In this episode, we welcome Lauren Kaufman, the Director of Literacy K-12 for a school district in Long Island, New York. With over 18 years in education, she has served as an assistant principal, elementary instructional coach, an elementary and middle school reading specialist, new teacher mentor coordinator K-12, creativity camp enrichment program supervisor, and a 2nd and 5th-grade classroom teacher. Lauren’s professional passion is to empower teachers to lead so they can share their gifts with others and develop lifelong literacy practices in all learners.
Listen as Lauren shares a personal story about a mentor in her life who helped her overcome struggles and shaped her into the leader she is today. She emphasizes the need for self-reflection and creating a calm space for it, as well as the power of reflection in fostering personal growth and development. We explore the connection between reflection and gratitude and how expressing gratitude can be integrated into the reflection practice. Then, we delve into the qualities of a coaching mindset, including being present, patient, and recognizing that change takes time.
Chapters
(0:03:28) Journey from Learning to Leadership
(0:06:02) Early Influences: Empowering Strategies and Shaping Leadership
(0:10:01) Building Trust and Problem Solving as a Leader
(0:12:58) Reflection and Cultivating Resilience in Leadership
(0:16:47) Creating a Space for Reflection and Learning
(0:19:17) Reflection as a Practice for Authentic Growth
(0:19:49) The Importance of Reflection in Education
(0:22:20) Moving Forward: Taking Action Based on Reflection
(0:22:45) The Power of Gratitude
(0:23:56) Reflection and Paying It Forward
(0:28:04) Modeling Reflection at Different Levels
(0:33:04) Embracing Discomfort and Change in Education
(0:35:45) Creating Connections and Cross-Pollination of Ideas in Education
(0:36:21) The Power of Action and Connection
(0:40:51) Be Collaborative and Focus on Your Goals
(0:52:37) The Importance of Mindful Self-Engagement
(0:57:40) Inspiring Leadership in Teachers and Students
Links Mentioned
Reading: Getting to Neutral - Trevor Moawad
The AI Infused Classroom - Holly Clark
Leading the Whole Teacher - Allyson Apsey
Innovator's Mindset - George Couros
Listening: Cool Cat Teacher - 10 Minute Teacher Podcasts
Follow Lauren on Twitter: @LaurenMKaufman
On the web: www.laurenmkaufman.com
Lauren's Attention Method - Going for walks - listening to music, podcasts, books - I get some of my best ideas on walks. Writing is another one too - it centers me.
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Credits:
Music: “Goodnight, Shapeshifter” by MusicForNothing, used under Creative Commons BY-ND 3.0.
Audio Editing & Production: Tim Belmont (@tbelmontedu)
Podcast Ep 17: Connection, Community, & a Coaching Mindset w/ Lauren Kaufman