.

Creating balanced class lists is one of the most important — and labor-intensive — tasks elementary principals tackle each spring. In this episode, Carrie Hetzel, principal of Paradise Canyon Elementary School in California (a National Blue Ribbon School), explains how her team builds balanced class lists using a multi-stage revision process that combines data with deep knowledge of every student. She also shares how Class Composer, a class placement tool, cut hours off their workflow by updating data in real time.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What a truly balanced elementary class looks like beyond just numbers
• How a principal, teachers, and counselor collaborate through multiple revision rounds
• Why starting the class placement process in May — not June — makes all the difference
• How Class Composer provides real-time data analysis and built-in safety checks
• Why class placement should be seen as a positive, forward-looking process

Show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e926

Love the show? Rate and review on Apple Podcasts — it's the #1 way to help other teachers find us.

Too many bright, high-achieving students hit a wall because they lack access, know-how, and the "network advantage" that makes college applications feel possible. In this episode, I talk with Zak Adams, a junior at Harvard University, about how mentorship can help high-potential, low-opportunity students pursue "dream universities" they might not otherwise consider. We discuss Project Access, an international, UK-registered charity that pairs students with mentors connected to their target universities. If you work with juniors right now, this conversation will help you see practical next steps you can take to support students who need a roadmap.

In this episode, you'll learn how to:

• Recognize when a high-achieving student needs mentorship, not just encouragement

• Identify "high-potential, low-opportunity" indicators that can signal a need for added support

• Refer students early and plan ahead for deadlines that often arrive around September

• Understand why mentor matching connected to a target university can provide "network advantage"

• Encourage students by helping them build a plan when they don't know where to begin

Show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e925

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This episode focuses on how teachers can better welcome and support English Language Learners from the very first day of school. Many educators want to help multilingual students thrive but aren't always sure what to ask, how to plan, or how to build connection quickly. Andrea Bitner shares practical, experience-based guidance to help teachers create inclusive classrooms where every student feels seen, valued, and capable.

What You'll Learn In this episode, you'll learn how to:

• Ask students what name they prefer and ensure it is pronounced and used correctly

• Learn about a student's previous school experience to better understand literacy and learning needs

• Partner intentionally with English Language Learner teachers to plan supports and accommodations

• Recognize that limited English does not equal limited intelligence

• Ask families which language they prefer for school communication instead of making assumptions

• Maintain a learner's mindset by continuing to grow through collaboration, conferences, and shared practice

Show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e924

Speakable: Today's Sponsor

This podcast is sponsored by Speakable. Want to bring daily speaking practice to your classroom without adding prep or grading? Speakable helps language teachers assign speaking tasks, give instant feedback, and leaders can track progress, all with tools aligned to ACTFL and WIDA standards.

✅ Instant AI grading ✅ No setup or training required ✅ Student data and growth insights

👉 Explore how Speakable works, whether you're a teacher or a school leader, you'll find the right place to start.

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In this episode, we tackle the challenges educators face as uncertainty around AI, demographic shifts, and evolving student futures continue to reshape schools. Teachers are feeling the pressure to personalize learning for every student, and we explore how AI might assist rather than overwhelm us in that work. Jennifer Womble, Conference Chair for FETC, joins us to unpack trends that matter now and in the years ahead. Whether you're attending FETC or not, this conversation will help you make sense of what's next in education.

What You'll Learn

In this episode, you'll learn how to:

• think about the implications of today's kindergarteners graduating in 2035 and what shifting demographics mean for schools

• reframe AI as an assistant to support teaching and learning rather than a threat

• recognize why learning as a human-centered, relational skill remains essential

• consider how schools and teachers can respond to change with clarity and purpose

Episode Link

Show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e923

Many teachers are frustrated when AI gives great results one day and confusing or unreliable responses the next. This episode explores why that happens and how it affects both teachers and students in real classrooms. I sit down with Rob the AI Guy to unpack a key concept that explains much of this inconsistency and helps educators use AI more wisely. If you want clearer results and better classroom conversations about AI, this episode will help.

In this episode, you'll learn how to:

• Understand why AI responses can drift or become unreliable over time

• Use simple strategies, like starting fresh conversations, to get better results

• Explain the idea of a context window to students in clear, age-appropriate ways

• Help students avoid overtrusting or misusing AI tools

• Emphasize critical thinking when working with AI in the classroom

Show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e922

The science of attention explains why learning cannot happen without focus—and why one teacher can make all the difference. Learn how to understand the science of attention and help students learn.

This episode is an extended episode shared from my other podcast/radio/TV show: Cool Cat Teacher Talk. I'm sharing it because it is helpful, but also because I share a very special story at the end. - I hope you enjoy! - Vicki

In this episode, host Vicki Davis sits down with Myriam Da Silva, AI ethicist, neuroeducation leader, and CEO of CheckIT Learning, to explore how attention actually works in the brain and what that means for today's classrooms.

Rather than telling students to "just pay attention," this conversation breaks down the different states of attention, why sustained focus is biologically limited, and how teachers can design lessons that align with how the brain learns best. You'll hear practical, research-based strategies teachers can use immediately, including how to start class with a strong hook, leverage the attention curve, build in attention resets, reduce distractions, and teach students to self-regulate their focus.

The episode also features the powerful classroom story "Sue and Mrs. Scruggs," illustrating how a teacher's intentional attention can change a student's confidence, trajectory, and life.

Myriam also shares insights from her work in ethical, human-centered AI, including how neuroeducation-informed tools can support teachers while preserving the essential teacher–student relationship at the heart of learning.

This episode is ideal for educators, school leaders, parents, and anyone interested in learning, child development, and the future of education.

Show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/attention

Every child can become a reader — but only when we build strong foundational skills. In this episode, literacy consultant Jennifer Burns explains the "Fundamental Four" every student needs to read with confidence: seeing like a reader, hearing like a reader, thinking like a reader, and believing they are a reader.

Whether you teach early learners, support struggling readers, or want practical strategies to strengthen reading instruction, Jennifer shares clear, teacher-ready ideas you can use right away.

You'll learn how to improve eye training and decoding, how to reduce reading fatigue, how to build a positive reading identity, how to use text variety to boost comprehension, and what high-performing schools do differently in literacy.

Sponsored by Speakable — the AI tool that helps language and reading teachers assign speaking tasks, give instant feedback, and save time grading. Learn more at www.coolcatteacher.com/speakable.

This conversation brings clarity, encouragement, and actionable steps for teachers who want every child to grow as a reader.

Show notes: www.coolcatteacher.com/e920

What if math could feel like play? 🎲 In this inspiring episode, mathematician and educator Dan Finkel—founder of Math for Love—joins Vicki Davis, the Cool Cat Teacher, to explore how curiosity, productive struggle, and play can make math more meaningful and fun for every learner.

Discover how to start math lessons with questions, why struggle builds deeper understanding, and how to help students fall in love with problem-solving again. Perfect for teachers, parents, and anyone who wants to make learning joyful.

📘 Show Notes & Links: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e919

🧲 Sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by Clixo—the award-winning magnetic play system that turns 2D shapes into endless 3D creations! Perfect for makerspaces, STEM labs, and creative kids at home. See https://www.clixo.com/pages/target/

🎧 Subscribe and listen to more episodes of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.