Bio

Highlights:

• Special education technical assistance, instructional design, professional development, and coaching
• Masters in Neuroscience and Education from Columbia University
• Expertise in trauma-informed teaching, universal design for learning, social-emotional learning, culturally-responsive practices, and post-secondary transition planning

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Short bio

Trynia Kaufman is a technical assistance associate at Cornell University, Yang Tan Institute (YTI) on Employment and Disability. In her current role, she creates and facilitates professional development experiences and provides coaching for education specialists with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Special Education (OSE) Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) for Transition and Data.

Trynia has a wealth of experience in special education teaching, post-secondary transition services, and educational publishing. She is passionate about improving outcomes for students who have disabilities and those who hold other marginalized identities that are traditionally disadvantaged in education and economic systems. This goal has fueled Trynia’s interest in universal design for learning, trauma-informed teaching, culturally responsive practices, and the neuroscience of learning.

In 2024, Trynia published the book Overcoming the School Trauma Cycle: Academic and Emotional Supports for Struggling Learners.

Deep Dive

I’ve loved teaching ever since I was about 5 years old and my students were a hodgepodge of dolls and stuffed animals. (I didn’t have any younger siblings.) When I grew up, people who knew me were surprised I didn’t immediately go into education. Like many young people, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. For those of us who don’t have a clear-cut path in front of us, we have to figure it out as we go. We have to pay close attention to what works well for us and what doesn’t, and eventually, with a healthy dose of luck and persistence, we hopefully find work that makes us feel more alive.

In my case, I noticed that in every role, I found myself running workshops and mentoring other employees at every turn. And I loved it. Eventually, I landed a position that allowed me to lean into these skills by running a college and career access program for young people in foster care. I quickly came to learn that only 50% of kids in foster care graduate from high school. And they are much more likely to be identified as needing special education services.

Witnessing the struggles of these young adults – academically and emotionally – led me to become certified as a special education teacher and start teaching at a public high school. Teaching is not easy business by any means, especially with salaries so low that many have to supplement with other jobs. But I knew that my job mattered. Every minute of every day.

I eventually decided I needed to learn more about how we can most effectively teach kids who are struggling in school. So I moved to New York to study and earn a Master of Science in neuroscience and education from Columbia University. After graduating, I spent a few years working with Understood.org and then with Bank Street College of Education creating and facilitating professional development and coaching with the New York State Education Department.

Although I’m not in the classroom anymore, I am committed to making life better and easier for educators and students, especially for our most vulnerable students – including kids with disabilities and learning challenges, kids who are living in poverty, kids who are homeless or in foster care, and kids who are stigmatized and side-lined by the system and our society due to race, ethnicity, ability, gender, language, religion, or other identities.