In this episode of The Elemental Educator Podcast, district leader Lauren Kaufman shares how to ignite teacher passion and prevent burnout through mentorship, literacy, and bold leadership. With nearly 20 years in education, Lauren discusses how grounded values, mentorship, and reflection can empower teachers to lead.
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⏰ Chapters:
0:00 Intro
7:30 Grounded Moments
19:11 Headwinds and Tailwinds
31:07 Ripples of Change
45:55 Spark or Burn
53:25 Listener Questions
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
along your path, you will meet various people and you will encounter various situationsand you will also encounter celebrations, but also setbacks.
(00:11):
and those setbacks and obstacles you face are not the sum total of your life.
They're just mere moments of discomfort that bridge your past with your future.
And I want everyone to know that teaching is not something you just do.
It's a calling.
And every interaction is really a learning experience that enhances your leadership lens.
(00:33):
So surround yourself with people who act as mirrors who are going to reflect your growth.
(00:56):
Alchemists, welcome to another episode of the Elemental Educator podcast.
I'm your host Tyler and thank you so much for joining our community for another incredibleconnection.
If you're here for the first time, thank you and welcome to a place where we redefineleadership and challenge the status quo.
Take a minute before continuing the episode to subscribe to our YouTube at elementalunderscore educator, where we upload all of our video episodes and additional leadership
(01:21):
content meant for anyone looking to grow.
For those returning alchemists, take some time to expand our community and share thisplatform with one other person today.
I'm so thankful for your passion and dedication to being better together.
Now get ready to let the alchemy of education ignite your passion for learning.
Lauren Kaufman is currently serving as a district leader
(01:42):
in Long Island, New York.
With nearly two decades in education, she has served as an assistant Principle, elementaryinstructional coach, an elementary and middle school reading specialist, new teacher
mentor coordinator for K to 12 schools, a creativity camp enrichment program supervisor,and a second and fifth grade classroom teacher.
Lauren is a lifelong learner whose professional passion is to empower teachers to stay andlead so they can share their gifts with others.
(02:10):
develop lifelong literacy practices and all their resources.
She's led teams developing units of study in reading and writing, has provided educatorswith...
embedded professional learning that supported a comprehensive approach to literacy andguided new teachers with acclimating to culture and climate of a school system.
She's organized various full day literacy professional learning experiences and haspresented at a local and national conferences, including ASCD,
(02:39):
NCTE FETC, LIASCD, Long Island Technology Summit, Reading Specialists Council of Suffolk,Long Island Language Arts Council, and more.
Lauren is the author of the book, The Leader Inside, Stories of Mentorship to Inspire theLeader Within.
Alongside her writing, she enjoys sharing her insights through blogging on her ownplatform.
(03:03):
Additionally, Lauren has contributed to several publications, including George Kuros's
because of a teacher.
Lainey Rawls, evolving with gratitude, and IGI Global's designing effective distance andblended learning environments K-12.
She has also contributed to Education Week and Edutopia and has served as a guest bloggerfor the Teach Better team, Future Ready Schools, and Defined.
(03:28):
Lauren's passion lies in leading through a coaching mindset and sharing best literacypractices with colleagues.
She wholeheartedly believes in the importance of developing powerful professional learningcommunities and networks that foster meaningful, relevant learning and growth.
Welcome to the Elemental Educator podcast.
Lauren, it is my pleasure to have you here today.
(03:48):
Hi Tyler, it is such a pleasure to be here and thank you for that amazing introduction.
You know, I was kind of going back in time as you were saying all of that.
I'm like, my goodness, I can't believe it's been almost two decades in, but I'm loving itand I appreciate you having me here with your audience.
Absolutely.
And I do like the big introduction because it gives the audience the context of, you know,who it is that we are talking to on the other end and what they bring to the table and the
(04:17):
value they bring.
Everybody brings value, but to hear those experiences that we might not even get to touchon in this short 50 minute conversation, hour conversation, it's nice to share.
And I want to start actually with sharing maybe a much bigger question, which is, Lauren,how did you get to where you are now?
my goodness, that is a big question.
Well, first of all, I've been so fortunate to have this beautiful career in education.
(04:41):
This started when I was a little girl.
My parents are educators.
My grandfather was a college professor.
You know, my sister is now even in education.
We have a whole bunch of educators in my family and I've been lucky to be supported by somany great teachers along the way.
But I really started almost two decades ago.
I was a teaching assistant.
(05:02):
I was a classroom teacher.
It was then when I was a classroom teacher that I really discovered and honed my craftwith teaching literacy and wanted to hone my craft even more and become a literacy
specialist.
The heart of a lot of the work I do is really an instructional coaching.
I served in that role for a number of years and it was really that role.
(05:23):
that got me outside of my classroom walls and got me to see the bigger picture by steppinginto all of the classrooms and watching so many great practices that teachers were
employing and getting to cross-pollinate those ideas was quite amazing.
It really shaped who I am and who I'm continuously striving to be.
(05:45):
And I decided to take the formal leap into a leadership role.
Although I think that if you're in education, you are a leader in education.
I don't believe in titles.
I believe that if we are working with kids, we are a leader in education.
But I did go into a formal leadership role as an assistant Principle.
Now I'm a district leader.
And I take a lot of my experiences from every role I just shared with you now.
(06:10):
And I have applied it.
to this leadership role.
I really love working alongside teachers, with teachers, to help elevate and liftpractices so that we can really improve student outcomes together.
We're in this work together.
So that's in a nutshell, and here I am today.
I love writing, I love sharing my learning, and that's why it's such an honor to be herewith you today to talk about that even more.
(06:36):
I appreciate that.
what you said early on made me think of, I read a book when I first got into educationcalled The Leader in Me, and it's an education based book for those that haven't read it
yet.
And it talks about how everybody, every kid has the potential to be a leader.
And it's applicable to everything outside of education as well, because it doesn't matterthe role you're in, there are times where you lead, right?
(06:57):
As a parent, you lead, as a friend, you lead, as a manager or a CEO or an executive, youlead.
And you have a purpose when you take on a leadership role to be doing something forsomeone else, for the betterment of whatever it is you're trying to do collectively.
And to hear your story, your passion behind it, puts us in good hands when we talkleadership.
(07:23):
And so I'm thankful for that.
And thank you for sharing your story.
And...
It's very clear when you talk that you're rooted in something very deep, is your values,which actually brings us up to our first segment of grounded moments.
Rooted in wisdom, driven by purpose, welcome to Grounded Moments.
And to build some momentum here, I want to start with a little game.
(07:46):
This is called Principles or Preferences.
So Lauren, I'm gonna hit you with a couple statements, and you just have to tell me ifthis is a core principle, it's something that you live by, no exceptions, or it's just
personal preference, which is something you like but you don't expect from others.
Make sense?
All right, and these are quick, no time to think, we're just gonna go with our gut here,okay?
(08:07):
Okay, you got it.
All right, meetings should always start on time, no excuses.
personal preference.
Leaders should always be the last to speak in a discussion.
principles.
You should answer work emails outside of business hours if you see them.
personal preference.
People should dress professionally even in remote meetings.
personal preference.
It's okay to say I don't know.
(08:30):
If you're not 10 minutes early, you're late.
Principle
Small talk before meetings is essential for building relationships.
Principle
You should never schedule a meeting when an email would work instead.
Principle.
Your workspace should always be neat and organized.
Preference.
And personal and professional life should always stay separate.
(08:53):
preference.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And there are there are some that was hard to like say one or the other because I thinkthere's some overlap in those two.
So the fact that you don't get to explain yourself a little bit, that's okay.
I'll have to like live with that.
That's okay.
(09:20):
I know.
I know.
all good.
I think one of the ones that I'm a little different.
man.
Now I have to find out which one it was again.
I might have to go back and rewatch and send you a message on which one I was a little bitdifferent on.
But we'll go from there.
So anyway, in grounded moments, it is clearly all about what we value.
And that's a fun little way not to get deep into our root values, but to just starttalking about our preferences here.
(09:42):
So the first question to come from this after the game is what's one thing, Lauren, that'sgrounding you in what you're doing now?
People, people, you know, we're all human beings and I love learning about the stories ofpeople because I think that our actions create a collection of stories that can positively
impact others.
(10:03):
You know, I think the heartbeat of education really lives within the walls of schools andwithin the walls of schools you find kids and teachers in the mess of learning and
That's the heart of why we're here.
This is what we do.
as education is constantly evolving, it is our responsibility to approach the way we lead,the way we learn with an open mindset and ground ourselves in that idea that change is the
(10:34):
constant.
Right.
And you don't have to search for the big things to see the good things happen.
You know, it's in the small things that
the magic happens.
It's a collection of those small moments that add up to the big things.
So every interaction helps me shape the leader and human being I am and the one that I'mbecoming.
(10:56):
And I really feel Tyler that I'm so grateful for the people along my path who have seenand recognize the gifts within me so that I can share those gifts and pay it forward.
And I feel like it is my responsibility.
to understand and know that gifts live within exceptional educators and they're justwaiting to be unwrapped in the right place at the right time with the right people.
(11:21):
A value of relationships, right?
A value of experience.
That's what it's coming back to, which isn't surprising given the story, given the intro,given everything we just talked about up to this point.
And before the show, asked, you know, I want something to talk about in grounded moments.
And so I asked you to share a quote with us.
And the quote that you shared was, you can't tell where people will land from where theybegin.
(11:42):
With the right opportunity and motivation to learn, anyone can build the skills to achievegreater things.
Potential is not a matter of where you start.
but how far you travel.
We need to focus less on starting points and more on the distance traveled.
And this was from Adam Grant, Hidden Potential.
Can you share with the audience how you found this quote and why you picked it for today?
(12:03):
Sure.
I love Adam Grant's work.
You know, I started reading his book Think Again and then his recent book Hidden Potentialhad such a significant impact on me, including his podcast and all of the content he puts
out.
And the reason that quote resonated with me is that if you were to ask me what I'd bedoing five years ago and then five years before that and then five years before that, if
(12:30):
you look at
back at our lives in increments of time.
I don't think five years ago, if you would have asked me what I would be doing now, that Iwould have been able to guess what I'm doing now.
know, and five years before that and you keep going back in time, right?
So you never know where somebody will land based on where they start.
I think you have to get into your career.
(12:54):
You have to get into the mess of life.
You know, nothing is linear.
In life, everything kind of unfolds as it happens.
And I think within those spaces is where you discover who you are as a person, what youbelieve in, what you value.
So I think that there is this starting point and the beautiful part of life is getting tomeet people and have these experiences and letting life unfold a bit.
(13:23):
and shaping you into the person you're still becoming.
And then I think it's exciting to think about too, the people who are gonna be on yourteam that you haven't even met yet.
There are so many people I've met like you Tyler, we've only met maybe a couple of weeksago and now I have the opportunity to connect with you and your audience and it's exciting
(13:45):
to think about the people you haven't met yet and what they're going to bring to you.
and others.
So that's where that comes from.
Thank you for sharing.
it reminds me so much of a conversation.
Last week's episode is with Sam Demme.
And Sam says, everybody could have the same starting point, the same origin, but differentphilosophies, same circumstance, different philosophies.
(14:08):
And those different philosophies will lead to different outcomes.
And so it brings back, it ties so well with what you're saying in the sense of thateverybody can.
uniquely pick their own journey, even though it may feel like there's only so manystreamlined processes to do things.
It's a false claim.
It's a myth, we'll say, that can be busted is there's so many unique paths to get thingsdone, right?
(14:28):
And, you know, a great example of that is talk to anybody that's in the same career andtalk to 10 people in the same career.
And they're all going to have a different story of how they got there and what theircareers like.
Right.
And so it's so powerful to hear that.
when you have a value that's rooted in relationships and you have a value that's rooted inexperience, that's what you're going to enjoy.
(14:50):
You're going to enjoy the fact that everybody has that different route you're going toenjoy and you're going to celebrate the fact that everybody took a different path to get
to where they are.
And you're also going to recognize that there was no right path to get to where you were.
And that's an important part too.
So thank you for sharing and expanding upon that.
Now, how does this quote and this message
(15:11):
showed up in the news?
Lauren.
So one of the things I started thinking about in your response to me was that in thebeginning of my career, and I don't think that this was a bad thing, I just think it's
where you are at that point in time, is that I would maybe have a perspective on variousthings, whether it's teaching and learning, whether it's developing relationships, how to
(15:35):
acclimate to a community and a culture of an organization.
Right?
We all have our perspective and we bring that perspective based on what we know and whatwe believe in at that time.
So I think that if I had kept that perspective almost 20 years ago, I wouldn't haveevolved.
I think what's important and what also helps me stay grounded in this work is that I loveinviting other perspectives and listening to other ideas.
(16:04):
And even if they're different than mine, I invite that because that's an opportunity tolearn and grow and change your perspective a bit, even though you could still have the
same core values at the heart of everything you do.
And for me, that's keeping kids at the heart of decision making.
(16:24):
That's why we're here, really.
But I think that...
you know, going back to that quote that we can all have a starting point and end upsomewhere else.
I think it's OK to and invited to bring people or give them a seat at the table to havethat conversation, even if that looks a little bit different than what you had initially
(16:46):
intended the conversation to be.
Maybe you started in one place and you end up in another place.
But through that open communication and collaboration.
and giving everybody that seat at the table, I think it opens doors to new ideas, newrelationships, new collaborations, and that's where innovation is born.
(17:07):
It's taking something that already exists and making it a little bit better.
exactly how it shows up in my workflow too.
So I'm just sitting here taking it in going thank you so much for sharing.
Lauren this is the challenging part is I want to take this statement that you just gave meand have you you heard of an elevator pitch before?
All right so we have to we have to shrink this to a 10 to 20 second pitch message tosomebody about why this should be something that shows up for them in their workflow why
(17:37):
this should be something they should consider valuing.
And I want you to share it with our audience in your pitch.
Again, why this is the most important thing to them.
I will say just in case there's nerves around the elevator pitch, I have had people belike, I want to redo it.
I want to redo it.
And we're not live, right?
So you have the ability to redo it.
I can come back and switch it out.
So let's go ahead and hear it.
(17:57):
All right.
I'm going to take my best shot at the elevator pitch.
But I think what I want everybody to know is that along your path, you will meet variouspeople and you will encounter various situations and you will also encounter celebrations,
but also setbacks.
and those setbacks and obstacles you face are not the sum total of your life.
(18:21):
They're just mere moments of discomfort that bridge your past with your future.
And I want everyone to know that teaching is not something you just do.
It's a calling.
And every interaction is really a learning experience that enhances your leadership lens.
So surround yourself with people who act as mirrors who are going to reflect your growth.
(18:44):
but who are also going to push your thinking.
There we go, was pretty solid.
That was pretty solid.
I'm sold.
I thought you did great.
I'll clip it and I'm gonna make that the very start.
I always try to hook people with a intro to the episode.
That'll be my little intro hook.
I like doing that with those.
It's very solid.
Now, Lauren, I put you through some adversity by making, putting you on the spot byplaying a game, putting you on the spot by giving me an elevator pitch.
(19:09):
We're gonna move on to the adversity element, which is our air element.
And our segment here is headwinds and tailwinds.
Through storms and surges, discover the lessons from headwinds and tailwinds, where wefocus on the challenge that tests us and the forces that help us move forward.
And Lauren, you bet that if we played a game to start grounded moments, we're playing agame to start headwinds and tailwinds.
(19:30):
And this one is called, Make It Worse.
So I'm gonna give you a bad situation and your job is to add some air element to it, someadversity, just make it worse in one quick sentence.
We'll keep it appropriate.
But let's see how bad this adversity could really get.
Are you ready to play?
I think so.
Okay, you're five minutes late for a job interview.
(19:52):
They tell you to leave because you're five minutes late.
see, I and this one's not rapid fire.
I would have said something like, and you showed up with different shoes.
okay.
All right.
Am I playing this wrong?
okay.
Okay.
(20:12):
All right.
You text your boss instead of your friend and the message says.
Can you believe what she said today?
goodness.
Okay.
All right.
All right.
No, that's good.
That's good.
I was sharing.
I was sure it was good.
I was sharing this one with my partner earlier and I was like, what do think of thatquestion?
(20:33):
And she's like, yeah, I think the one that I would hate to say is, huh, I'm going to takea sick day today.
But then, but then that also kind of worked because that's who you would message to sayyou're taking a sick day.
But then it expanded into, I'm going to fake a sick day and
We got down a rabbit hole.
All right.
And then the last one we'll do for this one is you'll wave at someone, but they weren'twaving at you.
(20:56):
You realize that it's somebody you had a conflict with and you thought they were waving atyou to make up with you, but they weren't.
I don't know.
I feel like we just created some like new anxiety nightmares here.
That was great.
Yeah.
You know, most people have the optimistic lens on things or, know, these little thingswill just go, whatever.
(21:19):
But this is a fun little one that I'm trying out and we'll see how goes.
I think I might keep it because it's getting, it's getting you to laugh at least.
So I'll keep it.
But let's keep, let's keep moving forward before this gets worse for us.
And let's set the stage here, Lauren.
Can you now share a time when you faced significant adversity that wasn't texting a bossor showing up late or waving at an inappropriate time, I guess.
(21:42):
But what was happening and how did it feel in
Yeah, so I think life brings us disruptors all the time and it can throw us off ourcourse, right?
And without getting too specific because there are all there are times, know, especially,you know, in leadership where you do face a lot of adversity and you're trying to identify
(22:05):
solutions to potential obstacles or you're trying to identify
potential obstacles before they become, you know, a conflict or an issue.
But I think what I will say is the common thread that is woven throughout all of theadversity or obstacles that I've ever faced, and it's something that's really hard to
(22:28):
overcome for me that I've had to work really hard on, is that feeling of disappointment.
Because that manifests itself differently.
in different contexts.
So what is disappointment?
They're really unmet expectations.
So whether you went for a job interview and you went all the way through the process andyou made it to the end and you didn't get that job, right?
(22:49):
Or maybe it's that there's something going on at work and you have to have a crucial ordifficult conversation with a colleague or an educator.
But you're keeping kids at the heart of
the conversation.
So that's what helps it helps me keep going in that conversation.
And perhaps it's the way somebody else responds.
(23:10):
Perhaps it's others who are judging you, perhaps without even knowing you.
And maybe they're creating a narrative about who you are and what you believe in.
That's not really true.
And that happens a lot, especially in the culture we have with social media and
You know, we live in what, you know, my kids would call like the cancel culture.
(23:31):
You know, so it's, I think all of those adversities that we could face, I think thatfeeling of disappointment, you know, because I like to believe in the goodness of people.
I always start in that place, you know, people at their core are good, you know, they havegood intentions.
They are doing this for the greater good of the community, for the organization.
(23:51):
They're sharing ideas because
They want to do what's best for kids.
They want to do what's best for adults.
But sometimes, this is hard work.
Being in education, it's the most rewarding job on the planet, but it could be emotionallydraining sometimes, and it could take its toll.
(24:14):
And why does that happen to us in education?
Because we're very reflective people, and we care.
We care so much and at the end we're all human beings, right?
So I think for me, that feeling of disappointment in the goodness of people, know, likewhen you want to believe people are good and then, you know, something happens that feels
(24:35):
disruptive and you have to change your course a little bit or maybe put a shield on you toprotect yourself so you can protect others as a leader.
I think that's something that I've had to tackle.
over the course of time.
And the best way to turn conflict to collaboration is to find your realignment, right?
To communicate a little bit better, right?
(24:56):
And so we talk about where does conflict root from?
It comes from expectations not being met.
And so why are expectations not met?
It's usually because the message was unclear or lost in translation, right?
And it comes down to, didn't know that this is the route we wanted to go, or I didn't knowthat this is what was expected of me, right?
And when those two things happen, that's where most conflicts arise.
(25:17):
People get edgy, get testy with each other, and that's where things can just build andbuild and build.
And until those two people actually communicate and unpack what it is that they evendisagreed with in the first place, that tension's just gonna keep building, that
conflict's gonna get bigger.
And that's how you lead to organizations that have people that lead them or have peoplewithin them where people look at them and go, I hate that person.
(25:38):
When really all they need to do is have a conversation in the same room together, notaround each other.
And there's a lot of importance around that as well.
Yeah, very, very often I start those conversations I was talking about before, crucialconversations with, know, we're having this conversation today because I care about you
very much and I know that you can rise to this expectation.
(26:00):
So I think believing again in the abilities of people, you know, that's what brings usback to the important work.
Yeah.
And my approach is different, but I like that approach too.
And that's a great way to start is you start with empathy and you make them feel valued.
I always start with, and this will be a specific setting for people in education, right?
(26:21):
We are here to do the best we possibly can for those kids that come into our building.
And I feel like what you and I need to align and collaborate to be able to do that.
And we're not there right now.
So this conversation is about getting there, right?
And when you start with what your goal is, right?
(26:43):
People will buy in, right?
You start to establish ownership because if I have a conflict with somebody, there'sprobably a 50 % chance if I go to them and say, we're having this because I care about
you, that they don't believe me.
But if I start with, we're having this because, and I relate it back to what our job isand our alignment and our goal, that's what they're there for.
Mm-hmm.
(27:04):
in education and well, and I shouldn't say it turns to 100%, but 90 % of people ineducation are there for the kids.
They're there to do better for the kids.
And so starting by that, hey, we're here to have a conversation because we need to bebetter for kids.
They'll instantly go, yeah, you're right.
Sure, sure.
And I think that you get to that place.
I think it looks different whether it's your first year in a role and your first meetingpeople or connecting with people like that conversation, that difficult conversation looks
(27:30):
different in that first year versus your second and third year as people get to know whoyou are and what you believe in.
Because the people know who you are and what you're about, that you're there for thebetterment of kids and that they know that
That's the heart of everything you do.
Getting right to it sometimes is the best way to go because it takes away that anxiety ofthat conversation.
(27:55):
It's just getting right to what it is you're there to talk about today, but then alsotelling them that you know that they can rise to the occasion and that you could do this
together.
You're here to collaborate on this effort.
And I think, you know, people want to feel seen.
They want to feel valued.
Everybody...
makes mistakes, right?
Everybody has a moment in time that might not be their best moment.
(28:21):
And then when that moment starts becoming a collection of moments and you're starting tosee a pattern, that's when that conversation has to happen.
So I think you have to be aware of that too in leadership is that, is this, when you'rehaving that interaction, was this a one-off?
Was it a one-time thing?
Or is it something that needs a little attention now?
(28:41):
because you know this person can do better and you believe that they can.
And it comes back to what we talked about earlier, that there's no streamlined path thatevery single person takes and everybody you're have to have different conversations with
because everyone's unique and will respond different ways and have on our own experiences.
With that, Lauren, for people facing their own headwinds, what's one thing they can do tokeep moving forward past adversity?
(29:04):
I think believing in yourself, believing in who you are, what you value, and thinkingabout your goals and how it is you're going to get there.
think having a destination and knowing that there are going to be different paths to getyou to that destination and that again, it's not linear, that there will be those
(29:27):
disruptions along the way, that keeps you going.
So I think going into something when you have goals and you want to achieve great thingsfor your organizations to know that this is not going to be a perfect experience.
There's going to be a lot of imperfection, some failure, where you're gonna have to havesome perseverance and setbacks to move forward again.
(29:51):
And I think when you go into it that way and just having that idea that knowing that
This might take a turn when I learn something else and my idea is going to evolve to beopen to that and to be open to the wisdom of others as you move along that path and not
taking a different perspective from someone else as criticism, but an opportunity, use itas an opportunity to help you grow as you row towards that destination.
(30:22):
And I love this.
This is a theme emerging from my last few episodes I've recorded.
Bet on yourself.
Do it, just bet on yourself.
Because at the end of the day, you're the one that needs to go home with yourself and behappy.
You're the one that needs to go home with yourself and feel like you made the rightdecision.
It's not the people that are telling you what to do.
(30:42):
Bet on yourself to take control.
Bet on yourself to feel good.
Bet on yourself to build confidence.
And you're gonna fail when you bet on yourself.
And that's when you bet on yourself again, you double down.
Because when you continue to bet on yourself, you continue to find ways to believe inyourself and push your limits and grow yourself rather than letting people tell you how to
control your life instead.
So we talked about all these changes and that brings us up to our water element whichhandles change altogether, which is ripples of change.
(31:12):
Small shifts, big waves.
This is Ripples of Change, where we dive into the power of embracing change and makingwaves that last.
And now, Lauren, I know that we're 33 minutes into this episode and you've been saying,let's play another game.
So we are gonna play another game here and this one is called, Here's the Trick.
So I'm gonna give you a situation that people always have advice for and you have to dropone piece of advice that has actually worked for you or somebody you know.
(31:37):
So it can be serious, unexpected.
You can totally unhinge this one if you want to.
No, let's try to get no generic answer.
That might be the cliche answer to it.
Although if you are gonna give one, just say, hey, this is the cliche answer, but we'll gowith it.
This doesn't need to be rapid fire, so you can take some time to think.
I'm just gonna pick a couple here.
So let's give you a scenario and let's start with the key to making a great firstimpression is.
(32:01):
getting to know somebody else, asking them questions about themselves.
I think people, they like to know that you're interested in who they are.
And I think when you learn about who somebody is, then it sets you up to have a moreproductive and proactive conversation with that person.
Yeah, I agree.
(32:21):
love hearing people's stories.
You make them feel valued.
Something simple for me, quick tip for everybody, smile when you meet someone for thefirst time.
Right?
It releases endorphins in people's brains.
Look at their eyes, right?
Little things like that.
Okay.
The quickest way to recover from an embarrassing moment.
I think sometimes it's just to own it and just say, wow, that was really embarrassing.
(32:43):
I don't know.
It made me feel this way.
But how did it make you feel?
Just to make a little joke from it.
And I know that might sound a little cliche, but sometimes you just have to kind of ownthe way you feel.
I'm the person who, when I have an emotion, I wear it all over my face sometimes,especially when it's that feeling of embarrassment.
So I think it's OK to say to somebody, wow, that was really embarrassing.
(33:05):
You know?
It's this.
gotta move and relocate and try again once you have something embarrassing.
I'm just kidding, by the way.
I'm definitely a face turn red person and so when I embarrass myself, people always know.
But usually we just laugh about it, we move on, we say, hey, we could be adults aboutthis, that was funny.
(33:26):
And then it gets brought up for the next 30 years of your life.
We could talk about it.
It makes another good story.
It makes us human, right?
To be embarrassed.
Yeah.
more here, Lauren.
The one thing people should do differently when networking.
I think when you enter a really crowded room, it could be overwhelming.
And one of the things that I've done instead of thinking, let me get to as many people aspossible, I kind of look around the room and I say, okay, I'm gonna connect with maybe two
(33:53):
or three people, but in a really purposeful way, instead of connecting with all of thesepeople or just going over there, going over here, saying a quick hello.
I only have a certain time frame, so I really want to make the most of my time.
So I think that would be my tip is more depth with fewer people than getting around to allthe people and having it be very surface level.
(34:18):
Because if you have a deeper connection with fewer people, that leads to other connectionsanyway in the future.
Somebody that I work with says it best actually, and I love it, and I need to steal itmore, it's, who do you know that I need to know?
And they actually go beyond people that are just around them in a networking situation,and they start to say, hey, you know a bit about who I am, who do you think I should know
(34:41):
as well that might not be here, right?
And it's a nice way to say, who do you know that I need to know?
It makes them feel important, it makes them feel valued, they share that.
Yeah.
Thanks for playing.
Yeah, okay.
that was a bit more of a tame segment.
Let's get more into a ripples of change conversation here.
So what's a recent change, Lauren, that you have embraced or led?
So I think there are so many things in education, so much work that we're leading rightnow as this landscape changes when it comes to technology and literacy and learning and
(35:15):
getting kids ready for jobs that don't even exist right now.
So I think staying on the cutting edge of best practice.
And when I say best practice, it doesn't have to be like this new crazy thing, right?
It could just be taking what exists and how can we level up this experience so that kidscan have all of these pathways to learn and getting teachers to see that we need to
(35:42):
provide those pathways for kids.
I think I'm going to share for me what's really helped me become a better leader iswriting every week and reflecting on my learning.
If you actually go back to my blog, which is really a space for me to reflect on mylearning but has inadvertently impacted other people because what's nice is that it's a
(36:04):
space that's connected me to other people over the course of the last five years sinceI've been writing and what helped me
actually write my book, which I didn't even think was going to happen.
My blogs really became this, I kind of pieced them together and that's what became theleader inside.
So I think that through my reflection and my growth as a leader, as an educator, as ahuman being, the writing element of me, of things that I'm experiencing weekly in my role.
(36:35):
And it usually looks like this.
It's like here are some books I've read here are some podcasts I've listened to Here'swhat happened to me this week and here's an experience that I've had Here's how I set up
this professional learning series.
This is how I set up this interaction with a group of new teachers that I'm mentoring andhere are some practical Actionable ideas you can implement tomorrow.
(36:59):
It's not just impacting my organization
but it's impacting the greater educational community because I'm putting myself out there.
That took me a long time to kind of get comfortable with that feeling of discomfort, welive in, growth and comfort do not coexist, right?
So when we put ourselves out there, similar to what you do, Tyler, you put content outthere, you're talking with educators, you're putting yourself in that vulnerable position
(37:24):
so that others around you can grow and bring.
perspective or bring ideas.
And it's really connected me not only more to the people within my own organization,because they might say like, wow, that was a really cool experience, Lauren.
And I loved reading.
You sometimes people are reading my work without me knowing it, but they'll bring it up tome and they'll say, thank you.
(37:45):
That really, really helped me.
You sharing that feeling of vulnerability or that feeling you were having helped me grow.
It helped me take a risk in my classroom that day or to have people
from the outside who I've really met all over the world and globally really say like,Lauren, I've used this piece that you wrote in a professional learning session.
(38:08):
So I think putting myself out there and taking the risk and getting past that idea of whatdo I have to share that no one has seen before, you know, because what's obvious to you
isn't always obvious to others.
And I think George Kuros helped me see that when he challenged me to blog, you know, fiveor six years ago in front of a group of new educators I was mentoring.
(38:32):
used to run a mentor program and he said, Lauren, I'm challenging you to blog, you need toblog.
And I said, well, what do I have to share?
You know, no one has seen before.
And then I started doing that and it was a monthly habit that became bi-weekly and nowit's a weekly habit.
So I think...
that has made a significant impact on me and it's not something new that I havespecifically, but it's if you go back into the work, I'm pretty vulnerable in that space.
(39:01):
And from what others say to me, it feels generous to them that I would be willing to sharethat.
Now I do link everything in the description, but for people listening, what's the best wayfor them to find this blog, Lauren?
Sure, if you just go to www.laurenmkaufman.com, you could see all of my blogging there,all of my work, any speaking I've done.
(39:26):
Everything is right there and I'm always willing to connect with educators and talk aboutanything you're thinking about in the education space.
I know time is really a factor sometimes, especially because we all lead.
such busy lives and busy looks different to everybody.
I actually don't like saying, I'm busy to anybody because we're all busy, right?
(39:46):
We just fill our time in all different ways.
But that's the space you can connect with me.
My email is there.
My socials are there.
Now, either blog related or a different event related, but change can either createpositive momentum or an unexpected setback.
What's a ripple effect that you didn't see coming?
You know, I think the small things like gratitude that we show to people because that'ssomething that that I do in my practice regularly.
(40:16):
So it's not like this big moment, right?
It's not it's not like this big moment in time, but it could be that I will receive a textmessage.
from a teacher that I mentored maybe 10 or 15 years ago saying, know, Lauren, rememberwhen you shared this little management tip in my classroom?
That's really helped me.
(40:38):
Or thank you so much for your generous words.
You gave me the courage to try something new.
Or even a couple of weeks ago, I was standing in the bagel store and I ran into a student,a former student.
I was wearing Jordan sneakers and he's like, hey, Mrs.
Kaufman, I love your Jordans.
(40:58):
And I said, hey, Ben.
And he said, my gosh, like, I didn't know you would remember my name.
I said, of course I remember your name.
I said, how are you doing?
What are you up to?
And he says, you know, Mrs.
Kaufman, he said, you know, I'm a junior in high school now.
I had him when he was in middle school.
And he said, and I just want you to know that I like to read now.
(41:22):
because of you.
And I know you didn't see it then because I gave you a really hard time when I was in yourclass, which he did.
He did.
But yeah, maybe for that and for some other reasons.
But, you know, very endearing kid always.
And that, you know, you never know when your past will meet your future again.
And getting to have that interaction with him, he was actually in my last class before Istepped into a formal leadership role.
(41:48):
So if I hadn't had that opportunity in that moment to connect with him in the bagel store,I wouldn't have known that this kid all of a sudden became a reader and he loves reading
and he started telling me about all the genres he was reading and why he fell in love withreading and how it started in my class.
So sometimes we don't hear about the impact we're making right away, but someone'sthinking about us somewhere.
(42:13):
along the line.
think education is one of those careers that we don't always see it.
We don't always see it in that moment.
But what person doesn't remember an educator that was in their lives on their path thatserved as that lantern guiding them along the way.
And people don't always say it, but they're thinking it.
And sometimes there are those moments like I had with Ben where you'll get that feedback.
(42:38):
It'll make you feel good.
It'll say, okay, like that's why I'm here.
That's why I'm in education.
That's the legacy that we're leaving behind that sometimes we can't see in the moment.
And you're so true on impact is unknown and it's unknown until we're gone, right?
We don't know the power of what we were able to bring to this world until we've left it.
(43:03):
And even then, who knows how that gets analyzed and assessed.
And the people that we fight with the most or the people that present themselves as themost challenging or the most difficult, that's where change is happening the most because
change is uncomfortable.
Change is not supposed to be easy.
And so bringing it back to impact and implementing change, it's an uncomfortable processfor a lot of people.
(43:27):
And those people that you look back on and you go, wow, those were some difficult times.
That's where change happened to the most and you've come out different people because ofit.
It's really powerful to share.
Now, Lauren, people often worry that change won't last.
So what's one thing that you do in your work?
to make sure that change becomes a part of culture rather than just a trend.
(43:49):
Really good question.
I think it goes back to what we were talking about earlier, knowing your core values, whoyou are, what you're doing and why you're doing it.
So I think whenever I'm working with teachers, whether they're new teachers, veteranteachers, everything in between, and even my colleagues, fellow leaders, we have to ground
(44:11):
ourselves in our why.
And then we have to think about the impact
that that experience or that moment or that idea is going to have down the line.
I think that it's okay to also abandon something when it's not going well.
And I think it's okay to have an idea and say, you know, this sounds like a great idea andyou embark on that idea and maybe you pivot a little bit because other things happen.
(44:40):
So I think the way to make change and impact last is anchoring the work in those values,knowing what you're doing and why you're doing it.
I always say learning shouldn't be a secret.
Learning is also really messy, right?
So I think it's good.
How do we know that it still will exist down the line is that you have sprinkled yourgifts, right, into those spaces.
(45:08):
And those ideas and that collaboration and communication, it continues even when you'renot there in the room.
That's when you know you've made an impact is that you have started something.
You're not necessarily staying there in the room.
But when you leave that space, the momentum is there.
(45:28):
Right.
So that energy, that momentum, that spirit that you have brought to it when everybodyunderstands their purpose for it.
then that legacy and impact continues.
Absolutely.
And we'll make sure we sprinkle it everywhere.
I love it.
Now, this is the energy of the segment is we're getting into the heart of decision making,which is our fire element, the risks we take, the bold moves.
(45:53):
And that's going to bring up our last segment here for elements, which is spark or burn.
Ignite your ideas, face the flames.
This is Spark or Burn, where we talk about bold decisions, big risks, and the fires thateither spark success or burn lessons into our memory.
Lauren, I'm gonna circle back to a game that we played in Grounded Moments.
(46:15):
It's not the same rapid fire style, but you do not get to explain your answer here, and sothat makes it increasingly more difficult and riskier in our bold decisions here.
We're gonna play Final Answer.
So I'm gonna give you a high stakes decision.
You have to lock in your answer immediately, which is everything that we go against.
I already know that.
No explanations, no take backs.
We're just going to commit to something.
(46:36):
Are you ready?
think so.
OK.
You
one social media platform forever.
Facebook.
Yes.
Okay.
You can only eat one meal for the rest of your life.
a burrito.
Oh, OK.
(46:57):
have so similar paths there for Rito.
I was going to talk.
Oh, I was thinking about it.
I was like, what do you got to give up everything else?
Oh, man, that's a hard one.
Well, you're not letting me explain the why.
I think I have a good reason for it, but that's okay.
You know, they're a little sad not to explain it.
gotta hear it.
You have burrito.
Okay, I think I know where this is going, but I'm gonna let you take it.
(47:19):
Go for it.
Why are we eating a burrito?
well you could fill a burrito with anything.
You can have a breakfast burrito, lunch burrito, dinner burrito, different fillings in theburrito.
Keeps it exciting.
Why not just do salad?
because you need some carbs sometimes.
Salad gets boring after a while to me.
(47:40):
And you could have lettuce inside the burrito and tomatoes and vegetables, you know.
Yep.
All right.
Last last one here is you're only allowed to use one emoji for the rest of your lifewhenever you send a message or anything.
What emoji is it that you you are going to use?
The heart, the purple heart.
purple one specifically.
(48:01):
Okay, mine I think was the fire emoji, but that's just because I'm elemental educator andweird like that.
Anyway.
Yeah, Lauren, can you tell us about a time when you made a bold leadership decision ortook a major risk?
What was the spark behind it?
Oh my god, let me pick one.
(48:21):
I think that I will go with it was a decision.
to, it was a curriculum decision, right?
When teachers are used to, and I say this because we think about things that we've alwaysdone in the past, right?
And we're comfortable.
It goes back to that feeling of comfortable comfort versus discomfort.
(48:44):
And we say, well, we've always done it this way.
And sometimes we have to shift to practice because we know that it's better for kids.
And I think it's really hard for adults to unlearn things sometimes because we're feelingcomfortable.
We feel like it's worked before.
(49:04):
So having to bring a high impact practice that's difficult to employ to adult learners isa bold move sometimes because you're having to explain to people that yes,
We've been doing it this way and it doesn't make it less important or not valuable, butwe're doing it this way now because this is going to have more of an impact on kids and
(49:35):
their learning and their growth long term.
Did you have to adjust your strategy along the way?
Yes.
You know, I think that...
with different personalities when you're trying to embark on shifts, instructional shiftsthat are going to have a big impact and you're working with a lot of different
(49:55):
personalities and a lot of different people, the information is not always going to landthe same on everybody.
It's going to land a little bit different.
So sometimes you need to approach.
that conversation a little bit differently or explain it a little bit differently or showmodel examples or I have found the most impact has been that if I am asking educators to
(50:19):
do something or make a shift in their practice then I am rolling up my sleeves and I amgoing into classrooms and I am doing it myself to show them because I'm a big believer and
you don't ask people or educators or adults to do things that you wouldn't try yourself.
And that way you have that experience that you can bring to the table.
(50:41):
So right now, if it's modeling a high impact literacy practice, that's going to havestrong outcomes for readers later on.
I'm getting in there with the teachers and I'm modeling it, or I'm teaching with them sothat we can talk about the experience.
We could talk about how the students reacted.
(51:02):
and then I can bring that back to other educators.
So that's like one example of how I have shifted from saying this, is the theory, this isthe research, this is the what and the why we're doing this.
And this is how it can look to, this is how it looked when we tried it.
This is how it looked in this classroom, this is how it looked in another classroom.
(51:23):
This is how one teacher responded, this is how another teacher responded.
So when you have something tangible,
that you can share with teachers, I think that it leverages what you're trying to embarkon or change.
And it gives you a little more street cred in that space.
(51:44):
Absolutely.
And bold decisions can be intimidating.
So Lauren, what's one action you would give our audience or dare them to do this week tohelp just build their ability to make bold decisions and take risks?
Step into the mess of learning, go into classrooms and be with the teachers.
See what the celebrations are, acknowledge them because people need to be celebrated andshould be celebrated because this is the most important work we'll do is seeing kids
(52:13):
learn, seeing kids grow, seeing teachers step out of their comfort zones and being thereto coach and give in the moment feedback.
That is something that I live through a coaching mindset.
I take my instructional coaching routes and I try to be the leader that I've alwaysneeded.
So what has really helped move my practice?
(52:35):
I was 15 years as an educator before I became a formal leader.
It's when somebody came in to give me very specific actionable feedback that I can employwith my students right away.
practical, reasonable things, a resource I could have in my hand to employ with studentstomorrow.
So I would say to take action, be with teachers.
(52:59):
As George, my friend George Curros, I'll bring him up again.
He would say, you learn for people, about people, with people.
Learn alongside of them.
Because if we're just telling people what to do and not getting in there with them, I justthink that
it doesn't have the impact that you're going to hope to see for kids.
(53:20):
Absolutely and George is so well spoken to and he's somebody that I've been working withto get on the show too And we just have to align our times and we'll get there very
powerful message.
Yeah Very very busy guy.
All right, so we're gonna move on to listener questions here Lauren, which I don't have asegment tuned to play for yet I'm letting people down by not having one I feel but anyway
(53:41):
The the idea of this is I put out on my social media.
Hey, we have some interviews coming up.
What do people have for questions?
And we try our best to give them an answer that we maybe don't think they're looking for.
It's just our honest answer to the question.
I was just pulling them up on my screen here.
We'll tackle one today, okay?
And the question that I have for us today, and maybe speak to your time as a Principlehere before you got to the position you're in currently, or maybe you wanna speak to the
(54:09):
position you're in currently about this.
It doesn't matter.
They just want to know what does your staff meetings look like?
What does your professional development look like?
So always, some of the framework that I use is beside, I want to set up a day where peoplecould have practices they can implement tomorrow.
So every little thing that I do in a professional learning session is modeling what Iwould want teachers to do.
(54:33):
So when people enter the room, I'm always playing music.
Why am I playing music?
Because it increases the energy.
It gets people talking.
When you're entering a quiet room, the energy is different.
You want people to feel ready to learn today.
That music sparks some neurons in the brain.
It gets people going.
So I used to do that for my students when they entered the classroom, especially when Itaught middle school.
(54:55):
First period was difficult for my eighth graders.
They were still sleeping.
But when I changed to music...
and it was their favorite music.
They started coming in and dancing in the morning and then they were more available tolearn.
So I have found that.
I have found that always using the framework, like I said before, this is what we're doingtoday and why we're doing it.
(55:16):
Just putting it out there to everybody.
Everybody's time is so valuable.
They want to know why are they there learning with you today?
Having some hands on
of learning is important.
Giving teachers a chance to talk to each other, especially around student work.
I always love teachers to bring student work with them because I find that when wehighlight student work, we get to see in all different student learning.
(55:44):
It really sparks some great conversation and having that assessment criteria right thereis, know, what do the kids need to do to be successful in this learning experience?
helps us create new goals for those students.
So I think bringing student work is really important.
And multimedia pathways, having teachers be able to see visuals through video, right?
(56:06):
Not just student work, but also having some type of experience where they get to create inthat learning session so that they could take back that resource to implement tomorrow is
really, really important for the work.
And then implementation follow through, getting some feedback from the teachers on howyour session went and then talking to them about what they've been able to implement.
(56:31):
And
then planning for next time, you're using that feedback to incorporate into your nextcycle of learning.
The best staff meeting is no staff meeting.
And I try to set it up so that I never have staff meetings, but we have collaborativesessions.
And if I can put something in an email or it can be done in writing or it can be donethrough a quick message, then I do that.
Right.
(56:51):
And 90 % of organizations, their staff meetings are irrelevant because they could havebeen done through an email or some other type of correspondence where you didn't need to
take everybody's time to gather, sit down, and then have a conversation that's onedimensional.
You know, you do have to build a background to that, right?
So anytime I am sending out communication through an email or through a message thatdoesn't need to be included in a staff meeting, my staff have 24 hours to respond and say,
(57:15):
hey, I've read this.
I understand it.
And that's all I ask them to do is to say, hey, I understood it.
And I use my staff meeting time and staff meeting time.
like to call it collaboration time to have my team work together to actually solvesomething that we are.
It's essential that we have all of us in the room to take on, right?
And so maybe we're crafting a lesson plan for a land-based program in education that we'reputting together that requires four different curriculums to come through at once.
(57:41):
And this is time for us to work through this.
Maybe we have to unpack the role that everybody's going to be taking in an upcomingChristmas concert, right?
Maybe we are going to be planning what our year-end activities look like, and we all haveto talk about dates, times, and get organized in that matter.
And to do this effectively, we need to come together and have a conversation.
(58:01):
But there's certain things, know, typically stop kids from trying to think.
There's questions coming to them.
information updates can be emails, right?
If people are required to read an admin procedure, it can be done through an email wherethey read and understand, but you have to be careful on that because sometimes you'll be
(58:21):
told, this is when you have to read to everybody so you know they've heard it as well.
So just be mindful of the request when you're going through an admin procedure from thatstandpoint.
Your job, if you're in a role as a leader, is to listen to the people around you as well.
And so there's nothing wrong with that time also being dedicated to hear some things thatwe have coming up in the future that I have to make decisions on.
(58:44):
I want to create a space where you guys can help share some input on those decisions.
What do you value?
What do you see happening?
Where does it go?
And I'm gonna take them all in and make a decision from that, but I want your voice to beheard in making those.
And so trying to create spaces where you're just honest and transparent with people.
But in terms of professional development, again, it depends on so many things.
(59:07):
It depends on your school's mission and vision.
It depends on your divisions for your education plan.
It depends on so many factors that it looks different for everyone.
But some staple points look similar to Lauren like how you play music to start when peoplecome in to create that inviting welcoming upbeat space I like to start things off with
games and so You know, I've started meetings before or professional development by playinga family feud where we're going through rapid-fire education based questions, right or
(59:37):
Connect the dots or name that tune just something very simple to get people's brains goingwe do that with kids We should do that with adults, right?
Mm-hmm.
My professional development usually comes down to creating spaces where people can focuson what they feel they need to focus on.
And then my job is to support them while they do that.
So if I have to bring somebody in to talk with them about it and work through that, I'mlooking into that.
(01:00:01):
If I have to create time where them and another teacher can sit down and work on somethingtogether, I'm going to create that.
If we're trying to create better literacy programs, I'm going to sit my literacy teachersdown and we're going to work on that.
trying to create numeracy programs, going to sit our numeracy teachers down and we'regoing to let them work on that.
If we're trying to, again, whatever space we're trying to create, you're trying to justcreate time for that space because that's the one thing that people value the most in
(01:00:25):
education.
And if you go and you ask any educator, you know, what is it that you wish you had?
A lot of them are going to say more time, right?
And
when I was an assistant Principle, my Principle and I, think some of the best time wellspent was when we took all the kids for mass preps for the teachers and gave them extra
time to work together and, you know, without setting too many parameters because we had somany district priorities and building goals to move forward.
(01:00:54):
But say, hey, you're going to have this time.
You could work on this, this, this, give them a choice.
You know, that was really appreciated and really valued.
And having food doesn't hurt too.
Some candy and chips.
That's always something really important.
also, you were making me think like some of my best department meetings or staff meetingswere those where teachers got to just come in and we got to shine a light on their best
(01:01:21):
practices.
So remember when you did, you were just talking about like the 30 second elevator speech.
give like a one minute rundown of a practice that you implemented in your class and why itwas successful.
I can't tell you how many teachers appreciated that because you could say a lot in oneminute.
You could bring a little artifact.
Sometimes you have the teachers bring an artifact.
(01:01:43):
You know, this was the process, this was the product, this was awesome and this is why.
I think teachers found a lot of value in that too, is just being able to be in a space tocross-pollinate ideas.
That was really good too.
Lauren, it's been a pleasure connecting with you and how can our audience connect with youafter the show?
(01:02:04):
Sure, as I mentioned earlier, you can do it through my website, laurenmkaufman.com, and myhandle for social media, all platforms, is at laurenmkaufman.
Thank you so much.
And Alchemists, as we wrap up our episode today, I just want to take a moment and saythank you for listening to the show.
Lauren has been an incredible conversation.
(01:02:24):
We tried some new things out in the show.
We rattled her off with some difficult games that we got to play and make some toughdecisions that sparked some good laughs for us, at least.
I hope you were able to get something from our show.
And remember that the show is here for you.
So if you continue to have listener questions as you listen to the show, send them my way,Tyler at elementaleducator.com.
I check all my emails, I try to respond to all of them, and I'll take the clips of theanswers that you give us and I'll send them back to you personally so that you get the
(01:02:51):
feedback right from us to know, hey, we took on your question today and we tried toaddress it.
But again, from the bottom of my heart, this show exists because you're here to listen.
So thank you so much.
And Lauren, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to connect,collaborate, and empower us all through your lived experiences.
Thank you so much for having me, Tyler, and thank you to all the educators out there forall that you do.
(01:03:12):
We need you and we're so happy you're here.
along your path, you will meet various people and you will encounter various situationsand you will also encounter celebrations, but also setbacks.
(00:11):
and those setbacks and obstacles you face are not the sum total of your life.
They're just mere moments of discomfort that bridge your past with your future.
And I want everyone to know that teaching is not something you just do.
It's a calling.
And every interaction is really a learning experience that enhances your leadership lens.
(00:33):
So surround yourself with people who act as mirrors who are going to reflect your growth.
(00:56):
Alchemists, welcome to another episode of the Elemental Educator podcast.
I'm your host Tyler and thank you so much for joining our community for another incredibleconnection.
If you're here for the first time, thank you and welcome to a place where we redefineleadership and challenge the status quo.
Take a minute before continuing the episode to subscribe to our YouTube at elementalunderscore educator, where we upload all of our video episodes and additional leadership
(01:21):
content meant for anyone looking to grow.
For those returning alchemists, take some time to expand our community and share thisplatform with one other person today.
I'm so thankful for your passion and dedication to being better together.
Now get ready to let the alchemy of education ignite your passion for learning.
Lauren Kaufman is currently serving as a district leader
(01:42):
in Long Island, New York.
With nearly two decades in education, she has served as an assistant Principle, elementaryinstructional coach, an elementary and middle school reading specialist, new teacher
mentor coordinator for K to 12 schools, a creativity camp enrichment program supervisor,and a second and fifth grade classroom teacher.
Lauren is a lifelong learner whose professional passion is to empower teachers to stay andlead so they can share their gifts with others.
(02:10):
develop lifelong literacy practices and all their resources.
She's led teams developing units of study in reading and writing, has provided educatorswith...
embedded professional learning that supported a comprehensive approach to literacy andguided new teachers with acclimating to culture and climate of a school system.
She's organized various full day literacy professional learning experiences and haspresented at a local and national conferences, including ASCD,
(02:39):
NCTE FETC, LIASCD, Long Island Technology Summit, Reading Specialists Council of Suffolk,Long Island Language Arts Council, and more.
Lauren is the author of the book, The Leader Inside, Stories of Mentorship to Inspire theLeader Within.
Alongside her writing, she enjoys sharing her insights through blogging on her ownplatform.
(03:03):
Additionally, Lauren has contributed to several publications, including George Kuros's
because of a teacher.
Lainey Rawls, evolving with gratitude, and IGI Global's designing effective distance andblended learning environments K-12.
She has also contributed to Education Week and Edutopia and has served as a guest bloggerfor the Teach Better team, Future Ready Schools, and Defined.
(03:28):
Lauren's passion lies in leading through a coaching mindset and sharing best literacypractices with colleagues.
She wholeheartedly believes in the importance of developing powerful professional learningcommunities and networks that foster meaningful, relevant learning and growth.
Welcome to the Elemental Educator podcast.
Lauren, it is my pleasure to have you here today.
(03:48):
Hi Tyler, it is such a pleasure to be here and thank you for that amazing introduction.
You know, I was kind of going back in time as you were saying all of that.
I'm like, my goodness, I can't believe it's been almost two decades in, but I'm loving itand I appreciate you having me here with your audience.
Absolutely.
And I do like the big introduction because it gives the audience the context of, you know,who it is that we are talking to on the other end and what they bring to the table and the
(04:17):
value they bring.
Everybody brings value, but to hear those experiences that we might not even get to touchon in this short 50 minute conversation, hour conversation, it's nice to share.
And I want to start actually with sharing maybe a much bigger question, which is, Lauren,how did you get to where you are now?
my goodness, that is a big question.
Well, first of all, I've been so fortunate to have this beautiful career in education.
(04:41):
This started when I was a little girl.
My parents are educators.
My grandfather was a college professor.
You know, my sister is now even in education.
We have a whole bunch of educators in my family and I've been lucky to be supported by somany great teachers along the way.
But I really started almost two decades ago.
I was a teaching assistant.
(05:02):
I was a classroom teacher.
It was then when I was a classroom teacher that I really discovered and honed my craftwith teaching literacy and wanted to hone my craft even more and become a literacy
specialist.
The heart of a lot of the work I do is really an instructional coaching.
I served in that role for a number of years and it was really that role.
(05:23):
that got me outside of my classroom walls and got me to see the bigger picture by steppinginto all of the classrooms and watching so many great practices that teachers were
employing and getting to cross-pollinate those ideas was quite amazing.
It really shaped who I am and who I'm continuously striving to be.
(05:45):
And I decided to take the formal leap into a leadership role.
Although I think that if you're in education, you are a leader in education.
I don't believe in titles.
I believe that if we are working with kids, we are a leader in education.
But I did go into a formal leadership role as an assistant Principle.
Now I'm a district leader.
And I take a lot of my experiences from every role I just shared with you now.
(06:10):
And I have applied it.
to this leadership role.
I really love working alongside teachers, with teachers, to help elevate and liftpractices so that we can really improve student outcomes together.
We're in this work together.
So that's in a nutshell, and here I am today.
I love writing, I love sharing my learning, and that's why it's such an honor to be herewith you today to talk about that even more.
(06:36):
I appreciate that.
what you said early on made me think of, I read a book when I first got into educationcalled The Leader in Me, and it's an education based book for those that haven't read it
yet.
And it talks about how everybody, every kid has the potential to be a leader.
And it's applicable to everything outside of education as well, because it doesn't matterthe role you're in, there are times where you lead, right?
(06:57):
As a parent, you lead, as a friend, you lead, as a manager or a CEO or an executive, youlead.
And you have a purpose when you take on a leadership role to be doing something forsomeone else, for the betterment of whatever it is you're trying to do collectively.
And to hear your story, your passion behind it, puts us in good hands when we talkleadership.
(07:23):
And so I'm thankful for that.
And thank you for sharing your story.
And...
It's very clear when you talk that you're rooted in something very deep, is your values,which actually brings us up to our first segment of grounded moments.
Rooted in wisdom, driven by purpose, welcome to Grounded Moments.
And to build some momentum here, I want to start with a little game.
(07:46):
This is called Principles or Preferences.
So Lauren, I'm gonna hit you with a couple statements, and you just have to tell me ifthis is a core principle, it's something that you live by, no exceptions, or it's just
personal preference, which is something you like but you don't expect from others.
Make sense?
All right, and these are quick, no time to think, we're just gonna go with our gut here,okay?
(08:07):
Okay, you got it.
All right, meetings should always start on time, no excuses.
personal preference.
Leaders should always be the last to speak in a discussion.
principles.
You should answer work emails outside of business hours if you see them.
personal preference.
People should dress professionally even in remote meetings.
personal preference.
It's okay to say I don't know.
(08:30):
If you're not 10 minutes early, you're late.
Principle
Small talk before meetings is essential for building relationships.
Principle
You should never schedule a meeting when an email would work instead.
Principle.
Your workspace should always be neat and organized.
Preference.
And personal and professional life should always stay separate.
(08:53):
preference.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And there are there are some that was hard to like say one or the other because I thinkthere's some overlap in those two.
So the fact that you don't get to explain yourself a little bit, that's okay.
I'll have to like live with that.
That's okay.
(09:20):
I know.
I know.
all good.
I think one of the ones that I'm a little different.
man.
Now I have to find out which one it was again.
I might have to go back and rewatch and send you a message on which one I was a little bitdifferent on.
But we'll go from there.
So anyway, in grounded moments, it is clearly all about what we value.
And that's a fun little way not to get deep into our root values, but to just starttalking about our preferences here.
(09:42):
So the first question to come from this after the game is what's one thing, Lauren, that'sgrounding you in what you're doing now?
People, people, you know, we're all human beings and I love learning about the stories ofpeople because I think that our actions create a collection of stories that can positively
impact others.
(10:03):
You know, I think the heartbeat of education really lives within the walls of schools andwithin the walls of schools you find kids and teachers in the mess of learning and
That's the heart of why we're here.
This is what we do.
as education is constantly evolving, it is our responsibility to approach the way we lead,the way we learn with an open mindset and ground ourselves in that idea that change is the
(10:34):
constant.
Right.
And you don't have to search for the big things to see the good things happen.
You know, it's in the small things that
the magic happens.
It's a collection of those small moments that add up to the big things.
So every interaction helps me shape the leader and human being I am and the one that I'mbecoming.
(10:56):
And I really feel Tyler that I'm so grateful for the people along my path who have seenand recognize the gifts within me so that I can share those gifts and pay it forward.
And I feel like it is my responsibility.
to understand and know that gifts live within exceptional educators and they're justwaiting to be unwrapped in the right place at the right time with the right people.
(11:21):
A value of relationships, right?
A value of experience.
That's what it's coming back to, which isn't surprising given the story, given the intro,given everything we just talked about up to this point.
And before the show, asked, you know, I want something to talk about in grounded moments.
And so I asked you to share a quote with us.
And the quote that you shared was, you can't tell where people will land from where theybegin.
(11:42):
With the right opportunity and motivation to learn, anyone can build the skills to achievegreater things.
Potential is not a matter of where you start.
but how far you travel.
We need to focus less on starting points and more on the distance traveled.
And this was from Adam Grant, Hidden Potential.
Can you share with the audience how you found this quote and why you picked it for today?
(12:03):
Sure.
I love Adam Grant's work.
You know, I started reading his book Think Again and then his recent book Hidden Potentialhad such a significant impact on me, including his podcast and all of the content he puts
out.
And the reason that quote resonated with me is that if you were to ask me what I'd bedoing five years ago and then five years before that and then five years before that, if
(12:30):
you look at
back at our lives in increments of time.
I don't think five years ago, if you would have asked me what I would be doing now, that Iwould have been able to guess what I'm doing now.
know, and five years before that and you keep going back in time, right?
So you never know where somebody will land based on where they start.
I think you have to get into your career.
(12:54):
You have to get into the mess of life.
You know, nothing is linear.
In life, everything kind of unfolds as it happens.
And I think within those spaces is where you discover who you are as a person, what youbelieve in, what you value.
So I think that there is this starting point and the beautiful part of life is getting tomeet people and have these experiences and letting life unfold a bit.
(13:23):
and shaping you into the person you're still becoming.
And then I think it's exciting to think about too, the people who are gonna be on yourteam that you haven't even met yet.
There are so many people I've met like you Tyler, we've only met maybe a couple of weeksago and now I have the opportunity to connect with you and your audience and it's exciting
(13:45):
to think about the people you haven't met yet and what they're going to bring to you.
and others.
So that's where that comes from.
Thank you for sharing.
it reminds me so much of a conversation.
Last week's episode is with Sam Demme.
And Sam says, everybody could have the same starting point, the same origin, but differentphilosophies, same circumstance, different philosophies.
(14:08):
And those different philosophies will lead to different outcomes.
And so it brings back, it ties so well with what you're saying in the sense of thateverybody can.
uniquely pick their own journey, even though it may feel like there's only so manystreamlined processes to do things.
It's a false claim.
It's a myth, we'll say, that can be busted is there's so many unique paths to get thingsdone, right?
(14:28):
And, you know, a great example of that is talk to anybody that's in the same career andtalk to 10 people in the same career.
And they're all going to have a different story of how they got there and what theircareers like.
Right.
And so it's so powerful to hear that.
when you have a value that's rooted in relationships and you have a value that's rooted inexperience, that's what you're going to enjoy.
(14:50):
You're going to enjoy the fact that everybody has that different route you're going toenjoy and you're going to celebrate the fact that everybody took a different path to get
to where they are.
And you're also going to recognize that there was no right path to get to where you were.
And that's an important part too.
So thank you for sharing and expanding upon that.
Now, how does this quote and this message
(15:11):
showed up in the news?
Lauren.
So one of the things I started thinking about in your response to me was that in thebeginning of my career, and I don't think that this was a bad thing, I just think it's
where you are at that point in time, is that I would maybe have a perspective on variousthings, whether it's teaching and learning, whether it's developing relationships, how to
(15:35):
acclimate to a community and a culture of an organization.
Right?
We all have our perspective and we bring that perspective based on what we know and whatwe believe in at that time.
So I think that if I had kept that perspective almost 20 years ago, I wouldn't haveevolved.
I think what's important and what also helps me stay grounded in this work is that I loveinviting other perspectives and listening to other ideas.
(16:04):
And even if they're different than mine, I invite that because that's an opportunity tolearn and grow and change your perspective a bit, even though you could still have the
same core values at the heart of everything you do.
And for me, that's keeping kids at the heart of decision making.
(16:24):
That's why we're here, really.
But I think that...
you know, going back to that quote that we can all have a starting point and end upsomewhere else.
I think it's OK to and invited to bring people or give them a seat at the table to havethat conversation, even if that looks a little bit different than what you had initially
(16:46):
intended the conversation to be.
Maybe you started in one place and you end up in another place.
But through that open communication and collaboration.
and giving everybody that seat at the table, I think it opens doors to new ideas, newrelationships, new collaborations, and that's where innovation is born.
(17:07):
It's taking something that already exists and making it a little bit better.
exactly how it shows up in my workflow too.
So I'm just sitting here taking it in going thank you so much for sharing.
Lauren this is the challenging part is I want to take this statement that you just gave meand have you you heard of an elevator pitch before?
All right so we have to we have to shrink this to a 10 to 20 second pitch message tosomebody about why this should be something that shows up for them in their workflow why
(17:37):
this should be something they should consider valuing.
And I want you to share it with our audience in your pitch.
Again, why this is the most important thing to them.
I will say just in case there's nerves around the elevator pitch, I have had people belike, I want to redo it.
I want to redo it.
And we're not live, right?
So you have the ability to redo it.
I can come back and switch it out.
So let's go ahead and hear it.
(17:57):
All right.
I'm going to take my best shot at the elevator pitch.
But I think what I want everybody to know is that along your path, you will meet variouspeople and you will encounter various situations and you will also encounter celebrations,
but also setbacks.
and those setbacks and obstacles you face are not the sum total of your life.
(18:21):
They're just mere moments of discomfort that bridge your past with your future.
And I want everyone to know that teaching is not something you just do.
It's a calling.
And every interaction is really a learning experience that enhances your leadership lens.
So surround yourself with people who act as mirrors who are going to reflect your growth.
(18:44):
but who are also going to push your thinking.
There we go, was pretty solid.
That was pretty solid.
I'm sold.
I thought you did great.
I'll clip it and I'm gonna make that the very start.
I always try to hook people with a intro to the episode.
That'll be my little intro hook.
I like doing that with those.
It's very solid.
Now, Lauren, I put you through some adversity by making, putting you on the spot byplaying a game, putting you on the spot by giving me an elevator pitch.
(19:09):
We're gonna move on to the adversity element, which is our air element.
And our segment here is headwinds and tailwinds.
Through storms and surges, discover the lessons from headwinds and tailwinds, where wefocus on the challenge that tests us and the forces that help us move forward.
And Lauren, you bet that if we played a game to start grounded moments, we're playing agame to start headwinds and tailwinds.
(19:30):
And this one is called, Make It Worse.
So I'm gonna give you a bad situation and your job is to add some air element to it, someadversity, just make it worse in one quick sentence.
We'll keep it appropriate.
But let's see how bad this adversity could really get.
Are you ready to play?
I think so.
Okay, you're five minutes late for a job interview.
(19:52):
They tell you to leave because you're five minutes late.
see, I and this one's not rapid fire.
I would have said something like, and you showed up with different shoes.
okay.
All right.
Am I playing this wrong?
okay.
Okay.
(20:12):
All right.
You text your boss instead of your friend and the message says.
Can you believe what she said today?
goodness.
Okay.
All right.
All right.
No, that's good.
That's good.
I was sharing.
I was sure it was good.
I was sharing this one with my partner earlier and I was like, what do think of thatquestion?
(20:33):
And she's like, yeah, I think the one that I would hate to say is, huh, I'm going to takea sick day today.
But then, but then that also kind of worked because that's who you would message to sayyou're taking a sick day.
But then it expanded into, I'm going to fake a sick day and
We got down a rabbit hole.
All right.
And then the last one we'll do for this one is you'll wave at someone, but they weren'twaving at you.
(20:56):
You realize that it's somebody you had a conflict with and you thought they were waving atyou to make up with you, but they weren't.
I don't know.
I feel like we just created some like new anxiety nightmares here.
That was great.
Yeah.
You know, most people have the optimistic lens on things or, know, these little thingswill just go, whatever.
(21:19):
But this is a fun little one that I'm trying out and we'll see how goes.
I think I might keep it because it's getting, it's getting you to laugh at least.
So I'll keep it.
But let's keep, let's keep moving forward before this gets worse for us.
And let's set the stage here, Lauren.
Can you now share a time when you faced significant adversity that wasn't texting a bossor showing up late or waving at an inappropriate time, I guess.
(21:42):
But what was happening and how did it feel in
Yeah, so I think life brings us disruptors all the time and it can throw us off ourcourse, right?
And without getting too specific because there are all there are times, know, especially,you know, in leadership where you do face a lot of adversity and you're trying to identify
(22:05):
solutions to potential obstacles or you're trying to identify
potential obstacles before they become, you know, a conflict or an issue.
But I think what I will say is the common thread that is woven throughout all of theadversity or obstacles that I've ever faced, and it's something that's really hard to
(22:28):
overcome for me that I've had to work really hard on, is that feeling of disappointment.
Because that manifests itself differently.
in different contexts.
So what is disappointment?
They're really unmet expectations.
So whether you went for a job interview and you went all the way through the process andyou made it to the end and you didn't get that job, right?
(22:49):
Or maybe it's that there's something going on at work and you have to have a crucial ordifficult conversation with a colleague or an educator.
But you're keeping kids at the heart of
the conversation.
So that's what helps it helps me keep going in that conversation.
And perhaps it's the way somebody else responds.
(23:10):
Perhaps it's others who are judging you, perhaps without even knowing you.
And maybe they're creating a narrative about who you are and what you believe in.
That's not really true.
And that happens a lot, especially in the culture we have with social media and
You know, we live in what, you know, my kids would call like the cancel culture.
(23:31):
You know, so it's, I think all of those adversities that we could face, I think thatfeeling of disappointment, you know, because I like to believe in the goodness of people.
I always start in that place, you know, people at their core are good, you know, they havegood intentions.
They are doing this for the greater good of the community, for the organization.
(23:51):
They're sharing ideas because
They want to do what's best for kids.
They want to do what's best for adults.
But sometimes, this is hard work.
Being in education, it's the most rewarding job on the planet, but it could be emotionallydraining sometimes, and it could take its toll.
(24:14):
And why does that happen to us in education?
Because we're very reflective people, and we care.
We care so much and at the end we're all human beings, right?
So I think for me, that feeling of disappointment in the goodness of people, know, likewhen you want to believe people are good and then, you know, something happens that feels
(24:35):
disruptive and you have to change your course a little bit or maybe put a shield on you toprotect yourself so you can protect others as a leader.
I think that's something that I've had to tackle.
over the course of time.
And the best way to turn conflict to collaboration is to find your realignment, right?
To communicate a little bit better, right?
(24:56):
And so we talk about where does conflict root from?
It comes from expectations not being met.
And so why are expectations not met?
It's usually because the message was unclear or lost in translation, right?
And it comes down to, didn't know that this is the route we wanted to go, or I didn't knowthat this is what was expected of me, right?
And when those two things happen, that's where most conflicts arise.
(25:17):
People get edgy, get testy with each other, and that's where things can just build andbuild and build.
And until those two people actually communicate and unpack what it is that they evendisagreed with in the first place, that tension's just gonna keep building, that
conflict's gonna get bigger.
And that's how you lead to organizations that have people that lead them or have peoplewithin them where people look at them and go, I hate that person.
(25:38):
When really all they need to do is have a conversation in the same room together, notaround each other.
And there's a lot of importance around that as well.
Yeah, very, very often I start those conversations I was talking about before, crucialconversations with, know, we're having this conversation today because I care about you
very much and I know that you can rise to this expectation.
(26:00):
So I think believing again in the abilities of people, you know, that's what brings usback to the important work.
Yeah.
And my approach is different, but I like that approach too.
And that's a great way to start is you start with empathy and you make them feel valued.
I always start with, and this will be a specific setting for people in education, right?
(26:21):
We are here to do the best we possibly can for those kids that come into our building.
And I feel like what you and I need to align and collaborate to be able to do that.
And we're not there right now.
So this conversation is about getting there, right?
And when you start with what your goal is, right?
(26:43):
People will buy in, right?
You start to establish ownership because if I have a conflict with somebody, there'sprobably a 50 % chance if I go to them and say, we're having this because I care about
you, that they don't believe me.
But if I start with, we're having this because, and I relate it back to what our job isand our alignment and our goal, that's what they're there for.
Mm-hmm.
(27:04):
in education and well, and I shouldn't say it turns to 100%, but 90 % of people ineducation are there for the kids.
They're there to do better for the kids.
And so starting by that, hey, we're here to have a conversation because we need to bebetter for kids.
They'll instantly go, yeah, you're right.
Sure, sure.
And I think that you get to that place.
I think it looks different whether it's your first year in a role and your first meetingpeople or connecting with people like that conversation, that difficult conversation looks
(27:30):
different in that first year versus your second and third year as people get to know whoyou are and what you believe in.
Because the people know who you are and what you're about, that you're there for thebetterment of kids and that they know that
That's the heart of everything you do.
Getting right to it sometimes is the best way to go because it takes away that anxiety ofthat conversation.
(27:55):
It's just getting right to what it is you're there to talk about today, but then alsotelling them that you know that they can rise to the occasion and that you could do this
together.
You're here to collaborate on this effort.
And I think, you know, people want to feel seen.
They want to feel valued.
Everybody...
makes mistakes, right?
Everybody has a moment in time that might not be their best moment.
(28:21):
And then when that moment starts becoming a collection of moments and you're starting tosee a pattern, that's when that conversation has to happen.
So I think you have to be aware of that too in leadership is that, is this, when you'rehaving that interaction, was this a one-off?
Was it a one-time thing?
Or is it something that needs a little attention now?
(28:41):
because you know this person can do better and you believe that they can.
And it comes back to what we talked about earlier, that there's no streamlined path thatevery single person takes and everybody you're have to have different conversations with
because everyone's unique and will respond different ways and have on our own experiences.
With that, Lauren, for people facing their own headwinds, what's one thing they can do tokeep moving forward past adversity?
(29:04):
I think believing in yourself, believing in who you are, what you value, and thinkingabout your goals and how it is you're going to get there.
think having a destination and knowing that there are going to be different paths to getyou to that destination and that again, it's not linear, that there will be those
(29:27):
disruptions along the way, that keeps you going.
So I think going into something when you have goals and you want to achieve great thingsfor your organizations to know that this is not going to be a perfect experience.
There's going to be a lot of imperfection, some failure, where you're gonna have to havesome perseverance and setbacks to move forward again.
(29:51):
And I think when you go into it that way and just having that idea that knowing that
This might take a turn when I learn something else and my idea is going to evolve to beopen to that and to be open to the wisdom of others as you move along that path and not
taking a different perspective from someone else as criticism, but an opportunity, use itas an opportunity to help you grow as you row towards that destination.
(30:22):
And I love this.
This is a theme emerging from my last few episodes I've recorded.
Bet on yourself.
Do it, just bet on yourself.
Because at the end of the day, you're the one that needs to go home with yourself and behappy.
You're the one that needs to go home with yourself and feel like you made the rightdecision.
It's not the people that are telling you what to do.
(30:42):
Bet on yourself to take control.
Bet on yourself to feel good.
Bet on yourself to build confidence.
And you're gonna fail when you bet on yourself.
And that's when you bet on yourself again, you double down.
Because when you continue to bet on yourself, you continue to find ways to believe inyourself and push your limits and grow yourself rather than letting people tell you how to
control your life instead.
So we talked about all these changes and that brings us up to our water element whichhandles change altogether, which is ripples of change.
(31:12):
Small shifts, big waves.
This is Ripples of Change, where we dive into the power of embracing change and makingwaves that last.
And now, Lauren, I know that we're 33 minutes into this episode and you've been saying,let's play another game.
So we are gonna play another game here and this one is called, Here's the Trick.
So I'm gonna give you a situation that people always have advice for and you have to dropone piece of advice that has actually worked for you or somebody you know.
(31:37):
So it can be serious, unexpected.
You can totally unhinge this one if you want to.
No, let's try to get no generic answer.
That might be the cliche answer to it.
Although if you are gonna give one, just say, hey, this is the cliche answer, but we'll gowith it.
This doesn't need to be rapid fire, so you can take some time to think.
I'm just gonna pick a couple here.
So let's give you a scenario and let's start with the key to making a great firstimpression is.
(32:01):
getting to know somebody else, asking them questions about themselves.
I think people, they like to know that you're interested in who they are.
And I think when you learn about who somebody is, then it sets you up to have a moreproductive and proactive conversation with that person.
Yeah, I agree.
(32:21):
love hearing people's stories.
You make them feel valued.
Something simple for me, quick tip for everybody, smile when you meet someone for thefirst time.
Right?
It releases endorphins in people's brains.
Look at their eyes, right?
Little things like that.
Okay.
The quickest way to recover from an embarrassing moment.
I think sometimes it's just to own it and just say, wow, that was really embarrassing.
(32:43):
I don't know.
It made me feel this way.
But how did it make you feel?
Just to make a little joke from it.
And I know that might sound a little cliche, but sometimes you just have to kind of ownthe way you feel.
I'm the person who, when I have an emotion, I wear it all over my face sometimes,especially when it's that feeling of embarrassment.
So I think it's OK to say to somebody, wow, that was really embarrassing.
(33:05):
You know?
It's this.
gotta move and relocate and try again once you have something embarrassing.
I'm just kidding, by the way.
I'm definitely a face turn red person and so when I embarrass myself, people always know.
But usually we just laugh about it, we move on, we say, hey, we could be adults aboutthis, that was funny.
(33:26):
And then it gets brought up for the next 30 years of your life.
We could talk about it.
It makes another good story.
It makes us human, right?
To be embarrassed.
Yeah.
more here, Lauren.
The one thing people should do differently when networking.
I think when you enter a really crowded room, it could be overwhelming.
And one of the things that I've done instead of thinking, let me get to as many people aspossible, I kind of look around the room and I say, okay, I'm gonna connect with maybe two
(33:53):
or three people, but in a really purposeful way, instead of connecting with all of thesepeople or just going over there, going over here, saying a quick hello.
I only have a certain time frame, so I really want to make the most of my time.
So I think that would be my tip is more depth with fewer people than getting around to allthe people and having it be very surface level.
(34:18):
Because if you have a deeper connection with fewer people, that leads to other connectionsanyway in the future.
Somebody that I work with says it best actually, and I love it, and I need to steal itmore, it's, who do you know that I need to know?
And they actually go beyond people that are just around them in a networking situation,and they start to say, hey, you know a bit about who I am, who do you think I should know
(34:41):
as well that might not be here, right?
And it's a nice way to say, who do you know that I need to know?
It makes them feel important, it makes them feel valued, they share that.
Yeah.
Thanks for playing.
Yeah, okay.
that was a bit more of a tame segment.
Let's get more into a ripples of change conversation here.
So what's a recent change, Lauren, that you have embraced or led?
So I think there are so many things in education, so much work that we're leading rightnow as this landscape changes when it comes to technology and literacy and learning and
(35:15):
getting kids ready for jobs that don't even exist right now.
So I think staying on the cutting edge of best practice.
And when I say best practice, it doesn't have to be like this new crazy thing, right?
It could just be taking what exists and how can we level up this experience so that kidscan have all of these pathways to learn and getting teachers to see that we need to
(35:42):
provide those pathways for kids.
I think I'm going to share for me what's really helped me become a better leader iswriting every week and reflecting on my learning.
If you actually go back to my blog, which is really a space for me to reflect on mylearning but has inadvertently impacted other people because what's nice is that it's a
(36:04):
space that's connected me to other people over the course of the last five years sinceI've been writing and what helped me
actually write my book, which I didn't even think was going to happen.
My blogs really became this, I kind of pieced them together and that's what became theleader inside.
So I think that through my reflection and my growth as a leader, as an educator, as ahuman being, the writing element of me, of things that I'm experiencing weekly in my role.
(36:35):
And it usually looks like this.
It's like here are some books I've read here are some podcasts I've listened to Here'swhat happened to me this week and here's an experience that I've had Here's how I set up
this professional learning series.
This is how I set up this interaction with a group of new teachers that I'm mentoring andhere are some practical Actionable ideas you can implement tomorrow.
(36:59):
It's not just impacting my organization
but it's impacting the greater educational community because I'm putting myself out there.
That took me a long time to kind of get comfortable with that feeling of discomfort, welive in, growth and comfort do not coexist, right?
So when we put ourselves out there, similar to what you do, Tyler, you put content outthere, you're talking with educators, you're putting yourself in that vulnerable position
(37:24):
so that others around you can grow and bring.
perspective or bring ideas.
And it's really connected me not only more to the people within my own organization,because they might say like, wow, that was a really cool experience, Lauren.
And I loved reading.
You sometimes people are reading my work without me knowing it, but they'll bring it up tome and they'll say, thank you.
(37:45):
That really, really helped me.
You sharing that feeling of vulnerability or that feeling you were having helped me grow.
It helped me take a risk in my classroom that day or to have people
from the outside who I've really met all over the world and globally really say like,Lauren, I've used this piece that you wrote in a professional learning session.
(38:08):
So I think putting myself out there and taking the risk and getting past that idea of whatdo I have to share that no one has seen before, you know, because what's obvious to you
isn't always obvious to others.
And I think George Kuros helped me see that when he challenged me to blog, you know, fiveor six years ago in front of a group of new educators I was mentoring.
(38:32):
used to run a mentor program and he said, Lauren, I'm challenging you to blog, you need toblog.
And I said, well, what do I have to share?
You know, no one has seen before.
And then I started doing that and it was a monthly habit that became bi-weekly and nowit's a weekly habit.
So I think...
that has made a significant impact on me and it's not something new that I havespecifically, but it's if you go back into the work, I'm pretty vulnerable in that space.
(39:01):
And from what others say to me, it feels generous to them that I would be willing to sharethat.
Now I do link everything in the description, but for people listening, what's the best wayfor them to find this blog, Lauren?
Sure, if you just go to www.laurenmkaufman.com, you could see all of my blogging there,all of my work, any speaking I've done.
(39:26):
Everything is right there and I'm always willing to connect with educators and talk aboutanything you're thinking about in the education space.
I know time is really a factor sometimes, especially because we all lead.
such busy lives and busy looks different to everybody.
I actually don't like saying, I'm busy to anybody because we're all busy, right?
(39:46):
We just fill our time in all different ways.
But that's the space you can connect with me.
My email is there.
My socials are there.
Now, either blog related or a different event related, but change can either createpositive momentum or an unexpected setback.
What's a ripple effect that you didn't see coming?
You know, I think the small things like gratitude that we show to people because that'ssomething that that I do in my practice regularly.
(40:16):
So it's not like this big moment, right?
It's not it's not like this big moment in time, but it could be that I will receive a textmessage.
from a teacher that I mentored maybe 10 or 15 years ago saying, know, Lauren, rememberwhen you shared this little management tip in my classroom?
That's really helped me.
(40:38):
Or thank you so much for your generous words.
You gave me the courage to try something new.
Or even a couple of weeks ago, I was standing in the bagel store and I ran into a student,a former student.
I was wearing Jordan sneakers and he's like, hey, Mrs.
Kaufman, I love your Jordans.
(40:58):
And I said, hey, Ben.
And he said, my gosh, like, I didn't know you would remember my name.
I said, of course I remember your name.
I said, how are you doing?
What are you up to?
And he says, you know, Mrs.
Kaufman, he said, you know, I'm a junior in high school now.
I had him when he was in middle school.
And he said, and I just want you to know that I like to read now.
(41:22):
because of you.
And I know you didn't see it then because I gave you a really hard time when I was in yourclass, which he did.
He did.
But yeah, maybe for that and for some other reasons.
But, you know, very endearing kid always.
And that, you know, you never know when your past will meet your future again.
And getting to have that interaction with him, he was actually in my last class before Istepped into a formal leadership role.
(41:48):
So if I hadn't had that opportunity in that moment to connect with him in the bagel store,I wouldn't have known that this kid all of a sudden became a reader and he loves reading
and he started telling me about all the genres he was reading and why he fell in love withreading and how it started in my class.
So sometimes we don't hear about the impact we're making right away, but someone'sthinking about us somewhere.
(42:13):
along the line.
think education is one of those careers that we don't always see it.
We don't always see it in that moment.
But what person doesn't remember an educator that was in their lives on their path thatserved as that lantern guiding them along the way.
And people don't always say it, but they're thinking it.
And sometimes there are those moments like I had with Ben where you'll get that feedback.
(42:38):
It'll make you feel good.
It'll say, okay, like that's why I'm here.
That's why I'm in education.
That's the legacy that we're leaving behind that sometimes we can't see in the moment.
And you're so true on impact is unknown and it's unknown until we're gone, right?
We don't know the power of what we were able to bring to this world until we've left it.
(43:03):
And even then, who knows how that gets analyzed and assessed.
And the people that we fight with the most or the people that present themselves as themost challenging or the most difficult, that's where change is happening the most because
change is uncomfortable.
Change is not supposed to be easy.
And so bringing it back to impact and implementing change, it's an uncomfortable processfor a lot of people.
(43:27):
And those people that you look back on and you go, wow, those were some difficult times.
That's where change happened to the most and you've come out different people because ofit.
It's really powerful to share.
Now, Lauren, people often worry that change won't last.
So what's one thing that you do in your work?
to make sure that change becomes a part of culture rather than just a trend.
(43:49):
Really good question.
I think it goes back to what we were talking about earlier, knowing your core values, whoyou are, what you're doing and why you're doing it.
So I think whenever I'm working with teachers, whether they're new teachers, veteranteachers, everything in between, and even my colleagues, fellow leaders, we have to ground
(44:11):
ourselves in our why.
And then we have to think about the impact
that that experience or that moment or that idea is going to have down the line.
I think that it's okay to also abandon something when it's not going well.
And I think it's okay to have an idea and say, you know, this sounds like a great idea andyou embark on that idea and maybe you pivot a little bit because other things happen.
(44:40):
So I think the way to make change and impact last is anchoring the work in those values,knowing what you're doing and why you're doing it.
I always say learning shouldn't be a secret.
Learning is also really messy, right?
So I think it's good.
How do we know that it still will exist down the line is that you have sprinkled yourgifts, right, into those spaces.
(45:08):
And those ideas and that collaboration and communication, it continues even when you'renot there in the room.
That's when you know you've made an impact is that you have started something.
You're not necessarily staying there in the room.
But when you leave that space, the momentum is there.
(45:28):
Right.
So that energy, that momentum, that spirit that you have brought to it when everybodyunderstands their purpose for it.
then that legacy and impact continues.
Absolutely.
And we'll make sure we sprinkle it everywhere.
I love it.
Now, this is the energy of the segment is we're getting into the heart of decision making,which is our fire element, the risks we take, the bold moves.
(45:53):
And that's going to bring up our last segment here for elements, which is spark or burn.
Ignite your ideas, face the flames.
This is Spark or Burn, where we talk about bold decisions, big risks, and the fires thateither spark success or burn lessons into our memory.
Lauren, I'm gonna circle back to a game that we played in Grounded Moments.
(46:15):
It's not the same rapid fire style, but you do not get to explain your answer here, and sothat makes it increasingly more difficult and riskier in our bold decisions here.
We're gonna play Final Answer.
So I'm gonna give you a high stakes decision.
You have to lock in your answer immediately, which is everything that we go against.
I already know that.
No explanations, no take backs.
We're just going to commit to something.
(46:36):
Are you ready?
think so.
OK.
You
one social media platform forever.
Facebook.
Yes.
Okay.
You can only eat one meal for the rest of your life.
a burrito.
Oh, OK.
(46:57):
have so similar paths there for Rito.
I was going to talk.
Oh, I was thinking about it.
I was like, what do you got to give up everything else?
Oh, man, that's a hard one.
Well, you're not letting me explain the why.
I think I have a good reason for it, but that's okay.
You know, they're a little sad not to explain it.
gotta hear it.
You have burrito.
Okay, I think I know where this is going, but I'm gonna let you take it.
(47:19):
Go for it.
Why are we eating a burrito?
well you could fill a burrito with anything.
You can have a breakfast burrito, lunch burrito, dinner burrito, different fillings in theburrito.
Keeps it exciting.
Why not just do salad?
because you need some carbs sometimes.
Salad gets boring after a while to me.
(47:40):
And you could have lettuce inside the burrito and tomatoes and vegetables, you know.
Yep.
All right.
Last last one here is you're only allowed to use one emoji for the rest of your lifewhenever you send a message or anything.
What emoji is it that you you are going to use?
The heart, the purple heart.
purple one specifically.
(48:01):
Okay, mine I think was the fire emoji, but that's just because I'm elemental educator andweird like that.
Anyway.
Yeah, Lauren, can you tell us about a time when you made a bold leadership decision ortook a major risk?
What was the spark behind it?
Oh my god, let me pick one.
(48:21):
I think that I will go with it was a decision.
to, it was a curriculum decision, right?
When teachers are used to, and I say this because we think about things that we've alwaysdone in the past, right?
And we're comfortable.
It goes back to that feeling of comfortable comfort versus discomfort.
(48:44):
And we say, well, we've always done it this way.
And sometimes we have to shift to practice because we know that it's better for kids.
And I think it's really hard for adults to unlearn things sometimes because we're feelingcomfortable.
We feel like it's worked before.
(49:04):
So having to bring a high impact practice that's difficult to employ to adult learners isa bold move sometimes because you're having to explain to people that yes,
We've been doing it this way and it doesn't make it less important or not valuable, butwe're doing it this way now because this is going to have more of an impact on kids and
(49:35):
their learning and their growth long term.
Did you have to adjust your strategy along the way?
Yes.
You know, I think that...
with different personalities when you're trying to embark on shifts, instructional shiftsthat are going to have a big impact and you're working with a lot of different
(49:55):
personalities and a lot of different people, the information is not always going to landthe same on everybody.
It's going to land a little bit different.
So sometimes you need to approach.
that conversation a little bit differently or explain it a little bit differently or showmodel examples or I have found the most impact has been that if I am asking educators to
(50:19):
do something or make a shift in their practice then I am rolling up my sleeves and I amgoing into classrooms and I am doing it myself to show them because I'm a big believer and
you don't ask people or educators or adults to do things that you wouldn't try yourself.
And that way you have that experience that you can bring to the table.
(50:41):
So right now, if it's modeling a high impact literacy practice, that's going to havestrong outcomes for readers later on.
I'm getting in there with the teachers and I'm modeling it, or I'm teaching with them sothat we can talk about the experience.
We could talk about how the students reacted.
(51:02):
and then I can bring that back to other educators.
So that's like one example of how I have shifted from saying this, is the theory, this isthe research, this is the what and the why we're doing this.
And this is how it can look to, this is how it looked when we tried it.
This is how it looked in this classroom, this is how it looked in another classroom.
(51:23):
This is how one teacher responded, this is how another teacher responded.
So when you have something tangible,
that you can share with teachers, I think that it leverages what you're trying to embarkon or change.
And it gives you a little more street cred in that space.
(51:44):
Absolutely.
And bold decisions can be intimidating.
So Lauren, what's one action you would give our audience or dare them to do this week tohelp just build their ability to make bold decisions and take risks?
Step into the mess of learning, go into classrooms and be with the teachers.
See what the celebrations are, acknowledge them because people need to be celebrated andshould be celebrated because this is the most important work we'll do is seeing kids
(52:13):
learn, seeing kids grow, seeing teachers step out of their comfort zones and being thereto coach and give in the moment feedback.
That is something that I live through a coaching mindset.
I take my instructional coaching routes and I try to be the leader that I've alwaysneeded.
So what has really helped move my practice?
(52:35):
I was 15 years as an educator before I became a formal leader.
It's when somebody came in to give me very specific actionable feedback that I can employwith my students right away.
practical, reasonable things, a resource I could have in my hand to employ with studentstomorrow.
So I would say to take action, be with teachers.
(52:59):
As George, my friend George Curros, I'll bring him up again.
He would say, you learn for people, about people, with people.
Learn alongside of them.
Because if we're just telling people what to do and not getting in there with them, I justthink that
it doesn't have the impact that you're going to hope to see for kids.
(53:20):
Absolutely and George is so well spoken to and he's somebody that I've been working withto get on the show too And we just have to align our times and we'll get there very
powerful message.
Yeah Very very busy guy.
All right, so we're gonna move on to listener questions here Lauren, which I don't have asegment tuned to play for yet I'm letting people down by not having one I feel but anyway
(53:41):
The the idea of this is I put out on my social media.
Hey, we have some interviews coming up.
What do people have for questions?
And we try our best to give them an answer that we maybe don't think they're looking for.
It's just our honest answer to the question.
I was just pulling them up on my screen here.
We'll tackle one today, okay?
And the question that I have for us today, and maybe speak to your time as a Principlehere before you got to the position you're in currently, or maybe you wanna speak to the
(54:09):
position you're in currently about this.
It doesn't matter.
They just want to know what does your staff meetings look like?
What does your professional development look like?
So always, some of the framework that I use is beside, I want to set up a day where peoplecould have practices they can implement tomorrow.
So every little thing that I do in a professional learning session is modeling what Iwould want teachers to do.
(54:33):
So when people enter the room, I'm always playing music.
Why am I playing music?
Because it increases the energy.
It gets people talking.
When you're entering a quiet room, the energy is different.
You want people to feel ready to learn today.
That music sparks some neurons in the brain.
It gets people going.
So I used to do that for my students when they entered the classroom, especially when Itaught middle school.
(54:55):
First period was difficult for my eighth graders.
They were still sleeping.
But when I changed to music...
and it was their favorite music.
They started coming in and dancing in the morning and then they were more available tolearn.
So I have found that.
I have found that always using the framework, like I said before, this is what we're doingtoday and why we're doing it.
(55:16):
Just putting it out there to everybody.
Everybody's time is so valuable.
They want to know why are they there learning with you today?
Having some hands on
of learning is important.
Giving teachers a chance to talk to each other, especially around student work.
I always love teachers to bring student work with them because I find that when wehighlight student work, we get to see in all different student learning.
(55:44):
It really sparks some great conversation and having that assessment criteria right thereis, know, what do the kids need to do to be successful in this learning experience?
helps us create new goals for those students.
So I think bringing student work is really important.
And multimedia pathways, having teachers be able to see visuals through video, right?
(56:06):
Not just student work, but also having some type of experience where they get to create inthat learning session so that they could take back that resource to implement tomorrow is
really, really important for the work.
And then implementation follow through, getting some feedback from the teachers on howyour session went and then talking to them about what they've been able to implement.
(56:31):
And
then planning for next time, you're using that feedback to incorporate into your nextcycle of learning.
The best staff meeting is no staff meeting.
And I try to set it up so that I never have staff meetings, but we have collaborativesessions.
And if I can put something in an email or it can be done in writing or it can be donethrough a quick message, then I do that.
Right.
(56:51):
And 90 % of organizations, their staff meetings are irrelevant because they could havebeen done through an email or some other type of correspondence where you didn't need to
take everybody's time to gather, sit down, and then have a conversation that's onedimensional.
You know, you do have to build a background to that, right?
So anytime I am sending out communication through an email or through a message thatdoesn't need to be included in a staff meeting, my staff have 24 hours to respond and say,
(57:15):
hey, I've read this.
I understand it.
And that's all I ask them to do is to say, hey, I understood it.
And I use my staff meeting time and staff meeting time.
like to call it collaboration time to have my team work together to actually solvesomething that we are.
It's essential that we have all of us in the room to take on, right?
And so maybe we're crafting a lesson plan for a land-based program in education that we'reputting together that requires four different curriculums to come through at once.
(57:41):
And this is time for us to work through this.
Maybe we have to unpack the role that everybody's going to be taking in an upcomingChristmas concert, right?
Maybe we are going to be planning what our year-end activities look like, and we all haveto talk about dates, times, and get organized in that matter.
And to do this effectively, we need to come together and have a conversation.
(58:01):
But there's certain things, know, typically stop kids from trying to think.
There's questions coming to them.
information updates can be emails, right?
If people are required to read an admin procedure, it can be done through an email wherethey read and understand, but you have to be careful on that because sometimes you'll be
(58:21):
told, this is when you have to read to everybody so you know they've heard it as well.
So just be mindful of the request when you're going through an admin procedure from thatstandpoint.
Your job, if you're in a role as a leader, is to listen to the people around you as well.
And so there's nothing wrong with that time also being dedicated to hear some things thatwe have coming up in the future that I have to make decisions on.
(58:44):
I want to create a space where you guys can help share some input on those decisions.
What do you value?
What do you see happening?
Where does it go?
And I'm gonna take them all in and make a decision from that, but I want your voice to beheard in making those.
And so trying to create spaces where you're just honest and transparent with people.
But in terms of professional development, again, it depends on so many things.
(59:07):
It depends on your school's mission and vision.
It depends on your divisions for your education plan.
It depends on so many factors that it looks different for everyone.
But some staple points look similar to Lauren like how you play music to start when peoplecome in to create that inviting welcoming upbeat space I like to start things off with
games and so You know, I've started meetings before or professional development by playinga family feud where we're going through rapid-fire education based questions, right or
(59:37):
Connect the dots or name that tune just something very simple to get people's brains goingwe do that with kids We should do that with adults, right?
Mm-hmm.
My professional development usually comes down to creating spaces where people can focuson what they feel they need to focus on.
And then my job is to support them while they do that.
So if I have to bring somebody in to talk with them about it and work through that, I'mlooking into that.
(01:00:01):
If I have to create time where them and another teacher can sit down and work on somethingtogether, I'm going to create that.
If we're trying to create better literacy programs, I'm going to sit my literacy teachersdown and we're going to work on that.
trying to create numeracy programs, going to sit our numeracy teachers down and we'regoing to let them work on that.
If we're trying to, again, whatever space we're trying to create, you're trying to justcreate time for that space because that's the one thing that people value the most in
(01:00:25):
education.
And if you go and you ask any educator, you know, what is it that you wish you had?
A lot of them are going to say more time, right?
And
when I was an assistant Principle, my Principle and I, think some of the best time wellspent was when we took all the kids for mass preps for the teachers and gave them extra
time to work together and, you know, without setting too many parameters because we had somany district priorities and building goals to move forward.
(01:00:54):
But say, hey, you're going to have this time.
You could work on this, this, this, give them a choice.
You know, that was really appreciated and really valued.
And having food doesn't hurt too.
Some candy and chips.
That's always something really important.
also, you were making me think like some of my best department meetings or staff meetingswere those where teachers got to just come in and we got to shine a light on their best
(01:01:21):
practices.
So remember when you did, you were just talking about like the 30 second elevator speech.
give like a one minute rundown of a practice that you implemented in your class and why itwas successful.
I can't tell you how many teachers appreciated that because you could say a lot in oneminute.
You could bring a little artifact.
Sometimes you have the teachers bring an artifact.
(01:01:43):
You know, this was the process, this was the product, this was awesome and this is why.
I think teachers found a lot of value in that too, is just being able to be in a space tocross-pollinate ideas.
That was really good too.
Lauren, it's been a pleasure connecting with you and how can our audience connect with youafter the show?
(01:02:04):
Sure, as I mentioned earlier, you can do it through my website, laurenmkaufman.com, and myhandle for social media, all platforms, is at laurenmkaufman.
Thank you so much.
And Alchemists, as we wrap up our episode today, I just want to take a moment and saythank you for listening to the show.
Lauren has been an incredible conversation.
(01:02:24):
We tried some new things out in the show.
We rattled her off with some difficult games that we got to play and make some toughdecisions that sparked some good laughs for us, at least.
I hope you were able to get something from our show.
And remember that the show is here for you.
So if you continue to have listener questions as you listen to the show, send them my way,Tyler at elementaleducator.com.
I check all my emails, I try to respond to all of them, and I'll take the clips of theanswers that you give us and I'll send them back to you personally so that you get the
(01:02:51):
feedback right from us to know, hey, we took on your question today and we tried toaddress it.
But again, from the bottom of my heart, this show exists because you're here to listen.
So thank you so much.
And Lauren, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to connect,collaborate, and empower us all through your lived experiences.
Thank you so much for having me, Tyler, and thank you to all the educators out there forall that you do.
(01:03:12):
We need you and we're so happy you're here.
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