Category: Uncategorized

Seeing the Good

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn Uncategorized

Education is a busy place to be. You recognize that your days and minutes are precious because you have a tremendous responsibility resting on your shoulders. Afterall, you have been chosen and entrusted by your organization to see the good and bring out the best in those you serve. Learning ecosystems are inundated with a plethora of priorities and how you navigate them will become the blueprint that guides your course. I am pretty sure you do not take the sentiments above lightly. Look inside yourself, your fundamental beliefs will shape the actions you choose to take. Your personal belief systems are the lens that enhance your vision, bringing your purpose and the people who surround you into sharper focus. 

See People For Who They Can Be

As leaders and educators it always feels important to see people for who they are and who they can be. Everyone has greatness living inside them, it will just take the right people, at the right time to water the seeds that already exist and help them flourish. We are all part of something bigger than ourselves. Simon Sinek shared, “There are only two ways to influence human behavior. You can manipulate it or you can inspire it.” When you willingly give your heart and mind to others, they can contribute meaningfully to something that matters. Since the nature of our jobs is complex, I try to check in with others and ask, How are you doing? When I ask this question, I mean it. I want to hear an honest response, because I am ready to be there to support it.

The Reality of the Work

When I opened my calendar this week, I quickly realized I needed to be in several places across my school district and simultaneously complete projects that are essential to my work. My days are usually filled with observations, department meetings, professional learning experiences, impromptu meetings, and anything else you can possibly think of. You know what I am referring to, because your days most likely mirror mine, but manifest differently. Yesterday, I noticed that I needed to be in two places at once. And, I really needed and wanted to be at both places. At that moment, I actually asked myself the question, Lauren, how are you doing? I’ll admit, for a few minutes, I wasn’t doing that great, but I wanted to work through that feeling and start seeing the good.

When I got to work in the morning, I sat at my desk, turned on my device and stared at my calendar waiting for a solution to come into focus. In one place I needed to be, I was leading work involving the creation of a resource that will have an immediate impact teaching and learning with a team of teachers. In the other place, I would be in a space collaborating with other administrators on an idea we’d like to pilot. Although I had not been as involved in preparing for that particular project (I have to give my curriculum team colleagues credit for doing more of the thinking for that work), I knew I wanted to be there to learn and think things through with the team.

Then, what I have always believed in, came to the forefront of my mind. When I stepped into education, I realized that our work doesn’t have to get done in silos. The only way to innovate is to recognize that we need each other to create, plan, and execute ideas. With that, I thought about the teams I have to support me in carrying out these responsibilities. I am continually working towards being the leader that trusts people to make decisions and want other educators to know that their contributions are valuable and make a difference.

That said, here are the three solutions that came to mind as I navigated the challenges of trying to be in more than one place:

Create Systems: Leading is about being intentional in your influence. When you plan well and create systems for work to flourish and transcend, it will continue without your presence. Share your goals with the team. Create a system in which they can go through the process to produce a quality product. For the particular project I am referring to, I did a lot of pre-work like creating digital folders for the teachers to upload and store high-quality resources in an organized way. Additionally, I explicitly stated the goals for our time together and laid out a foundation of ideas in a digital template to spark the thinking of more ideas. This was a learning space where thinking can evolve and the team could add more ideas. When I was able to create this system, I knew I could leave this particular meeting and go to the other knowing the quality work would still get done.

Trust People: Goethe said, “Treat people as they are, and they will remain as they are. Treat people as they can, and should be, and they will become as they can, and should be.” As a leader, I want to model what I’d like to see, be the first to listen, admit I’m wrong or unsure. I want to create as much transparency as I can, give someone the benefit of the doubt, show respect, and always assume positive intent. I also ask, what is the worst that can happen if something goes wrong? Chances are the worst is fixable. That said, put trust in people and let them do the work. When people develop results within the systems that have been created, they feel ownership and pride to achieve even better results in the future.

Let Go: As leaders, when we decide to put the trust in others, we also have to be willing to let go and give our teams their wings. As my good friend, Sean Gaillard would say, “Always see the good, Lauren.” How you lead is ultimately how you will grow the people around you. People thrive in working in flexible, interdependent teams. This helps them have support when they productively struggle through a learning experience. When I work with educators, I recognize they are in different places on the learning continuum. That’s okay. I love the idea of letting go for all. The people who are doing are the ones who are learning. When you see the good everyone can bring to the work, people feel interconnected and empowered to want to see it through.

Seeing the Good

When I left one meeting with teachers to go to the other meeting yesterday, a colleague who was walking into the same meeting said, Lauren, what are you doing here? I thought you had another meeting.” I smiled and replied, “Well, I do. The teachers are good, they are working as we speak and now I can be in two places at once!” Then, we walked into the school building where I was an assistant principal last year to attend the other meeting. While I was chatting with my colleagues about our day, a familiar 5th-grade student came running up to me and said, “Mrs. Kaufman, YOU’RE HERE! How are you doing Mrs. Kaufman? I mean, how are you REALLY doing?” I smiled big at this gesture from a student and responded, “Brian, I am doing well…in fact, I’ve never been better, I’m seeing the good!”

The Leader Inside

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values, 2. Ethics and Professional Norms, 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel, 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff, Professional Standards For Educational Leaders, Uncategorized

Leadership is a choice. It rests on the shoulders of influence and inspiration, not compliance and control. Leadership is not a title, it’s an opportunity to recognize the greatness that lives inside others. It’s not about taking the credit for the work, but giving it to others. Leadership is about inspiring others to cultivate confidence in themselves so they can breathe life into ideas that will awaken their soul. Leadership is harnessing the gifts that are manifesting within. It’s letting others recognize their potential by planting seeds that they can nurture and grow.

Salute the Person

Growing up, I had leaders all around me. My Dad was one of them. He was and still is a well-respected educator who put people first. As a matter of fact, since he was an educator in the town I grew up in, we could not stop at a local restaurant or store without his former students running up to him and thanking him for his kindness, support, and the lessons learned from his classes. I still live where I grew up and the first thing people ask me is, “How is your Dad, Lauren? Please send him my best, he had a positive impact on me.” Although my Dad didn’t hold a formal leadership title, I always knew that he was a leader who left a legacy of influence in the hearts and minds of the students and colleagues he served. I also know that he learned this from his father who was a leader in his community and spent a lot of his time giving back to people who were less fortunate than him. As I journeyed through my childhood, teen, and adult years, I still turned to my Dad for advice. One of the pieces of advice he continues to share is, “Lauren, leaders salute the person, not the title. There is a leader inside us all.”

As I have navigated 17 years in education, those words actively live in my mind. I am a natural observer of people. I take great interest in what others say, do, and act on. I look closely at the body language, reactions, and responses of others. I try to understand others perspectives and have empathy for the hidden stories I cannot see. When truly reflecting on the people I have saluted throughout my life in any capacity, the common gifts they possess are their ability to lead through inspiration. I can still hear and see the leaders who didn’t limit my potential, instead, they fueled it. When I formally stepped into leadership, I often reflect on the experiences that shaped the leader I am becoming.

Three actions that have inspired me to unleash the leader inside:

Trusting People: My 5th grade teacher saw the leader inside of me. She recognized a shy girl’s potential to lead and support others. She chose me to take on the responsibility of being a 1st- grade class helper. Every Friday, I woke up in the morning with some extra pep in my step. I knew that I would be spending a period in Ms. Miller’s 1st-grade classroom where she gave me the responsibility of facilitating a small reading group. It felt so good to feel important, to sit in front of a group of students and model what it meant to be a good reader even though I was a reader who had challenges of my own. Looking back, I think my 5th-grade teacher knew that I lacked confidence with reading and asked a 1st-grade teacher to let me lead this work so I could develop confidence of my own. In the book Trust and Inspire by Stephen Covey, he shares, “Operating with a trust and inspire mindset means you manage things and you lead people.” When we lead people by elevating them, it helps them to recognize their strengths. They may not see the power of that move in the moment, but will eventually recognize its impact.

Asking Good Questions: Recently, my superintendent shared an article with our leadership team during a professional learning session titled, “A Beautiful Question” by Jim Knight. Knight shares, “Good questions are real manifestations of your curiosity and caring. Good questions are like intellectual fireworks, leading to explosions of ideas and more learning for the questioner and the conversation partner.” Although I highly recommend reading the article, there are really two ideas I want to highlight. One is that my superintendent is masterful at planting seed ideas within the people she serves. She is always sharing resources, quotes, and thoughts that spark collaboration and innovation among her team. I have seen this happen through a simple group text message. All she has to do is share an article in a text and ask one question, “What do you think?” This brings me to my 2nd idea and that is that great questions can lead to more creation and meaningful conversations. Once the article is in the group text, it takes minutes before there is an explosion of back and forth conversation in the text thread between her leadership team. I have seen the new ideas get implemented only days after the intellectual fireworks commenced! She is leveraging our intellectual power and elevating the leaders inside us.

Choosing Words Wisely: When bringing out the leader in people, we must recognize the powerful impact words have on ourselves and others. In the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, there is a chapter titled, Be Impeccable With Your Words: Thanks to ChatGPT, I curated some of the quotes from the chapter:

  1. “The words we speak create our reality.”
  2. “Whatever we swear to, we create the truth.”
  3. “The word is a force, and it can create happiness or suffering.”
  4. “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.”
  5. “The way we communicate can either heal or destroy.”
  6. “The first agreement is the key to everything, because it opens the door to the other three agreements.”
  7. “Be impeccable with your word, and you will avoid your word becoming a poison that destroys yourself and others.”

Everyone’s perception is their reality. As leaders, when we are mindful of the words we use, we can better help others recognize the leader that lives inside them. You can help others shape the perception of themselves by positively communicating ideas, intention, purpose, and instill happiness that leads to bringing out the best in those you serve. Those actions directly impact every stakeholder in your organization and at the heart of it all, students.

Moving Forward

When you salute the person and not the title, there is greater potential to find more leaders living among us. You have the potential to rekindle and ignite the spirit and joy within others. Great leaders inspire others to have confidence inside themselves. People yearn to be inspired. Breathe life into their gifts and ideas and show them the leader that awaits inside.

Time Matters

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values, 10. School Improvement, 2. Ethics and Professional Norms, Professional Standards For Educational Leaders, Uncategorized

Your Time Matters

Have you ever arrived to the end of a day and wondered what happened to the moments in between? Education is a busy space filled with interactions and frames of time that bridge ideas and fill your perceptions with the way you can approach action. As new ideas and challenges arise, the minutes in your calendar fill up rapidly. As you navigate your days, finding peace and contentment with how your time is spent can seem like a challenge. Watching the empty spaces of time on your calendar disappear can push you to prioritize the space in the minutes in between to connect with others, reflect, create, implement, and refine ideas.

Landing Your Feet on the Ground

You most likely have never had a week that wasn’t filled with important things. That is because the work you do for kids is so important. You may find it to be a constant struggle to plant your feet firmly on the ground. That is because in education your feet never stay in one place. There are also going to be those days when you get pushed off balance. It will be clear to you how you intended to allot your time, transformed into something else that is out of your control. Does this sentiment sound familiar? What I am continuously learning is that every day can bring a fresh start to solidly land your feet on the ground again. You can approach the gift of time on a new day with renewed confidence and choose the way you spend your minutes despite the uncertainty some days may bring. 

Making the Time

For example, this week I had a lot of meetings in different places across my district. That meant that I needed to travel from one building to another frequently. I realized that I didn’t leave ample travel time on more than a few occasions. That also meant that towards the end of those particular meetings, I found myself trying to stay more in the moment because I had already started thinking about getting to the next one. Then, when I arrived at my new destination, I had little time to settle in, recalibrate, and collect my thoughts. During one of the meetings, I received a text from a teacher who knew I was in her building. “Lauren, I’d love you to come by my classroom to see something my students did if you have time.” I immediately looked at my watch and seconds later identified that I had three minutes to get to this classroom before traveling to my next meeting. The thought never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t get there because seeing teachers and students is the most important part of the way I spend my time. When my meeting concluded, I basically ran to this teacher’s classroom. “Look Lauren, I wanted to show you that the whole grade level participated in the “One Word” activity for the New Year. We explained to them that this is a word they will focus on as they work towards meeting their social, emotional, and academic learning goals. Remember when you shared this with us last year? We’ve hung them all in the hallway and the students are always keeping their One Word at home.” My goodness. Of course I had remembered sharing this activity the year before, but never thought about the strength of its influence. Those three unexpected minutes suddenly turned into the most important part of my day. In making space for those minutes, a teacher shared that an instructional practice I shared had become a grade-level tradition and more importantly, left a positive impact on kids.

Three Ideas to Make Space for Time

There will always be a lot on the “to do” list. You know what I am talking about! This made me pause and think about three ways I will continue to schedule my time. I will look for ways to:

Prioritize People – If you are working towards continuous improvement in the work you are doing, keeping the focus on developing relationships, listening to people, and cross pollinating ideas is the best investment in time. In the book The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros, he shares, “It is easy to lock yourself in your office, connect with people on Twitter, and appear from your room with some great idea or new thing…if you have lost focus on and connection with people in your building, even if you offer new ideas, they might not be embraced by those you lead.” It is vital to be visible and spend time learning from the teachers and students who are in the classrooms to create a better tomorrow.

Keep Goals in Focus – Look where you focus your time and energy. Are you filling your calendar with meetings that aren’t in line with district and building priorities? Who is involved and how will the use of that time impact the kids and colleagues you serve in positive ways? Are the conversations in these meetings learner focused? These questions may help you review your calendar in more critical ways. What meetings should stay and what can you do to eliminate the minutes that aren’t aligned with your goals and priorities?

Be More Responsive and Less Reactive – Think about this… what items on your calendar need to get done now and what can wait until later? Are the items in your calendar an intentional response to the important things you are working on? Will the meetings really solve a potential challenge or will they be a quick reaction, a band aid for an existing issue that requires more purposeful attention? I have found that being in spaces with proactive people who are more responsive and less reactive is beneficial because you are working together to take action on important things in intentional ways. When you are able to work with people who celebrate the good things, maintain a consistent vision, and identify potential concerns, you are positioned in solutions oriented spaces of time.

Moving Forward

Your days are filled with chances. Push yourself to take a closer look at how you make space for meaningful moments of time. Examining each day with fresh eyes will cultivate your commitment to capture your own time with greater intention and purpose. Time matters.

It’s the Small Things

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Have you ever thought about how your personal evolution and the path to transformation exists in the small things? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Happiness doesn’t just exist in where we are, it lives in what we do to get there. Recently, I have been reflecting on how the latter part of 2021, looks and feels very different for me than the beginning. This time last year, you’d find me back in a classroom teaching reading to 6-8 grade students in the midst of a pandemic. A year later, I am a grateful assistant principal who is working with a new team, students, and community in the midst of a pandemic. Although my role has changed, I am the same person at the core. I have the same heart and passion for what I do. I recognize that it’s the small things that have contributed to endless refinement and continuous improvement towards the educator I am becoming. It’s the small things that have illuminated my love for education and the constant pursuit to be better for the people I serve.

Small Wins

You see, it’s the small wins that add up to the big things. When you love what you do, you have the motivation to remain courageous in your convictions. Even the setbacks you experience have the potential to become aha moments that fuel new ideas and catapult your drive for the person you wish to become. It’s the small things that pave the way to the big things. It could be the people you meet along the way; they may have taken the time to listen to your dreams, your ideas, and validate what you believe in and what you stand for. Those are the same people who probably told you “You can”. Those small things may have been a smile, a nod, a note, a glimmer of encouragement, a push into pursuing opportunities you didn’t know were waiting for you. Those small things may have helped you say yes to yourself and encouraged you to shatter the walls of fear as you were fervently finding your way. Maybe that small thing was someone who used the words “No, you can’t”. Thank that person for that, this was your opportunity to embrace every ounce of self-doubt to ignite determination and hope on the road to achieving personal growth.

It’s the Small Things

Small moves breathe new meaning into a year. In the book Atomic Habits, James Clear says, “We often dismiss small changes because they don’t seem to matter much in the moment.” Looking back in time, there were a lot of small things I didn’t savor in the moment. It’s the small things that led me to the place I am in today; they are rooted in a collection of interactions I’ve had with people, family, friends, students, and colleagues. The gradual evolution of becoming yourself is wrapped up in small things that happen over time. My friend Sean Gaillard recently shared a small thing, a simple sentiment in a tweet, “consider the possibilities”. Take a moment to look beyond your immediate surroundings… look for the small things in new people and possibilities on the horizon. Where are you now and where do you want to be in a year?

Harnessing the Minutes

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values, 10. School Improvement, 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel, 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff, Professional Standards For Educational Leaders, Uncategorized

Minutes are Meaningful

The first few months of school are suddenly behind us, but the collection of details from our loaded days are left in mind memory boxes that are waiting to be courageously unwrapped. Sometimes we wonder how time can just pass us by along with the magical moments that transpire in every minute of our days. I have seen educators approach those minutes in the day with courage, conviction, passion, perseverance, pride, and joy for what they were always destined to do. And now that we’ve settled in, the compilation of memories from our first few months is waiting for us to view them through questions of reflection when the timing is right. Sometimes, when we experience the moments in a day in real-time, it is difficult to see the depth of our impact. Sometimes we are not sure if what we are saying and doing matters. As educators, our jobs are to help people see the strength of their influence, the power of their presence, and the significance of the imprints they leave in the hearts and minds of the lives they touch. 

Pause to Reflect

Educators do so much on a daily basis to meet the needs of all of their learners, that it could be challenging to absorb the meaningful moments that manifest over the course of a day. It would be easy to let them just pass you by. Pausing to reflect on the big and small wins can motivate us to share stories and build momentum in others. In the book Innovate Inside the Box by George Couros and Katie Novak, Couros discusses the importance of looking back on your educational journey, “You’ll look back and see how you’ve changed and how your practice has improved. In a profession where learning is the focus of our job, growth is essential and the target is always moving.” How can we create space and time for educators to pause and reflect on their daily interactions with the multitude of people, tasks, and experiences they encounter across the minutes of a day? It doesn’t have to be a formal interaction. Perhaps it’s a hallway conversation, a simple email exchange of ideas, a text, a lunch conversation…  Could those reflections spark new and better ideas for the colleagues, students, and communities we serve?

Some questions I’ve been thinking about:

  1. What are some ways we can leverage relationships to create meaningful opportunities to discuss the moments that matter?
  2. How can we better trust our instincts to “feel” that we are on the right path?
  3. When can we utilize and maximize the expertise of our colleagues to build capacity within?
  4. Can we recognize our cognitive blindspots by inviting people with different perspectives into our conversations?
  5. How can we work to feel more comfortable with acknowledging what we don’t know to personally and professionally grow?

Harnessing the Minutes

George is right, the target IS always moving and we have to be intentional about the way we approach our reflections and practice as educators. My friend Meghan Lawson says that “small moves can have big impact.” I have been sharing this sentiment with colleagues because when we talk about teaching and learning, we don’t always have to make big shifts to see growth.   Our students are the key drivers of our decision-making. They will tell us where we need to go and it’s usually the small moves that catapult them to success. Time moves fast, don’t wait too long to harness the idea of reflection and embrace the meaningful minutes in your days as an investment in yourselves, your colleagues, and the greatest gifts, your learners. What you do matters.

Because of a Teacher

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn 5. Community of Care and Support for Students, 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel, 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff, Uncategorized4 Comments

School Memories

From the moment you enter school, you are faced with experiences that will impact the trajectory of your life. These memories shape your identity and help you reflect on decisions you choose to make. When those doors open, every interaction big and small has the potential to become a story. These are the stories that live in your heart and mind and will ultimately be passed down from one generation to the next. These stories are the legacies educators leave behind as they have the greatest gift, the gift of creating meaningful moments that set their students on a path to self-discovery. These moments can unlock your potential and leave footprints in the hearts of those you serve. Can you visualize and feel the moments I am talking about? Can you remember a special educator who influenced your world and altered the course of your journey? Do you have a compelling urge to pass down that goodness by recreating those pivotal experiences that live and thrive within?

I have…

Because of a Teacher

Because of a teacher, I live my life by leading with empathy and kindness.

Because of a teacher, I understand the value of connection and cultivating strong relationships with the people who cross my path.

Because of a teacher, I can be vulnerable. I can name and feel my emotions and navigate them with intention and purpose. 

Because of a teacher, I am not afraid to capitalize on my curiosity, pursue my passions, and embrace the learning process.

Because of a teacher, I know that I will meet more teachers over the course of my life that will recognize and help me share my gifts, so I can bring out the best gifts in others.

The Universe Speaks

Two years ago, the universe connected me with George Couros, learner, speaker, author, and innovative leader in the education field. He encouraged me to write. He encouraged me to share my learning through blogging. He has always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. As a result, he has become a great mentor, friend, and teacher.

When George asked me to contribute to his new book #BecauseOfATeacher among other leaders in education, educators whom I respect, admire, and adore, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity. As I had gotten to know many of the authors who contributed to this book, I knew that the stories were going to be unique and special. These are the kinds of stories that tug on your heart strings and evoke layers of emotion. This is the kind of book that will remain a constant on nightstands, coffee tables and bookshelves and will truly stand the test of time. And now that the book has come to fruition, it is evident that this compilation of stories will surely make you laugh, cry, and feel ALL of the feels. They will remind EVERY educator, new, veteran, and everyone in between why they got into this beautiful profession!

My Greatest Hope

My greatest hope is that this cherished book will be the epicenter of book studies around the world, reflecting on your personal stories, educational journeys, and the impact and influence you can have on learners. My greatest hope is that it will make it’s way into your hands, the hands of every educator as well as educators you’d like to thank. Maybe it’s because that educator was a constant source of happiness and inspiration in your life. Maybe it’s because that educator gave you a smile when you needed it the most. Maybe it’s because that educator unleashed the greatness they saw inside of you. Maybe it’s because that educator believed in you when you felt like no one else did. Let this book be a reminder that #BecauseOfATeacher, you are better.

We can’t wait to hear what you think! After reading each story, post a quote, a thought, and/or idea. Tag the authors and use the hashtag #BecauseOfATeacher! We can’t wait to read what you share!

Contributing Authors:

Dr. Jody Carrington
Steve Bollar
Deidre Roemer
Dr. Mary Hemphill
Tom Murray
Dr. Katie Novak
Amber Teamann
Dwight Carter
Dr. Katie Martin
Lainie Rowell
Stephanie Rothstein
Livia Chan
Evan Whitehead
Lauren Kaufman
Meghan Lawson

A Global Learning Experience with John Hattie: Quotes to Ignite Discussion

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values, 10. School Improvement, 3. Equity and Cultural Responsiveness, 4. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, 5. Community of Care and Support for Students, 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel, 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff, Uncategorized

Bridging the Distance

Professional learning is in a constant state of transformation due to an ever-changing educational landscape. Great educators are finding innovative ways to learn and connect with others in order to expand a repertoire of their possible selves. They are bridging the distance and shattering the walls of isolation by way of various technological platforms; no matter what time zone or part of the world they live in, they can instantly be in the same virtual learning space; all they have to do is have the desire and intrinsic motivation to want to learn from others, be open to new and better ideas, be interested in finding out what they don’t know, and seek out the perspectives and voices of others. 

A Global Learning Experience

Recently, global educator Naomi Toland, founder of #Empathetic_Educators seamlessly brought great educators together from around the world by creating 12 hours of LIVE professional learning during the 1st #EEConQuest event. Sessions were facilitated by educators who shared their expertise about a wide range of topics and engaged in meaningful dialogue. The trend in all of the conversations over the course of the day was clear: Educators are looking to expand their impact and influence over the most precious stakeholders in education – their learners. 

I had the privilege and opportunity to co-host a Q & A with Naomi, featuring special guest John Hattie, Professor of Education and Director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, Australia. The magic of technology brought educators from 4 parts of the world including New York, Japan, Thailand, and Australia together in one space. As a result, this event stretched my thinking and invited new understandings into my approaches to teaching and learning.

Quotes that Ignite Discussion

I am grateful to be able to share a short clip and a collection of John Hattie quotes that emerged from our global conversation. Consider using them to pique curiosity, ignite discussion within your professional learning communities and beyond, and reflect on what it means to be a teacher AND learner:

Video quote to think about: “How do we stop looking for failure and trying to fix it and how do we instead look for success?”

#EEConQuest John Hattie Quotes to Ignite Discussion – CLICK HERE to print discussion card

Some Questions I’m Thinking About as a Result of this Conversation

How can we create learning spaces that encourage productive struggle and empower learners to be their own teachers? What resources can we continue to utilize to meet learners where they are, accurately assess their progress, make them aware of the standards, learning targets, and their personal learning goals? When can we create time and space to give learners ongoing, cyclical, relevant feedback to move their learning forward? How can we ensure that learners are processing the feedback educators provide, understand it thoroughly, and implement it in their everyday learning? How can school leaders create protected time for educators to come together to regularly reflect on the innovative practices they have learned over the past year and discuss how they plan on utilizing those practices in their physical spaces? What effects do poor grades on transcripts have on learners? How can we focus more on what learners can do and not what they can’t do? Are we making sure that there is active learning transpiring in our classrooms that leads to deeper learning and transfer? Are we utilizing the gradual release of responsibility at the right times?

Unlocking the Joy of Discovery

We cannot overlook the opportunities that have been afforded to us through technological advances. As we navigate a global society that is saturated with people who bring their personal experiences, knowledge, and curiosity to learning spaces, we recognize the value of powerful conversations. These are the conversations that unlock the joy of discovery and create learning zones that continually shape our identities, belief systems, and reveal new possibilities.

Mentorship Matters: 6 Ways to Explore Reverse Mentorship in Education-Series 4

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values, 10. School Improvement, 3. Equity and Cultural Responsiveness, 4. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel, 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff, Uncategorized

This blog series is being written from my perspective as I am a Mentor Coordinator K-12 in a school district in Long Island, N.Y. I will share my experiences as my mission and vision are to continuously develop a Mentor Program that will build a strong foundation to support educators during their first years of teaching and for the rest of their educational journeys. Refer to the Mentor Program tabs,#LBLeads 2019-2020 and#LBLeads 2020-21 in my digital portfolio as a window into my experiences. Refer to my previous blogs in this series titled Mentorship Matters: 8 Tips for Developing a Strong Mentor Program-Series 1 and Mentorship Matters: The 6 Cs to Successful Mentor/Mentee Relationships-Series 2, and Mentorship Matters: 8 Pieces of Advice for New Teachers-Series 3 for insight into how to develop a strong Mentor Program, cultivate Mentor/Mentee relationships, and provide advice for new teachers.

School districts who place an emphasis on valuing the teacher induction process understand that there is a huge return on investment for committing time, passion, and dedication to our newest teachers. In turn, this will develop social and professional capital, build teacher efficacy, and open learning portals of potential; these portals pave the way to growing solid educational foundations that influence the eternal impact on the most precious gifts in a school system, our students. The careful pairing of mentors and mentees is a critical component to ensuring that great teachers are retained and are destined to embark on long meaningful careers.

Bridging Knowing Gaps 

Great school districts also recognize that new teachers come with their own unique gifts. It is an obligation to collectively work together to recognize and cultivate those areas of expertise so that those practices can be shared within their own educational communities and beyond! In the Mentor Program I facilitate in my school district, I always discuss that the partnership between the mentor and mentee is symbiotic in nature. Although veteran teachers have so much knowledge to impart on their mentees, the relationship is mutually beneficial as the mentor and mentee can both dedicate time to share their strengths, bridge generational lenses, and fill respective knowing gaps with fresh perspectives.

What is Reverse Mentorship?

In a recent #Read2Lead Twitter Chat I moderated with Ellen O’Neill, the topic #MentorshipMatters invited Stephanie Rothstein to participate and introduce me to the idea of Reverse Mentorship in this tweet:

Her tweet led me to Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead podcast with guest Patrice Gordon, followed by her Ted Talk about Reverse Mentorship. After listening to the brilliance in both, I learned that Reverse Mentorship can bridge the gap between generations in the workforce. It is when an organization recognizes that new team members have the opportunity to mentor more veteran ones in pursuit of teaching them new skills, knowledge, and understanding as they navigate their roles within a system. Usually in mentorship a more senior staff member is recognized as the more experienced person in the professional relationship, however, Reverse Mentorship acknowledges the idea that there are learning curves on both sides and each person can address their areas for growth with the help of the other’s strengths. According to Gordon, this is a unique opportunity for organizations to model inclusivity and amplify the voices of underrepresented people within a system. In her Ted Talk, Gordon also states that in order for Reverse Mentorship to work, “You have to be genuinely curious about learning from that individual and you have to be intentional about the relationship in order to make it valuable.” In this Ted Talk, Gordon discusses 6 ways to make reverse mentorship work in business organizations. These ideas served as a framework of inspiration as I thought about ways to transform them to the idea of Reverse Mentorship in education.

Here are 6 Ways to Explore Reverse Mentorship in Education:

*Before exploring the Reverse Mentorship experience, it will be important to meet with your mentor/mentee pairs to explain what Reverse Mentorship is and why it can be valuable for the growth and development of educators within the organization. Having continuous follow-up meetings to reflect on the experience will be an important part of the process as you work to refine it over time so everyone involved can reach their maximum potential! Realistically, this pivot from the traditional mentorship approach may only take place in dedicated slots of time within the mentoring experience.

  1. Thoughtful Pairings:  The Mentor Coordinator can work with administrative team members who have a pulse on the organization to thoughtfully pair new teacher mentors with a veteran teacher who would be open to embarking on this unique experience of mentorship. In order to make sure the match is right there must be chemistry and genuine enthusiasm for leadership development. For Reverse Mentorship, you may consider pairing the new veteran teacher with someone who has  different perspectives than their own.
  1. Develop Norms: Consider finding a place to meet in a comfortable location and agree that your conversations will be confidential. If you are the mentee (in this case the more veteran educator), you may want to discuss what you plan to learn from the experience. For example, the senior teacher may inquire about how to better use technology to elevate their instructional practices or how to use digital portfolios to track student learning over time.
  1. Share Stories: There are many facets to who we are as people. Being an educator is only one part of our life. Share who you are, what you have in common, your goals, hopes for the future and pivot toward talking about things that make you different from one another. Your stories will bind you as people, illuminate who you are at your core, and shed light on pieces of you that may be important for the other person to know.
  1. Maintain Roles: In order to give Reverse Mentoring a real chance, try to remember that the newer staff member should be the one doing the mentoring in those specific conversations. Realistically, it may be an approach to take during dedicated slots of time. If this happens, remind one another that the senior staff member is there to receive the advice that is targeted towards the goals that were established when norms were developed. These are the moments where the newer teachers’ insights and contributions are highlighted in the conversation.
  1. Revisit and Reflect: We know that education and learning is an infinite process. It is essential to make time for reflection. What are the key takeaways from each session? Use the time at the end, use follow-up emails, and/or send video reflection videos to one another with the progress that has transpired to meet the learning goals. Revise your course if needed!
  1. Give Credit: In a traditional mentoring relationship, giving recognition to the mentor and mentee is valuable to the growth of both parties. In reverse mentorship, it is also important to give the senior teacher credit for taking risks, opening their minds to new ideas from the newer teacher, and disrupting the status quo. Furthermore, the newer staff member deserves credit for having the confidence to lead and share their expertise with the senior staff member. This is a win-win as both the mentor and mentee will feel valued!

The Benefits of Reverse Mentorship

Some of the benefits of exploring Reverse Mentoring are that organizations have an opportunity to build a strong culture of learning, develop leadership skills within new team members, close generational gaps, understand different perspectives, embrace inclusivity, enhance communication skills, and elevate the confidence of all stakeholders. Gordon closes her Ted Talk by sharing, “Forward thinking organizations use reverse mentoring as one of the tools to help them build a more inclusive environment and studies have shown that when organizations embrace reverse mentoring members of those underrepresented groups feel more confident sharing their perspectives.” We have an opportunity to leave a legacy within the organizations we live in by disrupting the status quo, touching people’s hearts, and empowering them to believe in themselves despite how long they have served in their roles.

4 Ways to Spark Written Conversations with Dialogue Journals

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn 4. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, 5. Community of Care and Support for Students, 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel, Professional Standards For Educational Leaders, Uncategorized

This post is inspired by the book The Best-Kept Teaching Secret: How Written Conversations Engage Kids, Activate Learning, Grow Fluent Writers . . . K-12 (Corwin Literacy) by  Harvey “Smokey” Daniels and Elaine Daniels

Learning and Shifting

Over the last year, every educator on the planet has learned a great deal about themselves, their students, and new ways to teach and implement instructional practices. During a global pandemic, they have graciously rolled up their sleeves, taken risks, and have connected with learners in innovative and meaningful ways. They have mined a variety of digital learning management systems, discovered new technological tools to elevate instruction, and have truly “showed up” for their students, colleagues, families, and communities! As the world shifts back to some sense of normalcy, educators across the country and beyond are beginning to reconnect with learners as they acclimate to the physical spaces they have always called home.

Challenges are Opportunities

During the most challenging times, educators have also found creative ways to rally learners, structure meaningful conversations, leverage intentional dialogue, and create a sense of psychological safety in their virtual and physical learning spaces. As educators and learners transition back to traditional learning environments, more than ever, it is recognized how the impact of human interaction can influence connection and elevate the social, emotional, and academic growth of students. Educators will continuously look for ways to create purposeful learning opportunities that strengthen relationships, cultivate connection, and manifest greatness within every learner they encounter. Life’s unexpected challenges are windows of opportunities waiting to be explored. That being said, “How can educators foster meaningful communication, reconnect with learners and create spaces where students experience deep, meaningful learning?” For me, dialogue journals have been a powerful way to tap into my students’ hearts, learn more about their passions and interests and monitor their learning in purposeful, intentional ways.

What Are Dialogue Journals?

Dialogue Journals are low stakes written conversations between two or more people. It is an authentic way to get every learner ‘talking’ regardless of their introverted or extroverted personality types. This experience holds all learners accountable to connect with peers and teachers, promote thinking and discussion about various content and topics. Additionally, learners build writing fluency and stamina by informally writing in note form more often about many topics with a partner or group. This practice supports the development of relationships and builds stronger connections between teachers and peers. Teachers can utilize literature, informational text, video, podcasts, illustrations, photographs, science phenomena and/or free writing prompts to get learners to actively participate in this process. Learners will start with a question, comment, and/or thought about the topic by including content knowledge and content-specific vocabulary. They will respond to one another and should keep the dialogue going. I call this fast and furious writing! This is when you write for a long period of time without stopping! Learners should not worry about grammar or spelling. They should be able to get all of their ideas out freely. 

Benefits of Dialogue Journals

  • Builds connection and relationships between teacher to students and student to student.
  • Levels the playing field because all writers (teachers and students) are viewed as learners.
  • Fosters circles of psychological safety and trust within the classroom community.
  • Creates inclusive spaces where all learners voices and perspectives are heard in a written format.
  • Develops writing fluency and stamina since students are writing for a longer period of time during the back and forth conversation style writing.
  • Writers can respond to various print and digital content while they explore and show their knowledge about various content areas.
  • Formative Assessment: Although it’s not suggested that teachers grade dialogue journal writing as this can prevent writers from writing fast and furiously and develop the confidence to get their ideas out, teachers can notice trends in writing and plan instructional moves to use at another time (whole class, small group, one-to-one).
  • Teachers’  and other students’ writing becomes a mentor text for the students.
  • Teachers use this opportunity to provide on demand feedback and personalized instruction (i.e. a student is capitalizing proper nouns, using punctuation at the end of a sentence, adding details).

Grounded in ALL of the New York State NGLS Lifelong Practices For Writers

What Supplies Do You Need?

  • Notebook/Digital Document (Google Doc)
  • Pencil/Pen
  • Writing Prompts
  • Teacher and Student Active Participation

How Can Writers Respond?

  • Make a comment
  • Ask a question
  • Share a connection
  • Agree and give reasons
  • Disagree and give reasons
  • Create illustrations/insert digital images

4 Ways to Spark Written Conversations with Dialogue Journals

Literature and Informational Text

Students can actively engage in reading, listening, and responding by utilizing a variety of diverse texts. Educators can use dialogue journals as an opportunity to read aloud or have the students independently read a plethora of novels, short stories, picture books, and articles that serve as launchpads for meaningful discussion. These written conversations about literature can evolve into talking more deeply about story elements such as character development, theme, setting, conflict, plot, and resolution. When writing about informational text, the conversations can develop around different topics in history or current events. Students may notice various text features and structures that help them make meaning of the text.

Photographs/Illustrations

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is a common expression many of us are familiar with. Visual media allows learners to analyze the details in images, talk about them, make observations, inferences, and generate questions. These images tap into a range of historical information and allow learners to make comparisons with the present and describe historical changes. They can also take on the perspectives of people in the past and develop their own wonderings. This can lead to inquiry and researching various topics in history in groups or independently. 

Short Video Clips

Video clips can be an engaging way to introduce new information, concepts, and often frame learning for students in a multi-model visual way. Videos are a great way to amplify and support understanding for all learners. Teachers will have to search video clips that are connected to students’ interests, pertinent themes, and topics that are relevant to the class. Video clips can be up to 7-10 minutes in length, but should not take too much time since the purpose of the clip is to inspire written conversation. Teachers can be selective as they want the video to make an impact and set the purpose for watching the video. Turn on closed captioning for learners too! This helps them access the digital content in a different way and invites them to read as they watch! 

Phenomena

When embarking on this experience, it is important to ground choices in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) because more than ever before, science education is central to our lives. Science literacy is critical to making sense of complex topics that affect our world. Science is at the heart of designing, innovating, and creating jobs for the future. Read here for more information on why Science Standards matter.

For a scientist, phenomena is an observable event (i.e. a fall/autumn day, slip/fall, organisms eating, seasonal patterns). By using phenomena, learners are motivated to use written conversation to explain a topic. The focus of learning shifts from learning about a topic to figuring out why or how something happens. The focus is not just on the phenomenon itself. It is the phenomenon plus the student-generated questions about the phenomenon that guides the written conversation. 

Find NGSS phenomena here

Peeling Back the Layers

Dialogue journals give every student an opportunity to make meaningful contributions in safe spaces, share their voice, and develop an empathetic lens when learning about different perspectives within their classroom and school communities. One-to-one written conversations are invitations to peel back layers of the heart and mind; they uncover beautiful personal stories learners are awaiting to be acknowledged and shared.

EXAMPLES OF STUDENT DIALOGUE JOURNALS

The Power of a #Hashtag

On By LaurenMKaufmanIn 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel, 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff, Personal Learning, Professional Standards For Educational Leaders, Uncategorized

Connections lead us to paths of growth and opportunity. When you least expect it, the invisible team members you were destined to know suddenly arrive. And in that space and time you know they were meant to be placed in your universe to elevate, transform, and partner in being a driving force towards your vision; the vision that tugs at your heart, keeps your spirit alive, and becomes so insistent that it keeps us reaching to those who can help us act on it.  -Lauren

Collaboration can generate a sense of belonging; physically, digitally, emotionally, mentally and so much more. Understanding our purpose and passion can be a lifelong mission that many strive for and finding others that speak our language can enhance that ever-changing journey. Connection to ourselves and those around us has been a central part of being human since the beginning of time and understanding this foundational pillar can help us foster authentic relationships on a local and global scale. – Naomi 

A connection is not something you try to find, true connection finds you. Connection builds bridges to hearts, minds, and stories. Connections are fueled by passions and our ability to think beyond ourselves. Connection creates circles of safety and trust. When we trust our instincts we are able to invite others to become more vulnerable in the spaces we create. It’s an opportunity to overcome our fears and embrace the moment. Trusting our instincts helps us gravitate towards connection and collaboration; it’s a feeling of wonder that sparks the curiosity that lives within. -Lauren

Curiosity, openness, and growth are all things that can help when creating foundations for known and unknown collaborations. For example, I was on a mission to connect with others who were sharing their learnings from George Couros’ book The #InnovatorsMindset. This is when I stumbled upon the fabulous co author of this post – Lauren Kaufman. This connection and the possibilities that have come about because of it really have taught me the power of a hashtag. – Naomi

When I opened the Twitter app on my iPhone in the early morning hours, I stumbled upon a message from an unfamiliar name in my inbox. Curiosity was the engine that awakened my tired eyes. As I read Naomi’s message, I could feel her positive spirit luring me into her world. My inner voice felt a sense of confusion. How could someone whom I’ve never met and lives across the world have the ability to stop my precious time, pause in the moment, and consider adding another commitment to my daily life plans? My intuition knows that surprise disruptors in our lives live as moments that lead us to paths of promise. Exploring new collaborations, partnerships, and friendships are gatekeepers to transformation. -Lauren

Sometimes walking up to a random stranger in the street can be very daunting or in some places a downright weird thing to do, which may result in more than just a dirty look. But online there is a different type of atmosphere where cold calling and sending a message to a stranger can be very much acceptable. This in itself can bring about positive and negative outcomes as we have seen across the world, keyboard warriors being created due to the disconnect and lack of empathy for the person on the other side of the screen. However, I have experienced the power of reaching out and speaking with someone I didn’t know and reaping the rewards of that leap of faith. Taking the risk and knowing that the power of many can be greater than the power of one. When I first entered into the Twitterverse, I didn’t know what to expect. I had only ever used social media for personal reasons and in my teacher training we were so aware of our ‘online presence’ that I didn’t know if it was even appropriate to be online. But the more I explored what Twitter and other platforms had to offer, the more I realised that there were an abundance of people and resources at my fingertips who I could learn and grow with. – Naomi 

“But Naomi, how did you find me in the midst of a crowded sea of strangers?” I asked. “Oh, it’s simple Lauren, I searched the hashtag #InnovatorsMindset and came across the work you had done with the book!” In that instant, my mental file cabinet traveled back in time to the moment I used the very same iPhone to retrieve Naomi’s message to search for a professional book I could utilize as a framework to guide conversations with the new teachers in the mentor program I was hired to facilitate. Before then, I had never heard of the book The #InnovatorsMindset and couldn’t have imagined the many powerful connections and opportunities I would cultivate because of the power of a hashtag! -Lauren

One of my passions is to connect with others and create spaces where people, from all different walks of life, can come together to feel safe and share their experiences. This is how #Empathetic_Educators was born. Since connecting, Lauren has been a guest and a cohost on the show alongside many others along the way. These connections have added value to the show beyond what I ever could have dreamed of. That leads me to one of my biggest lessons from the power of the hashtag. -Naomi

Life is not meant to be a solo sport. You’re playing on a team, but you may not necessarily know who all the players are yet. I think it is safe to say that there will be players on your timeline that you will start with, but not necessarily grow with. You will carry those connections with you because they have supported your personal and professional evolution; those connections have shaped your mission and have propelled you toward your ultimate purpose. Hold onto the faith that there are people who will become an important part of your life that you have not met yet. -Lauren

“We find that when we open up, people respond and accept us for what we are. Instead of feeling vulnerable we become free, alive, vibrant and awakened in ways we never experienced before.”

John Kehoe – Mind Power 

Just like the quote above implies, since joining the online community of educators inside and outside of schools I have been open to the endless possibilities that are available to us, if we just take the time to look. I am so grateful for the connections made in the ‘digital’ world but one of my other passions in life is travel and when the clouds start to lift and we can travel again I can not wait to continue allowing these relationships to flourish in ‘physical’ spaces too. I could not be more grateful for the support, guidance, laughter and connection that my online presence has gifted me. And now more than ever I feel like we should be helping our learners realise the positive potential the power of the hashtag can have. -Naomi

You cannot thrive in isolation. Collective thinking leads to innovation, creativity, and growth. I too am grateful for the invisible team members who were destined to place themselves in my path and join me on an infinite learning journey. Together, we are rowing towards a vision, exploring needed conversations, encountering new experiences, and provoking new thinking. In an ever changing global society, educators have a unique opportunity to model the power of connection, collaboration, and new possibilities they were destined to be a part of. They have the ability to show learners and educators alike how the power of a hashtag will connect you to the new teammates you were always meant to know! -Lauren

How have you felt the power of the hashtag? How can it be used positively to impact others? We would love to hear from you!

More about Naomi Toland:

Follow the hashtag #Empathetic_Educators

Follow Naomi on Twitter: @naomi_toland

Follow Naomi on Instagram: @naomi.m.t

Naomi’s website: www.naomitoland.com