Lesson Planning, Productivity, and Stressing Less

When I sat down to record this episode of Cool Cat Teacher Talk, I knew I wanted it to be practical, encouraging, and full of wisdom from some of the best people I know.

We start with Dr. Barbara Blackburn, one of my favorite experts on rigor. She reminds us that rigor isn’t about piling on work — it’s about raising expectations and giving students the support they need to succeed.

Then we’ll hear from my friend Dr. Desiree Alexander, who always has such clear, actionable advice. She shares simple time-saving tips that really help teachers create a sustainable pace. She also gives advice for getting organized that is essential to new teachers.

Next up is principal and life coach Barb Flowers, who talks honestly about teacher burnout and offers three powerful ways we can stress less and find joy again in teaching.

And finally, you’ll laugh with Mari Beasley, whose new book Teachers Have Bigger Fish to Fry is filled with hilarious true stories (like the snake that fell from the ceiling!) along with smart insights about AI productivity tips in the classroom.

Before all of that, I also share some important news updates for teachers — from AI hallucination rates to Google Notebook LM’s new features.

This episode is packed with encouragement and tips you can use tomorrow.

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Essential Vocabulary

AI Hallucination – a phenomenon where, in a large language model (LLM) often a generative AI chatbot or computer vision tool, perceives patterns or objects that are nonexistent or imperceptible to human observers, creating outputs that are nonsensical and altogether inaccurate. 🔗 IBM

AI Literacy– the knowledge and skills that enable humans to critically understand, evaluate, and use AI systems and tools to safely and ethically participate in an increasingly digital world. 🔗 Digital Promise

Contrarian Strategy – Doing tasks at different times from the crowd (i.e. using the copier at off times) to save time and reduce stress 🔗 Focus Your Time

Error Rate Calculation – A method of assessing AI reliability to checking how many citations or outputs are incorrect. There are three methods of calculating error rates, the 🔗character error rate (CER), 🔗word error rate (WER).

Instructional Rigor – a key component of effective instruction including high expectations, scaffolding for instruction, and demonstration of learning. 🔗 Read 10 myths of rigor and other resources from Barbara Blackburn

Incompetent Expert – A person who appears skilled due to their use of AI-generated content but lacks true understanding or competence. 🔗 IE Insights

Productive Struggle – effortful practice that goes beyond passive reading, listening or watching that students use as they grapple with perplexing problems or make sense of challenging ideas. 🔗HMH

Time Management (3D’s) – These 3 D’s “Do it,” “Delete it,” or Delegate it are a system for managing email. 🔗 Center for Sales Strategy

Toxic Positivity – the act of avoiding, suppressing, or rejecting negative emotions or experiences as a pattern of behavior. 🔗 Psychology Today

Education News Links from This Show

NEWS1. The Importance of Teaching Students to Spot AI Errors

Why Critical Thinking is Key to Using AI Wisely – by Stephanie Simoes

In 1975, Science News revealed that 72% of those polled opposed giving every seventh-grade student a calculator. Today, the U.S. National Education Plan highlights a similar priority: teaching students how to spot AI-generated misinformation. This is a vital skill for the future.

NEWS2. The Danger of Incompetent Experts

Is AI Creating Incompetent Experts? – by Kiron Ravindran

The term incompetent experts describes students (and professionals!) who look polished on paper thanks to AI, but can’t explain their reasoning. As Kiron Ravindran writes, “AI’s linguistic fluency had convinced them of their competence, even as it hollowed out their learning.”

NEWS3. AI Hallucination Rates (June 2025)

AI Hallucination Research (AIMultiple)GPT-4.5 showed the lowest hallucination rate at 15%, while Claude 3.5 Sonnet came in at 32%. I even had my students test whether they could calculate AI’s “error rate” as a class project.

NEWS4. Google Notebook LM’s New Features

Watch the video by Rob the AI Guy

Google has added Critique and Debate modes to its AI notebook assistant, alongside customizable voices. I use Notebook LM to verify statistics and help students dig deeper into original sources.

NEWS5. The Gmail Breach Rumor is Fake News

Forbes: “Entirely False,” Says Google

Still—this is your reminder to turn on two-factor authentication.

NEWS6. Windows 10 Support Ends in October 2025

Forbes: Microsoft Confirms $61 Windows Update Fee

If you’re still on Windows 10, plan now. Upgrading is better than paying for patches on an old OS.

Guests on this Show

Dr. Desiree Alexander

Dr. Desiree Alexander is an award-winning, multi-degreed educator, speaker, and author who has been in the educational field since 2002. She is the Founder CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting, LLC and the Deputy Director for the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana. She consults with members of several schools/businesses and presents at conferences globally.  

Dr. Alexander is lifetime certified in Louisiana in Secondary English Education, as a Reading Specialist, as a School Librarian, as an Educational Technology Facilitator, as an Educational Technology Leader and in Educational Leadership 1.

Dr. Alexander is certified in Texas as a Principal, in English Language Arts and Reading for grades 4-8 and grades 8-12, as a Reading Specialist for grades EC-12, and as a School Librarian. She holds multiple technology certifications, including, but not limited to, IC3 certification, Google Certified Trainer, Innovator and Partner, Apple Teacher, and Microsoft Office Specialists.   Additionally, she holds a Bachelor, a Master + 30, and an Education Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University, a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Educational Leadership with a concentration in Educational Technology Leadership from Nicholls State University. She also holds a Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership from Lamar University.  

Dr. Desiree Alexander is the author of Ready to Be an Educational Leader: Your Guide for Passing the SLLA 6990, a 2024 Illinois Digital Educators Alliance Conference (IDEAcon) Thought Leader, 2023 Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE) Conference Featured Speaker, 2022 & 2021 Texas Computer Education Association Conference (TCEA) Featured Thought Leader, 2020 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Featured Voice, 2020 Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) Featured Presenter, 2019 Customer Commitment Award Honoree from Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Torch Awards for Ethics, a 2019 Shreveport National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Mover and Shaker, a 2017 Young Professional Initiative 40 Under 40 Awards Honoree, 2017 Center for Digital Education Top 30 Technologists, Transformers & Trailblazers, 2017 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Learning Media Digital Innovator for Louisiana, 2016 Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana Member of the Year, 2015 Librarian of the Year for Louisiana Librarian Association, 2015 Campus Teacher of the Year in the Zachary Community School District and 2014 Leader of the Year for Region 2 Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators.

Learn more at www.educatoralexander.com.  

Mari Beasley

Maurie Beasley is an educator-turned-tech administrator who blends two decades in K-12 classrooms and counseling with hands-on work in the computer industry. By day, she directs technology for a rural school district, staying rooted in real-world classroom chaos; after hours, she is CEO and co-founder of AI Education Professionals, guiding schools and small businesses nationwide to use artificial intelligence as a practical, human-centered ally, especially in the under-resourced communities she calls home.

Maurie sits on the boards of the Austin AI Alliance and Cowboy Christmas for Kids, advises Tech & Learning, and is a founding member of the Human Intelligence Movement. Her debut book, Teachers Have Bigger Fish to Fry, dishes up laugh-out-loud true stories and savvy AI tips that help educators reclaim time and sanity.

When she isn’t working with teachers in her AI Trail Blazer pilot program or plotting the next “fish” volume, you’ll find her coming up with new ideas over strong coffee and cheering on the exhausted teachers who inspired every page.

Dr. Barbara Blackburn

Dr. Barbara Blackburn, a Top Ten Global Guru in Education, is the author of over 30 books. She is a sought after international speaker and consultant, and regularly collaborated with schools and districts in the areas of rigor, student motivation, instruction, and leadership.

Dr. Barb Flowers

Barb Flowers, an elementary school principal and seasoned educator life coach, brings 14 years of invaluable experience in education. With a Ph.D. in K-12 Leadership and ongoing certification pursuit as a Confidence Coach, Barb is dedicated to supporting educators in reducing burnout and boosting their confidence. Having navigated her own struggles with confidence and self-doubt as a teacher and early administrator, Barb is on a mission to assist others in overcoming similar challenges. Her passion lies in empowering educators to navigate their professional journeys with resilience and self-assurance. Barb is also the host of The Teacher Burnout Podcast and The Lessed Stress Principal formerly known as The Confident Principal Podcast.