The University of Maine Climate Change Institute and Summer University will host the first Climate Change Workshop for pre-K–12 educators this summer. “Climate Change Teaching Tools” is designed for educators to learn more about climate change and, in particular, how to bring this important subject area into the classroom in meaningful ways for students.
Participants may choose to attend for graduate credit or professional development CEUs. The two-day online workshop will be held July 12–13. The graduate credit option includes a three-week online course, July 5–22, in addition to workshop attendance.
The event will feature renowned experts in climate change from the UMaine Climate Change Institute, the Gulf of Maine Research Center, the Maine Department of Education and panelists from the Maine Changemakers Network. Keynote speakers will discuss the impacts of climate change to the ocean, land and ice across the globe and here in Maine.
“The age of climate change decision is here, and our actions will define the course of civilization and the health of our planet,” says Paul Mayewski, director and professor of the University of Maine Climate Change Institute.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Adult Education team recently brought together 23 educators from adult education programs across Maine at the UMA-Lewiston campus to celebrate their capstone presentations for Teaching Skills that Matter in Adult Education (TSTM). The event was the culmination of a 7-month TSTM training provided by Maine DOE’s Adult Education Team.
Teaching Skills that Matter in Adult Education (TSTM) is a federal initiative of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) that was developed by the American Institutes for Research. The goal of the initiative is to train teachers to integrate the skills that adults need for success in career and life using evidence-based approaches that work across topics that are also important to adults (civics education, digital literacy, financial literacy, health literacy, and workforce preparation).
In 2020, the Maine DOE’s Adult Education Team applied to be part of a cohort of states to be trained in using the TSTM materials. A team of four Maine adult educators, Michael Emery from Augusta Adult and Community Education, Melanie North from MSAD 52 Adult and Community Education, Irina Petranek from Lewiston Adult Education, and Lyn Warne from Eastern Aroostook Adult Education, and Amy Poland, Maine DOE Adult Education PD Coordinator participated in an intensive yearlong training which resulted in a plan to bring the TSTM training to Maine’s adult education programs.
As a result of this effort, Maine’s first cohort of TSTM training kicked off in September 2021 at a 2-day, in-person event that was followed by virtual meetings to support their on-going efforts to teach TSTM in diverse teaching contexts, making math and science connections to TSTM lessons, and integrating TSTM into the existing curriculum. Participants also worked with a coach and coaching group on an ongoing basis from September 2021 through April 2022 meeting regularly to discuss using TSTM in the classroom. They also had two classroom observations, giving them a chance to reflect on their work.
The recently held event served as the wrap up event for Maine’s first TSTM cohort featuring 5 minute presentations from each adult education educator that participated in the training including: Washington County Adult and Community Education, RSU 24 Adult Ed, Mount Desert Island Adult Education, Ellsworth Adult Education, MSAD1 Adult and Community Education, Riverside Adult Education (RSU 22, 26, 34), Franklin County Adult Education, Spruce Mountain Adult and Community Education, Augusta Adult and Community Education, MSAD52 Adult & Community Education, RSU 16 Adult Ed, Lewiston Adult Education, Merrymeeting Adult Education, Portland Adult Education, Windham Raymond Adult Ed, and Marshwood Adult Education.
Christa Galipeau, SAD 1 Adult & Community Education, Presque Isle
Sue Lasselle, RSU 16 Adult Education (Mechanic Falls, Minot, Poland)
Phil Wormuth, RSU 24 Adult Education (Sullivan)
Bryan Brito, MSAD 52 Adult & Community Education, Turner
During each presentation, participants shared their experiences teaching using TSTM lessons in practice, how they adapted the lessons to fit what their learners needs, their lessons learned, and many other useful pieces of information relevant to their peers and the Maine DOE for future success with the TSTM program.
With culture as a common theme, many shared their experiences working both remotely and in-person to teach lessons that were both relevant and accessible to adult learners enrolled in their respective programs and regions.
There were also many shared experiences in working with adult learners which resulted in everything from sharing tips and tricks to turning common frustrations into something positive.
“The tech will get you every time,” said Valerie from Washington County Adult Education program. While her comment got a chuckle and a knowing head nod from most around the room, she turned it into an important lesson for educators about modeling working through a problem (such as a technology issue) in front of students, to show them how to problem-solve in real time – a handy skill for everyone to develop.
Also included in the training was a TSTM toolkit packed with high-quality lessons that are easily adapted for Maine’s varied adult education population (multilingual, adult basic education, high school completion, workforce training, college transitions, etc.). Also integrated into the toolkit are many of the employability skills (soft skills) already taught in Maine which are integrated into academic lessons that highlight relevant topics for adult learners, such as budgeting, reading workplace safety signs, and first amendment rights.
“TSTM pushed me to learn a variety of remote learning tools,” shared Rochelle from Portland Adult Education Program. Rochelle wasn’t the only one to talk about a journey with learning remote learning tools and refreshing their toolbox of digital tools that can help with in-person learning as well. Many of the educators in the room really benefited from their experience using the toolkit provided by TSTM, especially in the wake of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic which changed the way most educators teach.
A booklet created by Maine Snap-Ed (https://www.mainesnap-ed.org/) An example of a community resource used in Maine Adult Education programs
Another common theme among participants was how much more enriching and sustainable their lessons and curriculum became as a result of partnering with local agencies. For many, these connections were critical for things like food stamps and/or education materials, and to supplement their curriculum without having to reinvent something that community partners could come in and present or provide information and/or tools for.
Maine DOE’s Adult Education Team Professional Development Coordinator Amy Poland says, “We are currently planning next year, but we anticipate holding another statewide training similar to this year’s.” She adds that the team is also working on a community of practice which will feature a series of workshops around effective teaching practices using the TSTM Toolkit lessons, and convening a cohort of teachers who will create and curate new materials, and more for their fellow adult education educators across the State.
Are you interested in computer science professional development opportunities for your school? Maine’s 130th legislature, through a bill sponsored by Senator Pouliot, created a pilot grant program to provide funding for high-quality, teacher-developed or teacher-led professional development for PK-12 computer science pedagogy and content.
Priority will be given to applicants that:
Are located in one (or more) of the following counties where no awards have been made in previous application rounds: Sagadahoc, York, Aroostook, Somerset, Washington, Oxford, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, Franklin, and Kennebec.
Do not currently offer computer science learning opportunities;
Serve socioeconomically disadvantaged school districts;
Prioritize student populations traditionally underrepresented in computer science;
Demonstrate a commitment to pursuing high-quality educator professional development that emphasizes integration of computer science into other course work and curricula or establishes or expands access to courses that offer college credit and other certificates of value, or both; and
Collaborate or partner with other entities, including but not limited to other local education agencies, the business community, nonprofit organizations and private entities.
The application window opens Monday, May 9th, 2022 and closes Friday, May 20th, 2022. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. All applicants will be notified of their application status within two weeks of the application deadline.
There is no limit to the grant amount awarded per applicant; however, funds will be dispersed equitably across all applications based on county and throughout PK-12.
Please join the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine School Safety Center for the first annual Maine School Safety Summit. Along with state-level partners from across Maine, the Maine School Safety Center and Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group (JJAG) are proud to invite you to this high level, diverse training opportunity catered specifically for school and district administrators, school resources officers, juvenile community corrections officers, and law enforcement that work directly with schools, in addition to school support staff such as school counselors, social workers, school nurses, and emergency planning and facilities school/district staff members.
LOCATION
Windham High School
406 Gray Road Windham, ME
DATE & TIME
June 21-23, 2022
9:00 AM – 3:00 PMHighlights include:
Day one and two there will be a two-day course specifically designed for school/district administrators such as principals and superintendents as well as law enforcement administrators on how to work best together as a team for more effective interactions with youth. This specialized training presented by Strategies for Youth will be the first of its kind here in Maine.
Simultaneously, on days one and two, over 16 different presentations will be available for assistant principals, social workers, school counselors, facilities directors, school safety personnel, SROs, JCCOs, law enforcement who respond to schools, school office staff, educational technicians, and any other school staff who work to make their schools a safer place.
Day three will have two tracks. Track one will provide a special session for Transportation Directors and Bus inspectors. Track two will bring all other attendees together to discuss an exciting new way of dealing with youth in crisis entitled, Juvenile Justice Jeopardy, and in the afternoon will be a session entitled Communication in a Diverse World.
Our goal is to create safer schools by offering wraparound total services for Maine students.
The U.S. Department of Education is hosting a webinar series to address hot topics that are on the top of educators’ minds. After sharing federal updates, the series features lessons learned and best practices from faculty, staff, schools, districts, institutions of higher education, and other places of educational instruction. It also shares a variety of useful resources.
On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join the next Lessons from the Field webinar.
AmeriCorps + High Impact Tutoring = Student Success Wednesday, May 4, 2022 3:00-4:30pm ET/2:00-3:30pm CT/1:00-2:30pm MT/12:00-1:30pm PT.
Exploring the role evidence-based, high impact tutoring can play in addressing learning loss experienced by students during the COVID pandemic and beyond. National, state, and local strategies will be shared, including direct examples from field practitioners via AmeriCorps partnerships.
This event will be recorded and posted to the event page a day after the event. All other materials can be found on the event page as well.
RegistrationNCSSLE does not offer certificates or CEUs, but if you email ncssle@air.org after the event, they will be able to confirm your participation.
Eighty-three students enrolled in teacher preparation courses in 14 colleges, high schools, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools across Maine gathered at Thomas College last month for Maine’s first-ever Educators Rising Conference!
The conference was planned primarily by Thomas students who are part of Maine’s first Educators Rising Chapter. A national, community-based movement, Educators Rising is an organization with a presence in all 50 states that seeks to cultivate a new generation of highly skilled educators by guiding young people on a path from high school to college and into their teaching careers. Educators Rising provides “Grow Your Own” programming through Educators Rising curriculum, standards, micro-credentials, chapters, conferences and other activities.
The Thomas Educators Rising Chapter Chair, Abby Bolvin, opened the conference by welcoming her fellow pre-service peers to the conference, and reviewed logistical details, including room locations, photo tips, and conference hashtag #EdRising22.
Abby Bolvin and another student from the Thomas Educators Rising Chapter
Students from the Educators Rising Chapter at Thomas College
Dr. Monte Selby, principal at Vinalhaven School and a talented musician, engaged the aspiring educators with an entertaining musical keynote address that stressed the importance of building strong relationships with students, and some tips on how to forge authentic, trusting connections. After the keynote, students chose from a wide variety of breakout sessions to attend. The session topics were selected by the Educators Rising Chapter students.
Dr. Monte Selby
Patti Forster, 2021 Knox County Teacher of the Year and Camden HS teacher
Zach Longyear, Maine Principal
Sue Caron and Amy Tucker leading a session
Mike Muir leading a session
Lindsay Mahoney (2021 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year) and Erin LaPlante leading a session
Teachers from the Maine Teacher of the Year Program
Bolvin explained that having the option to be part of the conference planning was a significant learning experience for her and her fellow Educator Rising Chapter members. They initially came up with a list of 50 session topics that they wanted to learn more about, and eventually narrowed it down to the topics on the program, which included classroom management, talking about controversial topics, what to expect in your first year of teaching, assessments, innovative math practices, and more.
During a delicious lunch catered by Thomas College, the students heard from Pamela Thompson, Professor and Chair of Thomas’ Education Department, and the 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova. Thompson stressed the importance and impact of teachers, and Stoyanova shared, “we are not just teaching how to read to understand and write to show understanding, we are engaging learners to be global citizens—to offer them a glimpse of what it looks like to own their education, their futures, their voice, and do something with it.”
Tammy Ranger, 2017 Maine Teacher of the Year and the Director of Workforce Development and Innovative Pathways at the Maine Department of Education presented Maine’s first “Preservice Teacher of the Year” awards. Earlier this year, all Maine preservice teachers were were invited to apply for the award. The top three preservice teachers were selected from a pool of over 20 applications from students in teacher preparation programs throughout Maine. “The future of the education profession in Maine certainly looks bright” said Ranger, commenting on the passion, creativity and commitment demonstrated in the preservice teachers’ application packets.
Kelsey Stoyanova, Maine 2022 Teacher of the Year
Pamela Thompson, Professor and Chair of Thomas’ Education Department
Tammy Ranger (Maine DOE) and Ed Cervone (Thomas)
Preservice award winners: (L to R) Chelsea Whiting-Puckett (Bowdoin ’22), Mohamed Kilani (Bowdoin ’21) and Ivy Robinson (University of Maine Machias ‘22)
Students Mohamed Kilani (Bowdoin ’21) and Ivy Robinson (University of Maine Machias ‘22) were named Preservice Teachers of the Year, and Chelsea Whiting-Puckett (Bowdoin ’22) was named a runner up. The selection committee, made up of Maine State and County Teachers of the Year, said the following about these promising teachers:
“Kilani’s work with anti-racism, bridging intercultural relationships, and restorative practices is remarkable. All students (and colleagues) will benefit from the classroom culture he creates.”
Ivy is a voracious learner—soaking up wisdom and practices from every teacher she works with. Her willingness to learn and improve her practice will only make her a better teacher year after year.
Chelsey’s robust and honest English and social studies classes reflect her commitment to inclusion, representation, and equitable learning environments for all students.
As part of being named Preservice Teacher of the Year, both Kilani and Robinson were awarded $1,000 each to help jumpstart setting up their classroom, and runner up Whiting-Puckett was awarded $200.
Special thanks to the Peter and Paula Lunder School of Education at Thomas College, the Maine Association for Middle Level Educators (MAMLE), Educate Maine, UNUM, and representatives from the Maine Department of Education for making this event possible.
To learn more about Educators Rising, visit the national website or reach out to Tamara Ranger (tamara.ranger@maine.gov) at the Maine Department of Education.
The following opportunity is being provided by the Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) through the REMS TA Center, a partner of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools.
Emergency Evacuations: Planning for the Whole School Community – Learn how schools and school districts can better prepare for an evacuation after an emergency. During this training session, an overview is provided on issues related to identifying on- and off-site assembly areas, transportation considerations, such as the use of mutual aid agreements, meeting the needs of students with disabilities or access and functional needs, and shared lessons at the local.
The following opportunity is being provided by the Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) through the REMS TA Center, a partner of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools.
Exercises and Drills – Learn about strategies that K-12 education agencies can use in collaboration with their team of multidisciplinary community partners to enhance efforts to practice school emergency operations plans (EOPs).
During this training session, the REMS TA Center will share recommendations from Federal partners specific to developing, practicing, and enhancing high-quality school EOPs through a variety of exercise types, including drills, tabletop exercises, virtual simulations, and more. Additionally, the REMS TA Center will explore new considerations about exercises and drills and efforts education agencies can take to protect the whole school community.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is committed to supporting the growth and development of educators aspiring to be mentors. Over the past four years, the Maine DOE has collaborated with teacher leaders, administrators, and higher education partners to customize Maine’s mentor resources. These resources are available to School Administrative Units (SAUs) that wish to provide local support and training to new mentors. We extend our sincere thanks to educators who continue to offer mentor training throughout the state.
Mentors serve a critical role within their schools, and we are appreciative of their ongoing dedication to supporting and growing the profession. Current mentors have been crucial to the educational environment—each individual mentor has made an impact. We are encouraged by and thankful for those educators who are enthusiastically stepping up to become mentors.
This spring and summer, the Maine DOE will be offering virtual mentor trainings. These interactive sessions will serve as a foundation for aspiring mentors and a refresher for current mentors. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the principles of mentoring, reflect deeply on the role of mentors, apply practices into real-world situations, and engage in lively discussion with peers from across the state.
Details: Educators are welcome to select the session below that works best with their schedule. The sessions will take place via Zoom and a link will be sent to participants following registration. Sessions are offered at no cost and all materials will be available electronically.
Choose from three sessions:
May 5, 2022
8:30am – 3:30pm (with a built-in lunch break) Registration Form
June 30, 2022
8:30am – 3:30pm (with a built-in lunch break) Registration Form
July 19, 2022
8:30am – 3:30pm (with a built-in lunch break) Registration Form
Contact Hours: Educators will receive contact hours for participation
Educators are encouraged to discuss the opportunity, along with local training requirements, with their mentor chairperson prior to registering.
Support for new educators through mentoring and induction is a key strategy outlined in the Teach Maine Plan to develop, support, and sustain Maine’s education workforce. This plan will be released in early May. Interested in learning about future offerings, discussing customizable resources, or sharing promising practices? Please reach out to Emily Doughty at Emily.doughty@maine.gov or at 207-592-0314.
The following opportunity is being provided by the REMS TA Center, a partner of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools.
The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center is excited to offer the Planning for Family Reunification Before, During, and After an Emergency Train-the-Educator (TtE) Virtual Training by Request (VTBR). This dynamic and interactive 2.5-hour training is designed to provide educators and school staff with a better understanding of family reunification before, during, and after an emergency and how to develop a Family Reunification Annex for the school emergency operations plan (EOP) that meets the needs of the local school and community.
TRAINING DESCRIPTION
This training is intended to provide participants with an introduction to family reunification and how it is used to reunite children with verified and authorized family members after a critical and often highly stressful incident (e.g., a fire, a natural disaster, a school bus accident, a situation involving weapons or violence at school, etc.) that prevents a normal school dismissal. The Family Reunification Annex is recognized in Guide for Developing High-Quality.
School Emergency Operations Plans and The Role of Districts in Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans as a critical element of the overall EOP.
Participants will be equipped to review and update their Family Reunification Annex on a regular basis to ensure the most successful outcome, while applying training principles for including a step-by-step plan to reunify children with their families before, during, and after an emergency across the five mission areas.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
The intended audiences for this training are school and school district administrators, educators, staff, and members of an EOP planning team. This training is also applicable for fire officials, emergency medical services personnel, law enforcement and school resource officers, local public health officials, local mental/behavioral health practitioners, and other community partners.
TRAINING DETAILS
When: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET Cost: NO CHARGE Register here (Registration for this event closes on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.)
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact the REMS TA CENTER at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or via email at info@remstacenter.org or contact the Maine School Safety Center.
Maine DOE Newsroom 