Category: Professional Development

MTSS Monday Minute – Summer Reading Suggestions – Now Available!

Have you seen the June 6th MTSS Monday Minute? This week’s M&M features three book suggestions you may want to add to your summer reading list.  Click the link to view the video.

Don’t forget to have your minutes counted!  Be sure to check out the video description box for more information about how to have your minutes counted toward a shoutout to your district.

Also, there is still time to register for one of this summer’s book club gatherings.  Books for the Effective Universal Instruction book club will begin to be mailed Friday, June 10th.  Currently there are still 10 free books available for educators to participate.

Click this link for more information about the book club opportunity.

Reach our to Andrea Logan, Maine DOE Multi-tiered Systems of Support Specialist at andrea.logan@maine.gov with further questions or support.

 

Maine PBIS Announces First Training of Trainers and Coaches Cohort

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the University of Maine System (UMS) are pleased to announce the first Maine PBIS Training of Trainers and Coaches cohort.

Maine schools and districts are experiencing the positive impacts of the Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports’ (PBIS) evidence-based framework with over 75 schools currently implementing PBIS with more being added each year. Additional trainers and coaches are needed to provide support for newly implementing teams.

Please go to https://bit.ly/MEPBISToTInfo to learn how you can become a Maine PBIS Tier 1 Trainer and Coach.  If you have any questions, please contact Karen Robbie at karen.robbie@maine.edu .

Leading Early Learning—A Professional Learning Series for Elementary School Administrators

“Participating in the series has helped me to look at the decisions we make about our instructional programming and school community through the lens of early learning and what is developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners.” –  Quote from Cohort 1 participant

As Maine elementary schools have added preschool programming and are promoting whole child approaches across the Pre-K -Grade 3 span, elementary principals have requested professional learning to support their work as educational leaders.  The Maine Department of Education and several Maine educational organizations (listed below) have collaborated to design an exciting professional learning series to address identified needs and support professional growth.  The Leading Early Learning series was piloted with 16 administrators in 2021-22 and we are pleased to announce the second cohort for this series will launch during the 2022-23 school year.

The series will not only provide participants with opportunity to deepen their knowledge of early learning pedagogy and best practices related to supporting students and teachers across Pre-K-3, but it will also provide a professional learning network, opportunity to design a concept for an implementation project, and be supported through facilitated discussions.  Participants will engage in a variety of modes of learning, from asynchronous modules to professional learning communities to attendance at a statewide early learning conference.

If this opportunity interests you, please review the details for the series in the informational guide.  A link to apply for the series is included in the informational guide.  The series will support up to 25 participants.  Applications will be received through July 5, 2022. Once spaces are filled, a waiting list will be generated.

For additional information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning at Maine DOE, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Leading Early Learning Partner Organizations

  • Maine Department of Education
  • Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network
  • Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
  • UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

WEBINAR: Introductory Training on Newcomer Multilingual Learners for All Teachers

On June 6th from 3:00 – 4:30pm, join April Perkins, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) & Bilingual Programs Specialist at the Maine Department of Education (DOE), and Sheanna Zimmermann, ESOL Director for South Portland School Department, to learn strategies for ensuring that newcomers and their families feel welcome and supported at school.

The session will focus on establishing a school culture of inclusion, as well as instructional and socioemotional tools to empower all teachers to meet the unique needs of these students and their families. While this training is primarily geared towards teachers who may not have experience with newcomers, all teachers are welcome.

Register here by June 3rd. This session will be recorded and available on the Maine DOE YouTube Channel, and contact hours will also be available. Contact April at april.perkins@maine.gov if you have any questions.

MTSS Summer Opportunities – Office Hours, Book Club and More!

The Maine Department of Education’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) summer office hours are shifting slightly for July and August. There will be two different office hour offerings, one specifically for questions and guidance around Gifted and Talented (GT) renewal, and one for general MTSS.

What’s Happening with GT? – On Friday, July 1st, a brief renewal application for gifted and talented programs will become available on the MTSS-GT website. All schools, whether they previously had a funded program or a waiver, must submit a renewal application for the next school year. Renewal applications will close on September 30th.

General office hour will be Tuesdays 11AM-12PM. GT renewal office hour on select Tuesdays from 12PM-1PM: July 5, August 16, September 13, July 19, August 30, September 27

Click here to register for all MTSS Office Hour sessions.

MTSS Monday Minute

Beginning June 6th, check the MTSS YouTube playlist for the MTSS M&M topic for the week. What’s an MTSS M&M? An MTSS M&M topic is a 3-4 minute video that will explain one tiny MTSS concept in a bite-sized clip. But wait, there’s more! The district with the most watched M&M’s will get a shoutout on the MTSS website, so be sure to leave a comment responding to the call to action embedded in each video with the name of your district to get your minutes counted! How many M&M’s will you watch?!?

Click here to go to the playlist

Summer Book Club

Join us for the first ever MTSS book club experience! Rather than a traditional text study, this reading experience will function much more like your typical book club. Participants will have about 4-weeks to complete the text at their own pace, then join the virtual discussion via zoom to discuss the book with colleagues. It’s that easy! Already read the text? Great! Feel free to join the conversation! Books will be provided to the first 25 educators who sign up. If you do sign up, and receive the book, please commit to
attending the virtual meeting via Zoom. Bring your innovative mindset, and enjoy some summer learning with your peers!

  • JUNE –  Effective Universal Instruction: An Action Oriented Approach to Improving Tier 1 by Kimberly Gibbons, Sarah Brown, and Bradley Niebling, Thursday, July 14, from 10:00-11:30 AM. Register by June 10th – Click here to Register for June Book Club!
  • JULY – The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler, Thursday, August 11th, from 10:00-11:30 AM. Register by July 8th – Click here to Register for July Book Club.

Download the MTSS-GT Flyer to post at your school

For further information about any of the MTSS or GT summer opportunities, please reach out to Andrea L. Logan, Maine DOE Multi-tiered Systems of Support Specialist at andrea.logan@maine.gov.

Reminder: 2022 Pre-K for ME and K for ME Program Summer Training Opportunities

Since 2018, the Maine Department of Education has adapted and piloted open-source Pre-k and Kindergarten programs based on the Boston Public School’s evidence-based Focus on K1 and Focus on K2 curricula.  Pre-K for ME was launched in 2019.  K for ME was launched in 2021.  These programs focus on the whole child and are interdisciplinary and developmentally appropriate.  They are also aligned to Maine’s learning standards.  While Maine schools are responsible for the purchase of the materials that support the programs, the programs can be accessed at no cost via the Maine DOE’s website.  Informational overviews for each of the programs available through the following links:

Pre-K for ME Informational Overview

K for ME Informational Overview

Educators/schools/programs interested in utilizing Pre-K for ME and/or K for ME in the coming year may want to take advantage of 2-day initial trainings scheduled for August 1 and 2, 2022.  These trainings are provided to promote understanding of program design and to support successful program implementation.  School administrators are strongly encouraged to attend the trainings with their Pre-K and/or Kindergarten teachers.  This year’s training opportunities will be held in-person in the Augusta area.  Registration for these trainings should be completed at the school/program level.  Principals and educators should complete one registration on behalf of their school/program.  Details about location of and how to prepare for the trainings and the materials needed to support the programs will be provided via email after registrations are received. Registrations for the 2-day training should be received by June 30, 2022.

Registration Links:

Pre-K for ME 2-day Training Registration

K for ME 2-day Training Registration

For additional information about Pre-K for ME, contact Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, and for K for ME, contact Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov.

Free Virtual Summer Workshop on Navigating Historical Themes

The Maine Department of Education’s partnership with Network Maine is excited to share a free virtual summer professional development workshop for teachers, offered by the Presidential Libraries and the Presidential Primary Sources Project (PPSP).   Presidential Character and Decision Making is a three-day online workshop from July 12-14, 2022, focused on presenting teachers with tools and primary sources to help them navigate historical themes in their curriculum.

This workshop is hosted by the Internet2 Community Anchor Program and is available to Maine’s K-12 teachers thanks to the University of Maine’s membership in Internet2. (Internet2 is the United States’ Research and Education Network much like Network Maine is Maine’s.)

Details:

Workshop: Presidential Character and Decision Making
Location: Online via Zoom, hosted by the Internet2 Community Anchor Program
Schedule: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. CT, July 12-14, 2022
Registration: https://forms.gle/DKqA3hGSh8z845jA8
Cost: FREE as a thank you to teachers for getting through this school year!

The 2022 workshop offers teachers the opportunity to learn and interact with presenters from the Hoover Library, FDR Library, Truman Library, Johnson Library, Nixon Library, Carter Library, Reagan Library, George W. Bush Library, George H.W. Bush Library, and Clinton Library. Numerous teaching activities, lesson plans, and interactive resources will be shared throughout the week by each presenting institution.

For more information, read Internet2 CAP’s latest blog post or visit the workshop homepage. For any questions regarding the workshop, please contact Therese Perlowski, tperlowski@internet2.edu, CAP’s Program Manager.

 

WEBINAR: Understanding the Role of Teachers in Supporting School Safety Before, During, and After an Emergency

The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center (a partner of the U.S. Department of Education) will host a Webinar on Thursday, May 26, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of teachers in supporting school safety at the local level.

Find objectives for the 60-minute Webinar below:

  • Highlight the role of teachers in supporting school safety efforts within their school communities.
  • Demonstrate the importance of developing a collaborative planning team to support emergency operations plan (EOP) development, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
  • Discuss the role that teachers play in supporting the National Preparedness System mission areas — prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery — as well as their role in the before, during, and after phases of a potential emergency.
  • Share resources to assist teachers’ efforts around climate assessment, behavioral threat assessment, continuity of teaching and learning, and overall plan development.

Presenters:

Los Angeles Unified School District, Office of Emergency Management and Division of School Culture, Climate, and Safety

  • Jill Barnes, Administrator

REMS TA Center

  • Janelle Hughes, Project Director

Questions About the Event?

Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Get more information and register here.

Professional Development Opportunities for all Educators from Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Whether you are a classroom teacher, scout leader, nature center educator, or just looking to gain new skills, these workshops from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife can help you learn how to engage youth in environmental and experiential learning. You’ll learn a variety of teaching techniques to help build your confidence when taking youth outdoors to learn about fish, wildlife, habitats, natural science, conservation, and outdoor skills. We believe learning should be hands-on and fun for you as well as the students!

In these workshops you will:

  • Gain skills and confidence in talking about Maine fish and wildlife
  • Try new skills and activities to help engage youth in place-based learning
  • Be introduced to activities focused on Maine-specific fish and wildlife
  • Spend time outside learning and having fun
  • Network with other educators and outdoor enthusiasts
  • Receive free resources for instruction

Bring your class outdoors or the outdoors in!

Project Wild is a series of wildlife and natural science-based activity guides. This program is part of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is the Maine partner and host. This international program is designed to be easily used in the classrooms, in the field, and as part of summer camps and events. Each activity easily aligns with learning standards and is designed to help guide students to a better understanding of the natural world and how to be better stewards for the future. These workshops are designed for all types of educators to learn how to use the activity guide firsthand. Each participant will receive professional development hours for attending.

For questions, call Laura Rogers at 207-592-0750.

Upcoming workshops:

Help youth fish for their future!

Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs (HOFNOD) is a youth and family-based fishing program to promote healthy habits, and teach youth about fish and how to fish. This program is a partnership between the Future Fisherman Foundation and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. It is designed to train interested adults in the HOFNOD materials and methods. This program uses angling skill development as a gateway to teach youth about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and how to deal with the chal­­­lenges youth face. Whether you are new to fishing or a seasoned angler this program will have something for anyone interested. Training can be done online or in-person. For questions, call Chelsea Lathrop 207-446-8692.

Upcoming Workshop:

Register for the HOFNOD Instructor In-person Workshop Monday, July 25, 2022 9am- 2pm at the Maine Wildlife Park to get some hands-on practice teaching HOFNOD activities and learn about Maine’s fisheries.

*All who attend must first take the online course (takes about 1 hour).

University of New England Summer Workshops Open for Registration!

This summer, the University of New England is pleased to be able to offer Educator/Teacher workshops at our Biddeford, Maine, and Portland campuses, with limited options for online workshops as well. Educator/teacher workshops are free for licensed Maine teachers. Topics include Rockets, Underwater Robotics, Online Learning, Makerspaces, Multilingual Learners and more. UNE’s summer of inspiration at provides exciting workshops to reignite your passion for teaching after some challenging years.

Registration is free for Maine Teachers – no application is required. To register for any of our in person or online workshops, simply fill out the form here or select from the workshops listed in the link below. Registrants will receive a confirmation email including workshop details after registration is complete.

Browse UNE’s Educator Workshops and Register Here!