Laurel Schmidt talks about her book Gardening in the Minefield: A Survival Guide for School Administrators. This is episode 524 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.

Laurel Schmidt is a lifelong educator (teacher, principal, district director), art lover, and writer. She's the author of a critically-acclaimed novel, How to Be Dead – A Love Story, and four non-fiction books on art, learning, and brain development. Today we will be focused on her book for school administrators - Gardening in the Minefield: A Survival Guide for School Administrators.

She's a nationally recognized expert who has helped thousands of docents and museum educators master the art of leading dynamic inquiry-based conversations that have museum visitors and students longing for more. 

Laurel also works with the education departments of numerous museums in Los Angeles and New York. She is a consultant to The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and co-author of Contemporary Art Start: A Curriculum Guide to Contemporary Art and Culture, published by MOCA in 1985. It is the centerpiece of an inquiry-based art education program. She is a consultant to the Guggenheim Museum, The Met and MoMA in New York City and presents at their annual Teacher Institute on The Arts. 

She was a member of the Education Advisory Board of the Natural History Museum and served for eight years on the Landmarks Commission in the City of Santa Monica, California. She has published numerous articles in national journals for parents, teachers and school leaders.

However, writing is her lifelong passion. She is the author of Seven Times Smarter: 50 Activities, Games and Projects to Develop the Multiple Intelligences in Your Child (Three Rivers Press, 2001), Gardening in the Minefield: A Survival Guide for School Administrators (Heinemann, 2002), and Classroom Confidential: 50 Things Great Teachers Do Behind Closed Doors, and Putting the Social Back in Social Studies (Heinemann, 2007). Laurel is also a consultant, university lecturer and professional development specialist.

Laurel received a BA in Art from Mt. Saint Mary’s College and a Masters Degree in Art History from California State University in Northridge. Her thesis was on contemporary photorealism. She also studied art history at Oxford University. 

When not writing, she enjoys painting, reading, watching good films and happy hour with friends.  She lives with her writer husband, Durnford King, in Santa Monica, California. Next life---Paris. For more information, please consult: www.laurelschmidt.com 

Some extra information before you go...

The new intro and outro music was written and performed by Brian K. Buffington.

Connect with Brian at [email protected] or go to his website at 

https://briankbuffington.com/

He is an awesome musician, comedic power, teacher, trainer, technology guru, and overall creator of all that is cool.

Thanks, Brian!

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Connect & Learn More:

https://laurelschmidt.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Laurel-J.-Schmidt/e/B001IU0D08%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_shar

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CG4L3WT/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

[email protected]

Episode 496 - How to be Dead

Length - 01:29:58