When I am home, I am a Laufenberg... and people know what that means. Being from a tiny town in rural Wisconsin has a balanced set of +'s and -'s, but anonymity is non-existent. Who you are is as much determined by your family as it is by your individual identity. I come from a family of talkers. So when I say I am a Laufenberg it means (partially) that I'm a talker. A storyteller. I've been lucky enough to be welcomed into schools and conferences throughout the US and abroad to tell stories of learning, living, the intersection of institution and possibility. Below are some examples of the themes I speak to with the perspective of 15 years in the classroom and a lifetime of thinking like a farm kid. In the era of pandemic shifts, I have continued to deliver keynotes and presentations, remotely to great success.

  • Embracing Failure

  • On Being Resilient

  • Creating the Classrooms We Need

  • Learning Visually: Data Visualization in the Classroom

  • Thematic Teaching: Practical Examples from the History Classroom

  • Growing your Network

  • Experiential Education: Education as Real Life