Special Announcement: Introducing Mirror by Swivl - a new tool made to recognize the potential of reflection in classrooms. We built Mirror to thrive with AI, reflect easier, and partner with teachers. I think Mirror is where you and your students are going to meet your potential self.

Click here to find everything you need to start exploring - and trying - Mirror today.

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The special guest on today's episode is Meghan Lawson, a former ELA teacher and author of the new book "Legacy of Learning: Teaching for Lasting Impact." Throughout this conversation, Meghan emphasizes the importance of experiences in developing passions and shares insightful quotes from people she admires or draws inspiration from. We discuss her own journey into education and how it grew into a deeper passion for the profession. Among what Meghan values, is the belief in creating meaningful experiences for both students and staff, ultimately empowering them to make a lasting impact.

Additionally, Meghan and Sara discuss adaptability, teacher support, and the need for honesty in education.

Key reflection: What is something that will always be true? Or What about yourself do only others usually see?

Chapters

(0:02:31) The unconventional path to becoming an educator

(0:04:12) From teacher to educational administration

(0:08:01) Addressing the experience and passion gaps in education

(0:11:30) The Importance of Adaptability and Experience

(0:14:31) Taking Care of Teachers and All Learners

(0:16:27) Choosing Doable Hard vs. Destructive Hard

(0:20:05) The Importance of Meaningful Conversation

(0:21:09) The Power of Face-to-Face Communication

(0:23:40) Inspiring Others through Meaningful Feedback

(0:30:04) The Changing Landscape of Education

(0:33:06) Taking a Closer Look at How We Talk About Education

(0:38:15) Reflecting on What Will Always Be True

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Links Mentioned:

Meghan on Twitter: @Meghan_Lawson

Meghan on the Web: Meghanlawson.com

Find us & join us:

Follow Sara Candela on Twitter at @Scandela9
Rate & Subscribe to The Optimalist Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, your favorite podcast player - or right here, on Substack - to get each episode as soon as it’s released.
Join our Community Discord server at https://discord.gg/SWhQ76mEZD

The Optimalist Podcast is brought to you by Swivl. At Swivl, we understand that the biggest challenge in education is the rate of change. Policy revisions, technological advancements (accelerated by AI), evolving job markets, and ongoing research constantly identifying new best practices are only some of the factors affecting the rate of change in education. To learn how Swivl can help you be more reflective, engaged, and adaptable - including Mirror, our newest tool for complete transformation - visit swivl.com. You can also follow us on Twitter.

Follow Swivl on Twitter at @Swivl F
Follow Swivl on Instagram at @goswivl

Credits:

Music: “Goodnight, Shapeshifter” by MusicForNothing, used under Creative Commons BY-ND 3.0.

Audio Editing & Production: Tim Belmont (@tbelmontedu)

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