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Recent research from the PEW Foundation tells us that nearly half of teachers — 47% — say their students show little to no interest in learning. Nearly half. But here's what I believe: that statistic does not have to be a verdict. It should be an invitation to rethink how we build our classroom culture from the ground up.
In this episode of Cool Cat Teacher Talk, four remarkable educators from around the world share how to build relationships that unlock motivation, help students see struggle as a pathway rather than a roadblock, teach thinking explicitly so it doesn't get left to chance, and empower every voice in our school communities. Whether you're driving to school, walking during your planning period, or unwinding at the end of a long day, this hour is for you.
Key Takeaways for Teachers
Spend the first five days of school getting to know your students before diving into content. As Hattie's research shows, the social relationship between students and teachers has an even higher impact than the academic relationship. You have to relate to educate. Coach Frank helps us see how.
Be vulnerable with your students and own your mistakes. Take off the superhero cape and let them see you're human. When you make a mistake in front of the class, say so — it builds trust and shows students that being imperfect is part of learning.
Help students understand that productive struggle is a normal part of learning. James Nottingham's Learning Pit illustrates this beautifully — you go in at one level, work through challenges, and come out higher than when you started. The goal isn't to avoid the pit. It's to learn to journey through it.
Teach thinking explicitly using simple routines like See, Think, Wonder. Even the youngest learners are capable of deep thinking when given the right scaffolds. If we aren't clear about what thinking looks like ourselves, we can't help our students develop it either. Alice Vigors applies this is her classroom in Australia.
Build a school culture of solution-focused dialogue where every voice matters. As Dr. Tracee Perryman reminds us, we work harder running from issues than we ever do attacking them head on. Stop apologizing for being honest, authentic, and holding high standards.
Visual Summary
Here is a visual overview of the key ideas from this episode created from the transcript using Google Notebook LM. Then, I downloaded and edited it with Canva. The Learning Pit was created by James Nottingham.
Listen to the Show
Author Bios as Submitted
Daron Franklin
Daron Franklin has been inspiring and developing people for more than 20 years as a Mathematics facilitator, Athletic Administrator, passionate Athletic Coach, Father, Son, Brother, Uncle, Cousin, and Friend. “Coach Frank” is known for his patient but assertive demeanor when serving others. Daron's purpose as a Human Performance Coach is to elevate individuals, teams, and organizations to higher heights by sharing relevant life tools. Daron earned his Bachelor's Degree from Langston University and Master's Degree from Xavier University of Louisiana. Before earning the title of “Coach”, Daron played two years of professional football in the Arena 2 Football League and the Indoor Professional Football League. Daron's experiences have molded him into a model of success for various communities that have been a part of his journey. Daron Franklin owner of F42 Empowerment. “Be your best, better than the rest”!
James Nottingham is the creator of the Learning Pit, one of the most widely used illustrations of learning to have emerged in the last twenty years. He has worked closely with professors Carol Dweck (Growth Mindset) and John Hattie (Visible Learning); been a teaching assistant in a school for deaf children; taught from pre-K to 12; and held a range of school and district leadership positions. His twelfth book, Teach Brilliantly, published last month shows how to create optimal conditions in which all students can thrive.
Dr. Tracee Perryman is the Amazon bestselling author of Elevating Futures, A Model For Empowering Black Elementary Student Success. She also is the CEO and co-founder of Center of Hope Family Services, where she leads the organization's mission to improve the life outcomes of individuals and families living in urban settings. Dr. Perryman partners with government and not-for-profit organizations, foundations, and leaders in education to realize results rooted in evidence-based programming. She graduated with honors from the University of Michigan, earned a master's degree in mental health counseling from Bowling Green University, and received her PhD from the Ohio State University College of Social Work.
Alice Vigors is a dedicated and passionate educator, author and speaker. In 2022, she published her first book with Amba Press; The Thinking Classroom: supporting educators to embed critical and creative thinking. A book loved by educators globally. She has taught in a range of K-6 school settings in both the Public and Catholic education sectors in New South Wales, Australia and wholeheartedly believes that every child deserves the best possible education. She is committed to supporting teachers and leaders through coaching and professional learning opportunities, presenting nationally at conferences. She co-hosts the Teacher Takeaway Podcast and hosts her own podcast Thinking Pathways where she shares her knowledge and expertise in the education space.
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.
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Elementary students spend over 1,000 hours a year with their homeroom teacher. So, balanced class lists are important. In my experience, once class lists are set, they rarely change. That means the decisions principals make each spring about who lands in which classroom quietly shape the entire trajectory of a school year. It's one of the most high-stakes tasks in a school building, yet we rarely talk about it openly.
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.
In this episode, I sit down with Carrie Hetzel, principal of Paradise Canyon Elementary School in California — a National Blue Ribbon School — to talk about how she and her team build balanced class lists that set every student and teacher up for success. She shares why starting early matters, along with other tips for how they make the process work, including how technology like Class Composer can save hours of manual work while keeping the human touch at the center, and what she wishes she'd known as a brand-new principal.
Key Takeaways for Teachers from Carrie Hetzel
Balanced class lists are a team sport. Carrie describes a multi-stage revision process where classroom teachers draft the initial lists, the principal reviews with a multi-year perspective, and the school counselor adds another lens. No single person makes placement decisions alone — the different viewpoints catch things any one person would miss.
Data matters, but human intuition drives the decisions. Principals need to balance measurable factors — IEPs, 504 plans, EL status, gender, academic levels — with the nuances that don't show up in a spreadsheet, like personality dynamics, friendship conflicts, and which students thrive with which teaching styles. Technology should support that judgment, not replace it.
Start the class placement process early. Carrie's number-one piece of advice for principals: begin in May, not June. The end of the year is packed with activities and demands on teacher time. A thoughtful, purposeful process can't be rushed into the last week of school.
Technology can save hours on a labor-intensive process. Using a tool like Class Composer, Carrie's team can see data update in real time as they move students between classes — eliminating the need to manually recalculate balance every time a change is made. Built-in safety checks even alert you when you're about to place students together who were flagged for separation.
Class placement is a positive, forward-looking process. Rather than viewing it as a chore, Carrie encourages principals to see it as the exciting beginning of a new school year. It's a chance to reflect on student growth, think about fresh starts, and create environments where every child begins the year on the right foot.
Visual Summary
Here is a visual overview of the key ideas from this episode created from the transcript using Google Notebook LM. Then, I downloaded and edited it with Canva.
An infographic about the 5 steps to a balanced roster including 1. Balance Demographics and Learning Needs 2. manage Social and Behavioral Dynamics, 3. Use a Collaborative Team approach, 4. Merge Technology with Human Intuition, and 5. Start Early to avoid Rushing
Carrie Hetzel shares how her team creates balanced class lists at Paradise Canyon Elementary, a National Blue Ribbon School in California.
Carrie Hetzel is the principal of Paradise Canyon Elementary School in La Cañada Flintridge, California, where she serves over 700 students from transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. She joined La Cañada Unified School District in 2014 as a teacher on special assignment, later becoming assistant principal before taking the helm as principal. Under her leadership, Paradise Canyon has been named a California Distinguished School (most recently in 2023) and a National Blue Ribbon School in 2021. Hetzel holds a master's degree in Human Development and brings 28 years of experience in education to her work. She is a Google Certified Educator and has presented on topics including executive functioning, reading, and math differentiation.
Other Shows for Elementary School Administrators
Carrie Hetzel is also a featured guest on Cool Cat Teacher Talk! For a deeper dive into elementary strategies, check out:
If you enjoy the show, a quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps other teachers find us!
Episode Transcript
Click to read the full transcript
Vicki Davis: Today's show is sponsored by Class Composer. We have a principal on today's show who shares her personal opinions on Class Composer and how it helps her create balanced classes. She also shares other ideas about how to plan ahead and make the next school year better. Now on with the show.
Vicki Davis: Today we have a veteran with us. Carrie Hetzel is the principal of Paradise Canyon Elementary School in California, serving over 700 students from transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. She's been the principal since 2018, and in that time, the school has been a California Distinguished School many times — most recently in 2023 — and was a National Blue Ribbon School in 2021. Thanks for coming on the show, Carrie.
Carrie Hetzel: Thanks for having me.
Vicki Davis: Today we're going to talk about how we work hard to create balanced classrooms that will help students and teachers be successful.
Carrie Hetzel: It's a very complicated process, as you might imagine. Having a big school and several classes per grade level, it's important to set our students up for success and have really balanced classes for our teachers. One of the things we were talking about earlier is how the process has progressed over time.
One tool that was really helpful that we used this past year is called Class Composer — one piece of a very large puzzle to make sure not only our classes are balanced, but that all of our data gets updated regularly. That's one of the great things that has been challenging, because we have to change data and make sure that we're still balancing our classrooms with boys, girls, student behaviors, IEPs, 504s, our EL students — all the things that go into making up a great class and making sure our students are in the right spot for the coming school year.
Vicki Davis: So you're really setting the students and the teachers up for success. What does a balanced class look like? When you look at a class and you go, “Yes, I feel good about this” — what does that class look like?
Carrie Hetzel: You want a variety of all different levels and abilities — boys and girls, personalities. There are students that click who should be together. There are students that may have had a conflict and should be separated the next year. All those really important pieces. And as we look at the classes, we are constantly reflecting. It goes through quite a process.
Teachers look at it, our counselor looks at the classes — it's really a group effort here with the staff. As we make changes, one of the things I love about Class Composer is all that data we get on our students. It can be really cumbersome to go back if we make one slight change to a class and then have to redo all our data. We utilized Class Composer this year, and as we made changes or added a student or swapped two students, we were able to see that data in real time and it would calculate instantly — instead of us manually having to go in and make another analysis about whether this classroom is going to be balanced. Class Composer did that for us. That tech tool really saved us a lot of time on a very labor-intensive process that we go through every year.
Vicki Davis: It sounds like you were able to move things around and look at the results and move them back. In so many schools, it is a manual process. It seems like classes are the last place we're really bringing technology. You've been doing this since 2018. How much time, when you did it by hand, did it typically take you?
Carrie Hetzel: Many, many hours, especially with all of the grade levels we have. Having a tool that sped things up while still maintaining our own voice — not just putting things into a machine and pressing go, but being able to put our data in and then as changes happen, having that update for us — just that one piece really saved us a lot of time for other things. It was a great tool for us to use. And then we usually keep data on all of our students, and having that really easily go to the teachers for them to see a snapshot of their students before they walk through the doors — they have pictures of the kids and can see who's going to be coming into their class and who they need to prepare for before the class even starts.
Vicki Davis: I like that. So many times people say, “We're just going to have the computer do it.” But computers — especially in elementary — there is a lot of nuance there. There's a lot of emotional intelligence from the teachers and from the principal required to create a good, balanced, effective classroom that's a win-win for everybody, isn't it?
Carrie Hetzel: It's obviously different in high school where the master schedule is very complicated. In elementary school especially, we really need to have people doing that. Like you mentioned, the nuance and the slight differences in personalities — who might be really successful in this class and who needs something else. All those things that really need to be done by people who know the students and know what they need. We want every year to be the best year. Some years are more challenging than others. If we need to make changes or adjustments, we do that all the time. It's just nice to have something that helps us do that data analysis and update instantly, so you can see who's in what class.
And if there are certain kids that shouldn't be with each other the next year, it won't let you put them in there. So if you had a kiddo that needed a break from another, it's really nice to have that extra safety check. It alerts you — it allows you to override if you want to, but it gives you a little alert that says, “You're going to make a change that you said shouldn't be changed. Do you want to proceed?” Those safety checks are really helpful.
Vicki Davis: If you could travel back in time to Carrie Hetzel, day one, new principal — when you took over — what would you tell her about creating classes that you wished maybe you had known back then?
Carrie Hetzel: Start early. We start thinking about it early. We end in June, so we're definitely in the process in May, because it's not something to rush. It's really important, and we want to make sure it's thoughtful and purposeful. Everything at the end of the school year gets so busy with end-of-year activities, and the teachers are so busy. So starting early and taking your time is really important.
Vicki Davis: I'm sure that can involve tricky conversations because you also don't want children labeled. So there's always that piece of it. Do you feel like you're able to handle that aspect and keep it positive?
Carrie Hetzel: It's actually a really positive process. It's just data and information, and a lot of it is personality. It's not at all labeling or negative — it's just trying to make sure, if we have students that have special needs or students that have a second language, that we are able to spread them out so that the teacher can get to everybody. We want everybody to have a little bit of something in their classroom. And so it really helps us with that process. It's just us being humans, and these teachers have had the students all year long. They know them very well.
I see a bigger picture because I've seen them over several years, and so I have a different point of view. Our counselor has a different point of view. That's why it takes a process of going through teacher revision, principal revision, counselor revision — definitely a team effort to make sure students are where they're supposed to be.
Carrie Hetzel: Teachers have different personalities, and we want to make sure that we're thinking about all those pieces.
Vicki Davis: As we finish up, Carrie, I want you to think about all the principals across the country and beyond who do what you do and groan when they think about setting up classes. What is your encouragement to principals as they prepare for this? Because it's really important.
Carrie Hetzel: I think it's a positive experience. It really starts you thinking about the new school year. You get to reflect on how far the students have come this school year. You're seeing their growth throughout the school year. It's really positive, and I think it doesn't need to be looked upon as negative, because it's always exciting to start the new school year. One fun thing about school and the way that our school system works is that every year is like a fresh start. I think it's a really positive experience, and that's why it's so important to have great classes — so these students are starting off on the right foot, in a great environment with peers that they can learn from and learn with. I think it's a really positive new beginning as we start another school year.
Vicki Davis: We'll include a link to Class Composer in the show notes. Carrie Hetzel, principal at Paradise Canyon Elementary School — thank you for helping us talk about preparing to have a great school year next year. These are things that we don't really talk about a lot, but it really does make a difference as those classes are set up. Thanks for coming on the show.
Carrie Hetzel: Yeah, thank you so much.
Vicki Davis: In today's show, you heard from Carrie Hetzel about how she plans ahead for the school year, and particularly how she uses Class Composer. This tool is a game changer for elementary schools. What I love most about Class Composer is the intuitive, paper-like look and feel that makes it simple to visualize everything across your entire grade level at once. This platform really balances data very well with human intuition, and that's why I'm a fan of Class Composer. If you want to see it in action and take Class Composer for a test drive, head over to classcomposer.com for a look. That's Class Composer — C-L-A-S-S-C-O-M-P-O-S-E-R dot com — and set up an amazing year for next year now.
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.
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Why are my students forgetting everything? Why do class rosters make or break a school year and what can we do about it? How do I help students who are struggling in math or reading? Can I have an amazing, fun classroom and still improve test scores?
Today's elementary supershow is designed with some of our most popular conversations with practical examples teachers can apply now. From a remarkable story of how Ezera Washington's class grew to 91% reading proficiency to Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson's timeless wisdom on differentiating math instruction, this show has research and practical application. First, we're going to start with something that affects everything else in your classroom: executive functioning.
In this show, we discuss:
Executive function supports (with visual reminder ideas and the hidden cognitive demands we may be unknowingly placing on our students)
Advice on making rostering decisions
Differentiating math instruction (advice on grouping)
Ezera Washington's amazing classroom transformation story of 91% proficiency (and still being fun)
One of the things I love about elementary education is the abundance of remarkable voices sharing their expertise right now. This show features just a few of them. There are so many more educators across podcasts, blogs, and classrooms doing incredible work. I hope this episode serves as a starting point as you discover the voices that resonate with your teaching journey. You can find more elementary and kindergarten resources here on the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, but I encourage you to take some time searching for the growing community of education podcasters and content creators who will encourage and enliven your classroom! We're all better when we learn together.
Sponsor
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.
Visual Infographic
This infographic is generated off the segment about Executive function and the other about the science of reading using Google Notebook LM.
Key Takeaways for Teachers
Give directions just before students begin working—not minutes earlier—to reduce the strain on working memory, and use visual reminders or picture cues to help students remember steps without holding everything in their heads.
Be aware of hidden cognitive demands in your classroom, including overly decorated walls, multi-step instructions, and materials sitting out before they're needed, all of which tax students' ability to focus and inhibit distractions.
Use flexible grouping in math based on pre-assessment data, and don't be afraid to move students between groups as they demonstrate readiness—just don't announce it as a “test” so you see authentic performance.
Circulate actively during independent work and give in-the-moment feedback rather than waiting to grade papers later; this approach gives you real-time data to adjust instruction immediately.
Provide sentence stems for writing, especially for students who struggle to get started; as students gain confidence, they'll naturally move away from the stems on their own.
Leverage the expertise in your building by watching veteran teachers, asking questions, and collaborating—someone nearby has already figured out what you're struggling with.
Jennifer Burns is a literacy consultant who helps elementary teachers create engaging reading and writing experiences for students.
Jennifer Burns is a literacy consultant, author, speaker and coach who uses a student-centered approach in all of her work. This approach creates collaborative conversations that make teaching, learning and growth fun. Her signature approach helps create opportunities for students to engage successfully with volumes of types of reading. Outside of teaching, Jennifer loves to walk, read, spend time with family and find fun coffee shops.
Carrie Hetzel is the principal of Paradise Canyon Elementary and shares her insights on how rostering decisions can set students and teachers up for success.
Carrie Hetzel joined LCUSD in 2014 as a “teacher on special assignment,” later becoming assistant principal and then principal of Paradise Canyon Elementary. Hetzel has been Principal at La Cañada Unified since 2014, with a Master's in Human Development.
Malia Hollowell is a former teacher who knows what it feels like to be doing all the things—and still watch your students struggle to read. That all changed when she discovered the science of reading. Her students started making huge progress, she finally felt confident in her teaching, and she got her evenings back.
Malia Hollowell is the founder of Playdough to Plato and The Science of Reading Formula, helping elementary teachers bring research-backed reading instruction into their classrooms.
That's why the founder of Playdough to Plato created The Science of Reading Formula membership–to help teachers cut through the noise and use what actually works. Her research-backed strategies and ready-to-use tools have helped thousands of educators bring joy, growth, and simplicity to their reading instruction.
Heather Marrs is an instructional coach and Apple Distinguished Educator who helps elementary teachers use gamification to boost student engagement.
Heather Marrs is an Instructional Coach at Eagle Rock Elementary in Eagle Point, Oregon. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Seesaw Ambassador, Book Creator Ambassador and FlipGrid Ambassador. Heather is passionate about integrating technology in education to amplify student voice, increase communication, and engage students. She has been a presenter at ISTE 2019, NCCE 2016-19, the Southern Oregon EdTech Summit 2015-18, and IntegratED 2017-18. Heather is the founder and main moderator of the Oregon EdChat which can be found at #OrEdChat on Twitter. She enjoys being a connected educator and providing professional development both locally and regionally. Outside of teaching, she is a wife and mother of two amazing kiddos.
Dr. Sarah Oberle is a primary educator and cognitive science expert who helps teachers understand how executive functioning impacts student learning in the classroom.
Dr. Sarah Oberle is a seasoned educator with extensive experience in primary education. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Cognitive Science, bringing together deep expertise in both teaching and learning. Passionate about bridging research and practice, Dr. Oberle focuses on translating insights from the science of learning into accessible, practical strategies that enhance classroom instruction and student success. An active member of several educational boards and committees, she works alongside educators and policymakers to promote evidence-informed decision-making and meaningful, sustainable improvement in education. Beyond her classroom experience, Dr. Oberle has designed and led professional learning programs that empower teachers to apply knowledge of how learning happens to their own practice. She lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two daughters.
Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson is Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia and one of the world's leading experts on differentiated instruction, sharing her wisdom on differentiating math for elementary learners.
Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development where she served as Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, and Co-Director of the University's Institutes on Academic Diversity. Prior to joining the faculty at UVa, she was a teacher in public schools for 21 years, during which she taught students in high school, preschool, and middle school and also administered programs for struggling and advanced learners. She was Virginia's Teacher of the Year in 1974. She was named Outstanding Professor at UVa's School of Education and Human Development in 2004 and received an All-University Teaching Award in 2008. In 2022, she was ranked #12 in the Education Week Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings of the 200 “University-based academics who are contributing most substantially to public debates about schools and schooling,” and as the #4 voice in Curriculum & Instruction. Carol is author of over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials. Her books are available in 14 languages. She works throughout the United States and internationally with educators who seek to create classrooms that are effective in reaching diverse student populations.
Ezera Washington is New Jersey's 23-24 Governor's Educator of the Year who transformed her fifth grade classroom to 91% reading proficiency and now serves as a K-5 Supervisor in Paterson.
Ms. Washington is a dedicated and transformative educator born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey. As the eldest of seven children, Ms. Washington developed a strong sense of responsibility and a passion for education early on, recognizing it as a powerful pathway to economic mobility. Currently serving as the K-5 Supervisor in Paterson, Ms. Washington is driven by a commitment to empower students and ensure they are prepared for academic success, from the early grades through to college and beyond. A proud graduate of Montclair State University, Ms. Washington earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, becoming the first in the family to graduate college with the support of the Educational Opportunity Fund. This personal journey exposed Ms. Washington to the academic challenges faced by students from underserved communities, motivating a lifelong commitment to strengthening educational equity in Paterson. Inspired by a promise she made to herself, to ensure no student from Paterson feels unprepared, Ms. Washington dedicated her career to empowering future generations through transformative teaching and leadership. She believes through high expectations and good relationships all students can succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Beginning her teaching career at School 13 in Paterson, Ms. Washington quickly expanded her impact, moving on to teach fourth-grade Math and English Language Arts (ELA) in Newark for four years. Here is where she became a highly effective educator and instructional leader. During this time, Ms. Washington earned a Master's in Elementary Education while working full-time, further developing expertise in instructional strategy, student engagement, and peer mentoring. Returning to Paterson, Ms. Washington continued to excel as a fifth-grade ELA teacher at College Achieve, where her dedication to student success led to notable improvements in test scores, earning her the 23-24 Governor's Educator of the Year award. As a supervisor, Ms. Washington champions a collaborative, co-teaching model to elevate instructional quality across the district. Supporting curriculum writing and network professional development sessions for the network. Through consistent modeling and coaching, Ms. Washington develops teachers who are equipped to inspire and support each student's unique potential. Today, Ms. Washington remains steadfast in her mission to create equitable learning environments where all students are prepared to excel in every space, especially in college, fulfilling a lifelong vision of opportunity and success for Paterson's youth. Ms. Washington believes in the Thru and Thru mission of all of her students.
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.”
Seven outstanding elementary education experts join forces for the Epic Elementary Supershow! Featuring Jennifer Burns, Malia Hollowell (NBCT), Dr. Sarah Oberle, Ezera Washington, Heather Marrs, Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson, and Carrie Hetzel sharing practical strategies for elementary classrooms.
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I wanted to share this week's newsletter with you. If you'd like to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, go to coolcatteacher.com/newsletter and sign up. I would love to connect with you!
Hello Reader,
How is your semester starting out? I hope it is awesome but sometimes here in North America January can be a tough month! And there's the ice! I hope you're staying warm!
Life isn't quite settled without Dad yet and I'm working hard to bring the routines back including making sure I send you some awesome resources from my blog and some things I learned and shared at FETC in Orlando just a few weeks a go including a few of my slides from my Getting Past the Hype of AI preso.
Here are some resources for you right now:
Can AI Replace Teachers? with Dr. Catlin Tucker – she shared about Smarter Lesson Design and UDL and how AI fits into it all.
AI/Privacy Literacy Lesson. TikTok Changed Their Privacy Policy in some very concerning ways. I created a “Privacy Policy Detective” Google Doc that I used along with a PDF and four different AI tools to help my eighth graders not only learn how to upload a PDF to AI, but to compare AI models, and also understand what has happened with TikTok over this past weekend.
Make. your spreadsheets sing!
Claude for Excel. If you have a paid version of Claude, you can use it inside excel. Yes, inside. It runs on your computer and my understanding is It is unreal. Note that they don't recommend it for highly sensitive or regulated data. You can also have it installed at your worksite. I'm testing it now. I would definitely say this is for an advanced user.
Google Notebook LM Infographics. I'm pulling my transcripts into Google Notebook LM to generate infographics for each of my shows. Here are some of the issues:
The file sizes will be huge. I take them into Canva and compress them.
It is impossible to have it do much but make an infographic if you want to add titles of a show or podcast numbers or something of that nature, you'll have to pull it into an editor of some type.
Typically spelling is pretty good.
I teach this to my students when they are reviewing new content.
I use it for new content I share with students.
Here are a few examples:
This week's radio show will be about the neuroscience of attention. It will hit YouTube and podcast late Wednesday, January 27th after it airs on 99.1 WDJY in Atlanta at 4pm I also shared a lot of recent news!
Recently, at FETC, I shared a session called “AI: Beyond the Hype” where I got deep into how I teach in my classroom. Really, the R, A, and L have already been there, and the second step, “engage with AI,” was really just “engage with Technology,” but in the days of AI, it has turned into an active use of AI and how we can effectively use it.
I wanted to share a few of those slides and also a few notes on my own views of what works in my classroom:
1. It starts with Relationships.
Emotional Intelligence is more important than ever.
Last semester, when my students evaluated the course and gave me feedback, the two most useful things they said were, first, emotional intelligence skills, and second, prompt stacking. We actively talk about reading body language, working in teams, and focusing on people. We dig into our need for human to human contact and why having AI help you emotionally is not the best idea and why humans are better suited for that task. This has always been there but is more important than ever.
2. We Engage with AI
But AI is not everywhere all the time. It is a tool. We learn how to use it, whether it prompts stacking and using one tool to write the image generation for another tool, or collecting a prompt library
I've shared some of the slides from that section of the preso here:
We always use formative assessment, but I also teach them to assess themselves formatively. Which tool do they say is helping their grades and learning increase? Google Notebook LM. I don't just show them this tool; I show them how to use this tool for review. How to upload slides (many just use it to chat with it), how to find additional content, and how to generate audio and infographics. These are all part of activating formative self-assessment made possible by AI, so they can learn and think more deeply.
4. Look at Evidence
We are constantly talking about standards, particularly in my AP class. But I like to create tools with the standards programmed right in. I've made a customGPT for my AP CSP class with the standards built in and have also made a student-facing Google notebook LM with the content and standards for them to use. I am also sharing PDFs and standard numbers on my slides to give them the content they need to train AI, so they can see the evidence of how they are doing.
Attached are a few notes on how I engage with AI. Interestingly, I used to have AI near the end of my coursework, but over the past two years I've had to move it to the start of the semester. The kids want to talk about it. They want to ask questions. And many of them, when they find out how it actually works, shake their head in disbelief at their wrong thinking about what it could do for them and their lives.
I'd love to tell you life is easy, but my Dad was a huge part of my life and even at age 82 he was quite a loving human being. It can be hard sometimes to go around my small town as many are still weeping because they miss him.
Emotional intelligence is more important than ever. I work hard to teach it. I work hard to act like the kind of person who is respected enough to teach it.
Some days it is hard. So, I've been behind but I wanted to get this done. I'm about to head to the den now to spend time with my husband rather than writing a bunch more here than most of you won't get to.
But if you got this far. Thank you! I hope to connect with you next week.
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Are you frustrated with keeping student attention? Or maybe you’re anxious about AI and how it should (or shouldn’t) fit in the classroom. Technology is changing rapidly, but the science of learning has not! In this episode of Cool Cat Teacher Talk, we explore how to protect student focus, strengthen real learning, and respond wisely to artificial intelligence. We can do this without losing the human heart of great teaching.
After a news segment exploring growing concerns and lawsuits around AI safety and misuse, we’ll talk with AP Psychology teacher and author of Do I Have Your Attention?, Blake Harvard. Blake digs into the learning science that actually works. We'll dig into retrieval practice, spaced repetition, the power of pretesting, formative assessment, and feedback that helps students remember more and learn better.
Then, literacy expert Mary Ehrenworth shares how teachers can strengthen reading, vocabulary, and writing, and how AI can serve as a tool to support learning (while not being a replacement for thinking.) You’ll walk away with practical classroom strategies, clearer guidance on AI, and ideas you can usethis week to help students pay attention, learn deeply, andlove learning.
Key Takeaways for Teachers
Use retrieval practice and spaced repetition to help students retain learning over time.
Start lessons with low-stakes pretests to focus attention and prime memory.
Build frequent formative assessments that reveal what students truly understand.
Give timely feedback that helps students move from “I heard it” to “I can do it.”
Design classrooms and routines that reduce distraction and protect attention.
Use AI as a thought partner and feedback tool, not a replacement for student thinking.
Visual Summary
To create this graphic, I took the transcript into my Notebook LM for Cool Cat Teacher Talk and created an infographic from it. These are important things that we do discuss in today's show.
Blake Harvard is a full time teacher in Alabama. He is in his 20th year of teaching and currently teaches AP Psychology. He has a particular affinity for reading research into cognitive psychology for implementation in his classroom to improve student outcomes. He began writing about how he implements these research findings on his website (www.effortfuleducator.com) 9 years ago. Blake recently released his first book, Do I Have Your Attention? Understanding Memory Constraints and Maximizing Learning. It focuses on memory processing and learning strategies that over a century of research indicates improve learning in the classroom.
Dr. Mary Ehrenworth co-led a think tank on global literacy at Teachers College, Columbia University, for twenty years. She now runs Ehrenworth Literacy Innovations, working nationally and globally to empower teachers and students through critical literacies and collaborative inquiry. Her most recent research fields are AI and literacy, and vocabulary acquisition. From that day long ago when a beloved teacher gave her The Secret Garden, to the days she now spends supporting children and teachers in becoming powerful and passionate readers and writers, Mary has been lucky enough to spend her time among things she loves best: books, kids, and teachers.
Blog: https://www.ehrenworthliteracyinnovations.org/
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.
