Critical Friends Help Out!

Feedback for the MAAI Teacher Leaders

Yesterday 25 teacher leaders from the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative had the opportunity to present their arts education workshops for an audience of “critical friends” at the University of Southern Maine, Portland. The friends were colleagues of the teacher leaders , administrators, Department of Education personnel, and a combination of others. The days feedback clearly shows that the day was very useful, informative, and filled with energy and a commitment to providing top notch workshops. The critical friends provided feedback to the teacher leaders who presented, good questions were posed and a community of constructive criticism was the day’s mode.

Next step? The teacher leaders will take the feedback, make changes if they choose and polish off their presentations before the statewide conference on October 24, UMaine, Collins Center for the Arts. The Arts Education: Leading the Way conference will be an all day event featuring 35 workshops providing by the MAAI Teacher Leaders.

In addition the teacher leaders will be providing their workshops at one of the Mega-regional sessions (5 being scheduled across Maine) and the regional workshops that are being planned by the teacher leaders in their region of the state.

We hope you’ll join us at one of these professional development opportunities. Watch the blog for details of the regional or mega-regional workshops and visit the link above for the Arts Education: Leading the Way conference registration information and click here for workshop details. You won’t want to miss the once every two years conference.

Thanks to all the critical friends for helping out and congrats to the teacher leaders who have put together outstanding workshops!

Early childhood educator Judy Fricke presenting and getting ready to use a parachute with participants.

Woodside Elementary Art teacher Brian McPherson presenting workshop called Thirty Eight Years of Teaching and Still a Rubric Virgin

Critical Friends: Department of Ed Social Studies Specialist Christy Littlefield, Easton Schools Music teacher Pamela Kinsey, Nokomis High School Performing Arts Teacher Lisa Neal, and ETEP graduate Meghan Rivis listen intently

Brunswick High School Art teacher Jennie Driscoll and Music teacher Ashley Smith co-present: Including Reflection in Formative Assessment

Edward Little High School Music teacher (who is also teaching a visual art course there) makes notes as the critical friends provide him with feedback.