Maine County Teachers of the Year

Congratulations

I had the pleasure of attending the introduction supper and Hall of Flags ceremony announcing the 2023 Maine County Teachers of the Year. It was a chance for me to listen and learn and to congratulate many colleagues who were selected this year to representative teachers in their county. All of them are amazing and have so much to offer their communities. There are several this year who have minors in one of the arts or teach a creative class as part of their teaching assignments.

Edith Berger, Lincoln County and Donna Munro, Knox County at the introduction banquet

Matt Bernstein, Casco Bay High School, 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year, emcee at the Hall of Flags ceremony

• Androscoggin: Tanya Perreault, Spruce Mountain Primary School, Livermore
• Aroostook: Emily Rosser, Caribou Community School
• Cumberland: Joshua Chard, East End Community School, Portland
• Franklin: Maryam Emami, Rangelet Lakes Regional School
• Hancock: Miranda Engstrom, Lamoine Consolidated School
• Kennebec: Sharon Gallant, Gardiner Area High School
• Knox: Donna Munro, Union Elementary School
• Lincoln: Edith Berger, Miller School, Waldoboro
• Oxford: Lacey Todd, Mountain Valley Middle School, Mexico
• Penobscot: Jessica Archer, Orono Middle School
• Piscataquis: Dawn McLaughlin, Milo Elementary School
• Sagadahoc: Rob Messler, Mt. Ararat High School, Topsham
• Somerset: Katie Flannery, Bloomfield Elementary School, Skowhegan
• Waldo: Catie Ray, Gladys Weymouth Elementary School, Morrill
• Washington: Colleen Maker, Washington Academy, East Machias
• York: Lisa Tripp, Bonny Eagle Middle Schoo, Buxton

Good luck to all of them as they are being considered to serve as the 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year.

Maryam Emami, Rangeley Lakes Regional School, Franklin County

Sharon Gallant, Gardiner Area High School, Kennebec County Teacher of the Year

The Maine Teacher of the Year program is managed and administered as a collaboration between Educate Maine and the Maine Department of Education. There are several organizations and businesses that offer financial support for the program. To learn more please CLICK HERE.

Maine Music Educators Association

All-State Conference-May 18 and 19, 2023

CLICK HERE for registration and for more information!

MAEA Spring Conference

Maine Art Education Association

eARTh
​”The earth without art is just eh”

2023  Maine Art Education Association Spring Conference Retreat

Location: The Ecology School at River Farm 184 Simpson Road, Saco, Maine​

​Saturday-Sunday, April 29-30, 2023

$250.00 – one night (Saturday), 5 meals
2 people per room.

$350.00 – two nights (Friday and Saturday), 5 meals 

​2 people per room.

$175.00 – Commuter Rate (zero nights), 5 meals 

Optional linens are available at $40.00 payable to The Ecology School at the registration table.

*Must be a MAEA member to attend. ​If you are not a current member, join HERE!
​

Reciprocal membership for out-of-state art education associations.

Join us and attend in-person studio workshops in comfortable yurts!  The Conference Retreat cost includes one Saturday overnight stay with check-in on Saturday and 3 meals will be served: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Sunday includes two meals:  breakfast and lunch.  Add-ons for 1-day early check-in ($100) and linens ($40) will be offered.

Meals: Guests will be treated to farm-fresh, local, and nutritious foods during community building meals in our beautiful Dinning Commons. Coffee, tea, and fruit are always available. 
​
Lodging: During a two-day, one-night conference at The Ecology School, up to 72 guests may stay in our unique dormitory building. Rooms are doubles. There are two or three shared bathrooms per floor, floor dependent. It has been built according to the rigorous sustainability standards of the Living Building Challenge and promotes sustainable actions in everyday routines and facilitates conservation and mindfulness in community living practices.

Downtime: A 3.5-mile trail system is blazed throughout the 105-acre property, great for walking or running. 

Join in your choice of 4 studio workshops for hands-on experiences plus additional optional program elements that could include a Living Building Challenge Tour, a Field Ecology workshop, or a Food is Ecology Lab. Possibly join the Astronomical Society of Northern New England for an evening under the stars Saturday night after attending the MAEA Art Educator of the Year Awards Ceremony! Celebrate Earth Day 2023 and create art expressed through earth-conscious ways!  Experiment with Demetri Martin’s quote as you submit your studio workshop proposals or volunteer to assist workshop leading educators and/or teaching artists!

Register HERE!

Conference Schedule:

The Ecology School at River Bend Farm in Saco, Maine, proudly hosts the MAEA’s 2023 Spring Conference Retreat.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY DAYTIME SCHEDULES:
7:00 AM – 8:15 AM:  Check-in, Move in,  and Registration
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM:  Morning Workshop Sessions
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM:  Lunch and The Ecology School Presentations
1:30 PM – 5:30 PM:  Afternoon Workshop Sessions
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM:  Dinner

Saturday Evening, APRIL 29TH, 2023 
AWARDS CEREMONY AND OUTDOOR PROGRAM
7:30 PM – 8:15 PM:  MAEA Art Educator of the Year Awards Ceremony
8:30 PM – 10:30 PM:  Star Gazing Format  by The Astronomical Society of Northern New England 

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: APRIL 10, 2023

Congratulations Rob Westerberg

NHS Award

Rob Westerberg is one-of-a-kind! With the clearest of eyes he can look over his shoulder and see where’s he has been, learn from his mistakes, and build on the successes. And, no, this isn’t about him but all about his students learning and successes. We’re fortunate to have Rob, not just in the field of education, but in the classroom. When he speaks, we know it is not about some pie-in-the-sky idea. He’s not spouting wisdom from an ivory office down the hall or in another building on campus or from a state agency but it’s from his experiences on that day with his high school students. He continually asks “why” and seeks answers while analyzing actions. In his classroom he has paused, experimented, shifted, observed, listened, reflected, written and re-written curriculum and assessment. This ongoing process has created a teaching and learning environment that continues to excite Rob and his students are jazzed!

Those of you who are fortunate enough to know Rob as a teacher, colleague, conductor, musician, and/or friend know that he cares deeply about teaching and learning. Most importantly he is an amazing human being who cares about people, as evidenced from past and present student comments. He has a unique sense of humor that is remembered by students and colleagues. He doesn’t mess around with people who aren’t fully committed to high quality music education for all learners. Sure, he’ll cajole them, encourage and answer their questions but he’s not interested in wasting his time or theirs. He’ll walk away before becoming frustrated and accepts the individual or group’s thoughts and ideas as working for them. All the while with a smile on his face! His advocacy for arts education at the local, regional, and state level has been highly impactful. When Rob is not teaching he is spending time with family or exploring with a backpack on. He has climbed all 44 of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks; an impressive accomplishment!

Recently Rob was recognized for his teaching accomplishments receiving the 2022-23 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Music Educator Award. Rob is one of seven section recipients. Since 1989 the Outstanding Music Educator Awards have been presented by NFHS and 306 individuals have received section awards.

Some of the following information is taken from the NFHS awards page at THIS LINK.

Rob presently serves as the choral director at York High School where he has taught for nearly 25 years. Since beginning in education in 1988, his passion for music has helped students reach their full potential, and in 2004 played an integral part in getting a graduation requirement for music approved by the York school committee. York High School remains the only public high school in the Northeast to possess a graduation requirement for music.

Westerberg holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Keene State College and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Maine. As an educator, Westerberg has earned many awards, including the 2020 York County Teacher of the Year, the 2012 Maine Distinguished Choral Director, and the 2011 Carol Trimble Award for Exemplary Service to Arts Education.

In terms of leading students, Westerberg has overseen a variety of events and performances, such as the 2010 New Hampshire All State Treble Choir and the Maine Festival Chorus performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. His talents have also been used at choral camps like Laurel Music Camp as the high school choral director and at the Summer Youth Music Camp at the University of Maine from 2002 to 2016.

In terms of leading teachers, Rob is a founding member of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative established in 2010 and has impacted the over 125 teacher leaders. He has worked extensively with arts educators and school districts across the northeast developing customized assessment strategies and proficiency based models of instruction. He is always willing to talk education and his insights are, as he likes to say are, ‘spot on’!

I can’t think of anyone who deserves this award more for ongoing work in arts education. Thank you Rob for your life long commitment to teaching and CONGRATULATIONS!

Art With a Heart

The Magic of Monhegan

Are you an artist intrigued by a sense of place in your artwork? Consider joining Janie Snider and Women for Healthy Rural Living (WHRL) for a weekend artist retreat on beautiful Monhegan Island from May 26th to May 28th. The island offers abundant places to create, all while exploring an inspirational landscape, and meeting other art-minded people. This retreat is limited to 10 participants.

Janie Snider is an educator who retired from teaching elementary art at Hancock Grammar School in June of 2022. She has been teaching art classes for nearly 30 years. Her work is inspired by the beauty of nature and Maine’s landscapes. Janie served as a teacher leader in the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) before it morphed into the Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership (MAEPL). Janie is an amazing teacher, artist and fun to be around!

Janie works primarily in watercolor and acrylics but loves playing with other media. She will offer individual guidance and share some of her own thoughts and techniques.

CLICK HERE for more information and to apply.

Nominate a Deserving Colleague

Opportunities to recognize a music educator

Maine Music Educators Association Awards

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 is the deadline for nominations for the following awards: 

Outstanding New Music Educator Award

Hall of Fame Award

Educator of the Year

Outstanding Administrator Award

Educator Appreciation Award

MONDAY, MAY May 1 is the deadline for nominations for the following awards: 

The MMEA Longevity and Retire Recognition Awards recognize the service achievement of music educators at the 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 year–and beyond. This award also celebrates educators who are planning to retire in 2023. Nominate a deserving colleague–or yourself!

Applications are here: Longevity And Retiree Recognitions

Complete information on the MMEA awards program is at THIS LINK.

2021 Music Educator of the Year
MAEPLE (Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teacher Leader)
Dorie Tripp
RSU #38 Maranacook Schools

Magaga

Kenyan educator

I have the privilege of working with an educator from Kenya named Enos Magaga who goes by Magaga. He and his family are delightful and over the last two years I have grown to appreciate and understand them in ways I could never have imagined. I am so grateful.

Magaga is the STEAM coordinator for a program called BEADS for Education. He also serves as the Communication and Outreach Coordinator for BEADS. It’s a fascinating program that was initiated to improve the quality of education for women and girls. BEADS established a high school for girls called Tembea Academy located about an hour and a half from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Magaga teaches Math and Science at the school. The program has grown mainly due to the work of Magaga and other staff who are committed to girls education. They are not only teaching them ‘content’ but it goes way beyond that. Years of traditions that are detrimental to girls are being interrupted and girls are provided with the opportunity to reach their potential.

In addition to teaching at Tembea Academy 6 hours each week Magaga teaches at the local elementary school. His time there is through the Full STEAM Forward program where students are loving learning through hands-on experiences that connect them with educators and programs in other parts of the world.

Magaga’s committent to the arts came about when he participated in a fellowship program in arts integration that I was part of at Sweet Tree Arts. His pathway to there was through the HundrED program that I’ve blogged about in the past. We met bi-weekly for a semester and during every meeting his face lit up with joy. Magaga’s positivity is contagious. His beliefs are strong and embedded into his daily actions.

I believe in an education system that does not rob learners of their curiosity, creativity and imaginations and above all, one that serves to create a balance in the lives of all learners.

You can read an interview with Magaga and learn more about him and his sweet family on the HundrED blog at THIS LINK. I’m sure it will inspire you!

Maine Teacher of the Year

Nominate a deserving teacher

Now more than ever we need to celebrate all of the good work teachers are doing. Teachers know better than anyone what goes on in classrooms. If you’ve been wondering how to honor a colleague this is one way. Consider nominating them for the Maine Teacher of the Year. This program has developed over the years to elevate teachers.

Matt Bernstein, 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year, Casco Bay High School

Nominations are being accepted for the 2023 county teachers of the year until February 4 at 5:00 p.m. Applications are accepted from colleagues, students, parents, community members and organizations. The eligibility criteria is located at THIS LINK. Learn more about the program and the 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year, Matt Bernstein, at THIS LINK.

Education Has Lost a Giant

So long Phil Brookhouse

For those of us who came in contact with Phil Brookhouse, we are all better for it. You may know Phil from his days with the Maine Learning Technology Initiative. He and Barbara Greenhouse played off of each other while providing professional developing with technology. They were quite a team. For many Maine educators this was their first introduction to technology in the classroom so it needed to be top notch. The delivering was excellent, the content was spot on, but more importantly Phil understood it was ‘all about the relationship’. He was gentle, kind, and knowledgeable, AND he understood how to communicate with teachers because he had teaching in his heart and soul. A teachers teacher!

Phil worked with the State of Maine to roll out and support one of the first “one to one” laptop programs in the country. Phil always had a pleasant look on his face and often he spoke with a ‘pirate accent’. In fact, he was the first ‘pirate’ I ever met. Phil loved music and performed in community theatre. He understood the value of arts education and took the opportunity to include the arts in the work he did. He was proud to be named an Ambassador to Jupiter through NASA. After leaving the state work, Phil returned to the classroom at Edward Little High School in Auburn working with the gifted and talented program before retiring. He will be missed but the seeds of learning he spread will live on. I am grateful for the work he did in Maine education! You can read his entire obituary at THIS LINK.

Conference Lift-off

Teaching Truth, Hope, and Creativity: How the ARTS can deepen any curriculum

During the last 7 months a group of committed educators have been planning, writing grants, communicating with each other and many other educators to plan the conference being held tomorrow, November 4, at Thomas College. Those of you who have planned conferences know of the thousands of details that it takes to pull together a successful conference. Those of you who have attended education conferences know how critical they are to advancing teaching and learning.

The Teaching Truth, Hope, and Creativity conference is for all Maine educators and is supported by many organizations through funding and planning. We are fortunate to have Connie Carter, Education Director from Americans Who Tell the Truth AWTT, take the lead on many of the details. Connie is amazing and knowledgeable about what is needed to face the tough conversations in schools today. Karen MacDonald from the Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association has been involved in planning several conferences since her retirement as a middle school Language Arts. She is great at taking on responsibilities and at asking the questions to continue moving forward in the planning. Chelsea Fay representing the Maine Math and Science Alliance has been a top notch planner and she along with her colleague at MMSA Emma Carey will be presenting a workshop at the conference. Iva Damon representing the Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership has wowed us with her technology skills setting up the Padlet and the jam board participants will use. Hope Lord representing Maine Art Education Association has been instrumental in many of the hundreds of details. Sooooo grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with this amazing group of educators!

The conference couldn’t happen without the cooperation and generous support of many organizations. Unum, Veterans for Peace, Farnsworth Art Museum, and Kane-Lewis Productions. Thomas College is a wonderful organization to work with and has a beautiful campus. Staff member Darren has been excellent every step of the way!

The conference is scheduled for 8:45-3:00, tomorrow, November 4. We have 130 registered. If you’re interested in attending we have a few spaces available. Register at the link below OR show up at the door with cash or a check for $25.00 made out to Americans Who Tell the Truth. Included in registration is light breakfast, full lunch, an AWTT book, a padlet filled with resources, amazing workshops presented by Maine educators, access to two films: Truth Tellers and Natasha Mayers: An Un-still Life, wonderful gifts, and contact hours. There will be the opportunity to purchase the film Truth Tellers at a special conference price. Briar Patch books will have books to purchase. The door prizes are amazing!

I’m looking forward to seeing old friends at the conference and making new ones. YAY!

REGISTRATION