Teach Maine Center

Teach Maine Center The Center is an initiative of Educate Maine.

Designed by teachers and for teachers, the Teach Maine Center advances the teaching profession by engaging, empowering, and uniting teachers across Maine and developing programming and professional learning.

Does anyone else feel that "Sunday night" feeling creeping in, even with a few weeks of summer left? As the new year app...
08/09/2026

Does anyone else feel that "Sunday night" feeling creeping in, even with a few weeks of summer left?

As the new year approaches, it's worth pausing to celebrate everything we accomplished together at the Every Teacher a Leader conference. It's also worth celebrating all the professional development opportunities that Maine teachers engaged in this summer!

Nothing beats looking back on all we shared and learned, and channeling that energy into fresh ideas, new partnerships, and stronger practices for our students. Take a few moments to browse a few photos from the ETAL event and to reflect on what we want to carry forward into our classrooms.

We're still relishing in the community, learning, and inspiration shared by all of our attendees, presenters, volunteers...
08/07/2026

We're still relishing in the community, learning, and inspiration shared by all of our attendees, presenters, volunteers, and staff at Every Teacher a Leader 2026.

A huge thank you to Maine Community Bank and Machias Savings Bank, whose generous sponsorship helped make this year's conference possible. We couldn't do it without you!

And to our 62 presenters who shared their expertise across sessions and talks, thank you for showing us what Maine educator leadership looks like.

Until next year! Watch for the Call for Proposals in the spring, could you be one of our presenters next year?

There’s still time- register today!!!
08/03/2026

There’s still time- register today!!!

Every Teacher a Leader wrapped up in style on Friday, the culminating day of a conference built entirely around teachers...
08/02/2026

Every Teacher a Leader wrapped up in style on Friday, the culminating day of a conference built entirely around teachers leading teachers. In all, 40 PD sessions designed and led by educators filled the conference, proof that the best professional learning comes from the people already in the classroom.

A shout out to Laura Shible and Heather Whitaker, who facilitated the two “Cultivating the Calling” sessions on Friday, giving educators space to reflect on how teacher leadership is at the heart of the profession.

The day closed with an ETAL Shark Tank, where teacher teams pitched bold ideas to a panel of Shark judges for a shot at funding:
• Spruce Mountain Primary Team pitched a program connecting primary and older students to build bridges after their school consolidation.
• Britney Salley-Gero and Kristy McNaughton of Gardiner Area HS pitched “Future Focused Rounds,” supporting student connections, career exploration, and post-secondary planning.
• Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, Pitch 1 and Pitch 3 each received an extra $250.

Taking the top prize of $500: Gretchen Livingston of Cony High School, whose pitch, inspired by ETAL sessions “Dawn’s Nourish to Flourish” and “Becky’s Nature Based Learning,” will bring outdoor and interdisciplinary learning to her school.

Teachers leading teachers and bold ideas for what’s next: a fitting finish to ETAL. Congratulations and thank you to all our presenters who shared their expertise with wisdom and passion!

We are still running on so much energy and enthusiasm from our Every Teacher A Leader conference this week! Thank you to...
08/01/2026

We are still running on so much energy and enthusiasm from our Every Teacher A Leader conference this week! Thank you to all who came to make it such a special and impactful event. For those who participated, please share a highlight from the conference in the comments below, and be sure to share with your colleagues and friends so they may join us next year!

Last night at the Every Teacher a Leader conference, we celebrated two exceptional humans in Maine education. Heather Al...
07/31/2026

Last night at the Every Teacher a Leader conference, we celebrated two exceptional humans in Maine education.

Heather Alden, Multilingual Educator at Gorham High School, received the Karen MacDonald Service to Teaching Award for her incredible dedication to her students and profession.

Commissioner Pender Makin received the One of Us Award, honoring her years as a fearless champion and protector of public education and teacher innovation.

The evening included a wonderful dinner, hearing from a panel of educators who have traveled as a part of their teaching career, and live music from Wintry Mix with a special appearance by Julia Edwards: 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year!

What a night!

After an amazing kickoff this morning, 24 PD sessions for our participants, ALL planned and led by Maine teachers FOR Ma...
07/30/2026

After an amazing kickoff this morning, 24 PD sessions for our participants, ALL planned and led by Maine teachers FOR Maine teachers! The energy was high, with connections to classroom practice heard and shared over lunch and in passing conversations all day. We capped it off with our second Cultivating the Calling session with Rob Messier.

More photos coming soon, but we just had to share a couple now!

The Teach Maine Center Every Teacher a Leader Conference has officially kicked off! We are so excited to learn from teac...
07/30/2026

The Teach Maine Center Every Teacher a Leader Conference has officially kicked off! We are so excited to learn from teacher leaders across the state. We are so fortunate to have Karen MacDonald and Melissa Guerrette at the helm.

Whether you are a general education teacher wondering how to engage more of your reluctant learners, or an arts teacher ...
07/15/2026

Whether you are a general education teacher wondering how to engage more of your reluctant learners, or an arts teacher seeking to learn some new tricks from other colleagues, our upcoming Teach Maine Center's Maine Educators Summer Camp for Integrating the Arts is for you!
Registration is now open; limited spots remain. Come up to camp with us this summer!
When: Tuesday, August 18th to Wednesday, August 19th
Where: Camp Encore/Coda in Sweden, ME
Who: Classroom teachers, instructional designers, support staff, curriculum integrators, pre-service educators, school administrators, and other educators. All grade levels welcome.
Price: Under $82. Registration includes lodging, dinner, breakfast, and lunch!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teach-maine-centers-maine-educators-summer-camp-for-integrating-the-arts-tickets-1990901343512?aff=oddtdtcreator

Check out our three amazing presenters for our first Maine Educators Summer Camp for Integrating the Arts! Limited spots...
07/07/2026

Check out our three amazing presenters for our first Maine Educators Summer Camp for Integrating the Arts!

Limited spots available - register now!
https://www.eventbrite.com/.../teach-maine-centers-maine... See less

Arts Integration Through Theater and Storytelling
Antonio Rocha, originally from Brazil, earned a Summa Cum Laude Theater BA from the University of Southern Maine, and studied with masters Tony Montanaro and Marcel Marceau. He has performed his unique fusion of mime and storytelling from the Kennedy Center to the Edo Museum in Tokyo, covering 22 countries and 44 US states. Antonio is a two-time TEDx presenter, a solo theater coach, and a recipient of the coveted Circle of Excellence Award by the National Storytelling Network for his "exceptional commitment and exemplary contributions to the art of storytelling. He was named Performing Arts Fellow 2024 by The Maine Arts Commission. For more information about this unique performer, please visit www.storyinmotion.com

Arts Integration Through Music
Julia Edwards: 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year
For the past 15 years, Julia has taught music to students at all grade levels K-12. She has spent 13 of those years at the middle school and high school level, using interdisciplinary connections to help her students develop durable skills through the act of music-making. Her Cultural Context Curriculum has been presented nationally, and her work with RSU 16 students and faculty earned her the title of 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year and SBO+ Magazine's 2026 50+ Music Teachers Who Make A Difference for the state of Maine. Julia believes that the best learning happens when students are guided with the teacher at their side, discovering new knowledge and recognizing connections to prior understanding.

Arts Integration Through Visual Arts
Argy Nestor has dedicated her life to education and the arts. She taught middle school visual arts for 30 years where 95% of her curriculum was integrated with other subjects. Later, she served at two Maine state agencies, where she championed high-quality visual and performing arts education and equitable access for all learners. Argy was named Maine Teacher of the Year in 1995, participated in the Japanese Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program, and has received numerous honors recognizing her contributions to education. Artmaking has been a constant thread throughout her life and career. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and reflects her enduring commitment to learning, creativity, and community. Argy partnered with poet Jean Feldeisen to blend visual art and poetry in Catching Fireflies, a collaborative book published in 2023.

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482 Congress Street , Suite 303
Portland, ME
04101

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