10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

How do you teach about space in any classroom—not just science? Dr. Mark Wagner says space is the ultimate hook for engagement, and the growing space economy means every student needs to understand it. In this conversation, the CEO of Aries Learning and author of Space Education shares why space belongs in every subject, the mindsets students need, and simple ways to bring exploration into your room this week.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why the space economy (projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030) touches nearly every career
How satellites and Starlink already shape agriculture, GPS, and global internet access
The four mindsets Mark teaches: explorer's mindset, moonshot thinking, design thinking, and operational mindset
Low-cost, hands-on ways to let students explore—from a simple map to student-built payloads
What the "overview effect" teaches students about caring for our planet
Full show notes, links, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e954
If this episode helped you, share it with a teacher friend who'd love to bring more wonder into their classroom.

Choosing a dissertation topic? Dr. Maggie Broderick shares "servant scholarship" — how to pick research that helps real teachers and students instead of just checking a box.
In this conversation, Dr. Maggie Broderick — associate professor at National University, dissertation chair, and editor of the International Journal of Online Graduate Education — joins Vicki Davis to explore how doctoral students and classroom teachers alike can choose research with a servant's heart.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What "servant scholarship" is and why your motivation ("your why") shapes better research
How to support teachers of less commonly taught subjects who often feel isolated
Why connecting research to practice — and policy — matters more than just "learning the ropes"
How researchers can keep a servant's heart even when funding is involved
Encouragement for anyone weighing a PhD or EdD
Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e953
If this episode helped you, please rate the show and leave a review wherever you're listening — it helps more educators find these conversations. And share it with a teacher friend who's thinking about grad school.

Project-based social studies ideas students never forget — from 2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year Megan Philbrook, whose students secretly nominated her for the award.
Megan Philbrook teaches social studies to grades 5 through 8 in rural New Hampshire, where her students wrote, directed, and filmed their own play on Ancient Rome, podcast about the American Revolution, and research WWII veterans buried fifteen miles from their school. In this conversation she shares how project-based learning and civic engagement make history unforgettable — and the classroom moves that made her students love her enough to nominate her for Teacher of the Year without telling her.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to reuse last year's student projects to inspire this year's students
A 30-second door-greeting ritual that starts every class with connection
The "look through the window" rule for teaching controversial history without taking sides
Where to find free state-level resources for America's 250th birthday
Why "close your mouth but open your ears" is her best advice for new social studies teachers
Full show notes and every resource mentioned: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e952
Share this one with a teacher friend who makes learning magical.

Can elementary students build their own apps? Two elementary teachers — Erin Keith and Edward Courtney — show how they use MAD-learn for gold-standard project-based learning, and how app-building teaches the soft skills that last long after the code.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How teachers with no coding background get started with app development
Real student apps — from advocacy projects to digital portfolios to "Meet the Teacher" apps
The soft skills students build: persistence, teamwork, and design thinking
How to introduce AI to elementary students safely and thoughtfully
Why moving students from app users to app creators changes engagement
Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e951
This is a sponsored episode featuring MAD-learn. If this one helps you, share it with a teacher friend who's curious about coding with kids.

What students achieve is tied to whether they feel valued — and the same is true for the teachers who serve them. In this Motivational Monday conversation, coach and author Debbie Simões (founder of Best Questers, co-author of High Five to Thrive) shows teachers how valuing students transforms a classroom, even on the hardest days.
Drawing on years in inner-city classrooms, Debbie shares how to see past a child's behavior to the person of value underneath, how to communicate to connect instead of to correct, and how to be a "hope agent" for yourself and your colleagues in a season of burnout and teacher shortages.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why "communicate to connect" changes how kids respond to correction
The difference between behavior-based praise and identity-based praise
How to respond when a student is at their worst
What it means to be a "hope agent" when your own tank is low
The mantra that can transform a school: people of value who value people and add value to them
Full show notes and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e950
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a teacher friend and rate the show wherever you're listening.