I usually stay home for Thanksgiving but not this year. Thanksgiving included visits with family and dear friends, some that I haven’t seen in many years. At the heart of each visit was catching up, reminiscing and storytelling. Our memories collide with bits and pieces of what each of us remember. Rooms filled with laughter, excitement and many kind words. My heart was full over and over and I experienced gratitude. Gratitude that I could make the trip, that I have my health to do so, and for all the kindnesses offered. As my friends and family members age and pass away I am reminded of the importance of connecting, living in the moment, giving to others, and living each day to the fullest. Everywhere I went yummy food was shared while listening, sharing, laughing, and taking pictures. So much laughter and smiling until my face hurt. I am grateful!
As I head back to Maine I am thinking about what Maine education and educators are experiencing over this holiday weekend. I had a long conversation with a friend who has been a teaching artist for over 30 years. Arts education funding has changed across the country in the last 25-35 years. We are feeling the impact of that now all these years later. We have a whole new generation of educators. I am amazed at how arts educators in Maine and across the country are so resilient. In spite of the lack of policy and funding in the arts education, excellent education in the arts continues to take place. Today I give THANKS for your contributions, whether you are a visual or performing arts teacher, a teaching artist, an administrator, a parent who understands the value of arts education or a supporter of quality arts education for all learners, THANK YOU! I am more grateful than you can imagine.
Thanks to Green Meadow Farm for the photo of their young turkeys.
Waterfall Arts, November 15, Open Clay Studio. Start a new project or finish something you have started. Don’t let your lack of studio equipment be an obstacle! Waterfall Arts has a well-furnished and staffed clay studio for artists of all skill levels (*must have some experience and an orientation before attending Open Studios) to drop in and work independently on their own projects. Drop-in rates are $20 for a 3-hour session. Maximum 5 artists during Open Studios. Studio Monitor, Jeremy Hollinger has a Fine Arts degree, specializing in Ceramic and Sculpture works.
Two-hour workshop, Fun with Fused Glass, Waterfall Arts, November 30, 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Students will learn how to fuse a glass wave using a 4″x4″ flat glass sheet and bits of crushed transparent glass in shades of blue and green. Your unique design will be fired to a tack fuse to create a textured, 3D work of art to be displayed on a mini easel or used in a decorative way in your home. Instructor Sharon Warren, glass artist has a BS in Marine Engineering from the US Merchant Marine Academy. LEARN MORE!
WATERVILLE
Waterville Creates is hosting an extra-special Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) meet-up on Saturday November 18th, 9:00-12:00. Bring whatever art supplies you want to play with (there will also be fun extras and goodies to try, including a communal “crankie”)! In order to participate you need to be an MAEA member. Join at THIS LINK.
Last years Waterville Creates and MAEA workshop
The following two opportunities are open to anyone.
Ticonic Gallery + Studios is offering a Ceramic Jewelry Workshop with visiting artist Martha Grover from 10:00-2:00. A delightful beginner level jewelry making workshop. Martha will lead participants step-by-step to create unique ceramic jewelry that will be fired with hand-made ceramic elements. In this one-day workshop, students will make a variety of earrings, pendants, brooches, and beads. Beginners will be given individual attention while those with more experience can work at their desired pace. LEARN MORE. Register HERE.
Greene Block + Studios will be hosting the Elm City Small Press Fest from 11:00am – 4:00pm. The Small Press Fest is a free community event that focuses on independent publishing in the Maine region. The goal of the Fest is to promote contemporary creative publishing while stimulating and promoting creative economies in the area. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to browse independent publications and art prints and participate in free workshops throughout the day.
Veterans Day, a day to pause and consider what today means. Americans are deeply divided and everyday it seems like there are more challenges in bringing people together. In my mind it’s simple: invite people with differences to the table, provide the opportunity to express their beliefs and determine how to compromise so the world can move to a more peaceful place. And, collectively tackle essential problems like food shortages, the homeless (unhoused, unsheltered), alternative sources of energy, and other important topics. The outcomes of the conversation: action. We need to take care of people and the environment and our world! I realize that I’ve simplified it and that it is not so easy.
Maybe it’s the teacher and/or the artist in me. While disagreeing, being angry, exchanging strong language, middle school students arguments most often are settled within minutes. Listen to each side of the story while students are listening to each other. Listening so a student feels heard while working the problem through as they stand in the corner of the room, the hallway, a moment between classes, and sometimes the administrators office. Focus on how the altercation can be solved, encourage creative solutions. In severe cases a repercussion is issued, parents are called informing them of the situation. Yes, yes, I know that its not always that easy. When you think about the scene, it’s kind of amazing what teachers do in these scenarios. Perhaps governments should watch, listen, and learn from the examples of teachers.
As I pause today, my point is that a situation with students is the closest to fighting in a war or defending a country I’ve ever come. I heard some stories from my father who fought in WWII that have helped inform me. I’m more ready to learn now and sadly my dad is no longer on earth for him to be my teacher. I’m reading books to help me fill in my lack of experiences (and the times that I was sleeping in my high school history class). The first hand accounts of individuals and groups are definitely enlightening but at the end of the day I don’t have the experience of hiding from the enemy in a fox hole, coming face to face with the other person both with guns in hand or moving out of an area because the enemy has reconfigured their position. I agree with the old Native American phrase: “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”
My father, George P. Nestor, was part of the Big Red One, First Division, Army. He fought in Africa, Sicily, landed on Omaha Beach (1st wave), up through France, Battle of the Bulge and was wounded in Germany. He returned home and rarely talked about his service. He was a proud of being an American coming from Greece when he was a small child.
What’s it really about? In my opinion it’s about empathy and trust. Veterans Day is an opportunity to teach, learn, and practice empathy. Where do we learn to be empathetic?! As we go about our business today I will be thinking about my freedoms, about people who don’t have the privileges I do, and considering how to practice empathy and build trust. I am remembering that I live in a free country because of people like my father who were willing to volunteer, stand up and fight for our freedoms. If you don’t agree that we live in a free country I suggest that you visit a country that isn’t free and perhaps you’ll have a different view. I am well aware that the freedoms I have are not experienced by all who live in the US. My recent readings have helped clarify that for me. Go Back to Where You Came From by Wahajat Ali. I encourage you to read the book.
I hope that you have time to pause today and reflect through writing, making art, going for a walk, and/or communicating with a neighbor, friend or family member. Simply saying hello and smiling at someone you didn’t know when you woke up today could make a difference in the world. Even if it’s only for a moment, it could be the one moment that will help you and/or others.
I finish this blog post with something that came across my desk this week. A segment of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech from January 20, 1961.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
It is not a surprise that the arts are playing a part in helping to heal and supporting Mainers during this time to make sense of the tragedy in Lewiston. As we learn more details we are also learning the ways that the arts are a vehicle for helping us to ease the pain and process the event. Below I’ve included some that have come to me through multiple avenues. I invite you to share some of what you are involved with or are aware of by “leaving a comment” at the bottom of this blog post or by emailing me at meartsed@gmail.com. I have been making cards and sending them to those who I know personally that have been impacted by the event. If you know of someone who could benefit from a handmade card please email me. My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the victims and to all the educators who are there for students. Please remember that whatever you’re doing is enough and the right thing.
Turner Art Teacher
Miia Zellner, an art teacher from Turner, Maine, attaches a heart cut-out with a message of positivity to a tree in downtown Lewiston, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Zellner wanted to show her love and support for the community in the wake of Wednesday’s mass shootings. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro
James Taylor
Known as the Battle of the Bridge, last weeks football game featured cross-river rivals Lewiston High School and Edward Little High School of Auburn. James Taylor was there to sing an acoustic version of the National Anthem before the kick-off of the game.
L/A Arts – the Arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn
An open call for artworks to individuals and organizations at the local, state and national level to express your thoughts in the form of a postcard. We call upon all mothers, fathers, and children; teachers and their students at all levels; artists, whether novice or seasoned; wordsmiths; dreamers, thinkers, feelers and doers of all ages and backgrounds. Share your hopes and your fears, your remembrances and your well-wishes.
These postcards can be addressed directly to the victims and/or their families, the immediate community of Lewiston impacted by the tragedy, or more broadly address growing concerns over the horrific frequency of gun violence across the nation.
The leaves had just started to turn their brilliant colors as I followed the windy road west to Rangeley from my home in the mid-coast. It was a warmish and beautiful day. I haven’t traveled to western Maine in a few years and surprisingly during my 13 years working for the state (Maine Department of Education, 7 years and Maine Arts Commission, 6 years), I didn’t visit the Rangeley Lakes School. (I say surprisingly because during those 13 years I visited about 450 schools.)
Sonja Johnson and Maryam Emami
I’ve know Rangeley art teacher Sonja Johnson and English teacher Timothy Straub for many years. More recently, I met Maryam Emami, graphic arts and history teacher and the 2023 Franklin County Teacher of the Year. I was excited to visit the Rangeley Lakes School and to learn more about Maryam and Sonja’s collaborative project. I shared my recently published book, Catching Fireflies, that I’ve co-authored with poet Jean Feldeisen. I learned about the community project that Sonja and Maryam have had underway for almost 10 years called Words of Wisdom. Students have made beautiful black and white photographs and collected stories from almost 100 community members. We discussed ideas on how they can move forward to complete this comprehensive historical and artistic project this school year. The lessons learned in creating Catching Fireflies have been many and I was happy to share them.
Along with the collaborative project I had a chance to learn about some of the recent engaging curriculum work Maryam had underway with students. You’ll find descriptions below of two units plus Words of Wisdom. It was fun for me to talk with students as they worked in the classroom space and the hall gallery they were creating with the completed work.
Graphics Arts
Retail Design: Part 1. The Logo-Create a fictitious company. Begin by naming it. Once the name has been selected everything else falls into place. Think of who your audience is and the company’s personality. The logo design will be most effective when the spirit of the store is clearly thought through. Keep in mind that you will be using the logo for a broad range of applications. The typographic symbol is usually, but not always, the expression of a unified design for advertising and manufacture. It must be original and simple in form, have a very high degree of memorability, and be easily recognized and noticeable. A symbol either brings letters together to make a new form, or illustrates the product or does both. A symbol is something completely different and of higher importance than a monogram (a sign of identity usually formed by the combined initials of a name). A faulty symbol is far worse than none at all, and a bad symbol can be disastrous to a product.
Humanities II
Historical Exhibit: Students curate artifacts which can include music, visual art, videos, digital media, information about important individuals from the time/culture, and cultural/historical items in their exhibit. Artifacts should be cataloged and given museum tags. And, students should be able to act as a docent to visitors to the classroom exhibit. When designing your exhibit, consider incorporating a mix of artifacts, documents, interactive displays, and multimedia presentations to engage visitors and provide a comprehensive view of your Empire’s history and cultural heritage. The Empires are the Inca, Songhai, Ayuttyha, and the Ottomans.
Words of Wisdom
Sonja and Maryam plan to publish a book with the information below that students have collected from almost 10 years of community members. The information supports the beautiful black and white photos students took and developed. These are older community members, at this point some of them have passed away. One student is the child of a student from 10 years ago when the project first got underway.
what is your full name including nickname
how old or young are you
where do you live in rangeley
what is your connection to rangeley how did you get here how long have you lived here
what was/is your occupation
what do you enjoy doing now
describe your family background
what are some of your interests/hobbies
Last piece: please share with us any additional details about your life or anything else you would like to share with future generations.
There is nothing more wonderful than learning about teachers collaborating in an impactful way. The information is of course, authentic and somewhat raw. I spent a few minutes reading through the answers, looking into the eyes of the portraits. I couldn’t help but wish this project could be carried out in every school in the state. This is a gift to the students who participated in so many ways. They’ve had a chance to learn about the individuals (in some cases relatives), to learn the history through the lives of community members, and to reflect on who they are as young people because of the people who live in their own community. Very, very powerful work! I look forward to holding the book in my hands in the future.
I’ll let you know when the project is complete. Good luck to Maryam and Sonja and to the students as they move to complete this gift to the community!
If you’d like to purchase my book Catching Fireflies it is available at THIS LINK.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Educate Maine have partnered to develop the Teach Maine Center to support and advance a vibrant educator workforce in Maine that enables all students to thrive.
The Teach Maine Center will engage, empower, and unite educators across the state to incubate and develop strategies, supports, and professional learning connected to the Teach Maine Plan.
It is encouraging to learn that the Maine DOE and Educate Maine are taking action to face the teacher shortage problem in Maine. This is a critical time since educators and schools are faced with increased student and community needs.
“Maine is a place that values and respects our educators and we are turbocharging that with the Teach Maine Center. The vision is to create a hub by teachers and for teachers that allows them to collaborate, innovate, and lead our profession and public education forward in Maine,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.
“We are excited to announce this groundbreaking partnership with the Maine Department of Education to create the Teach Maine Center. This partnership represents our shared commitment to strengthen, grow and diversify Maine’s educator workforce. We look forward to this important work and the positive impact it will have on students, teachers, the teaching profession, and the future of education in Maine,” said Educate Maine Executive Director Jason Judd.
Through December 2024, partners will identify and meet with stakeholders around teacher workforce issues, conduct 16 in-person and virtual county-level forums with educators to get input on teacher recruitment and retention, complete a landscape analysis of the educator workforce, solicit statewide educator input on ongoing professional development needs, and launch a marketing campaign focused on encouraging people to join Maine’s educator workforce. In collaboration with key education organizations and the Maine DOE, Educate Maine will assemble an advisory committee to provide input throughout the initial phases of the Center.
This information is taken from a more comprehensive pieces found on the ‘news page’ on the Educate Maine website at THIS LINK.
During a surprise ceremony Thursday, 700 students and staff members learned Waterville Senior High School (WSHS) has received the Performing Arts School of Excellence award given by the National Federation of State High School Associations. The award was introduced in 2016 and only the eighth one presented. WSHS is the smallest school to have received the award.
Principal Brian Laramee said: The award “is truly a testament to the many students and staff of Waterville Senior High School that have worked long and hard to expand and improve their craft.”
WSHS music department visual and performing arts department chair Sue Barre said: The award “was not just representative of the hard work and dedication of current and past department members, but also a celebration of the transformative power of the arts in society.”
Chorus Director Ciara Hargrove, VPA Department Chair Sue Barre, string and Orchestra Director Colin Wheatley, former Drama Director Gayle Pelligrini and current Drama Director Dana Bushee. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
Performing as first violinist in the orchestra Thursday, senior Sophie Scheck, 17, said she was surprised and happy about the award, but was not sure everyone realized its magnitude. “This is really big,” Scheck said. “I think we definitely deserve it. The teachers are amazing, and I don’t think we would have gotten it without them.”
Waterville Schools superintendent Peter Hallen emailed: “To me, our performing arts program is an example to all of us in education about how to engage and inspire students. It’s the unique place where students of all ages, interests, backgrounds and abilities come together and learn with, from and about each other. Lots of credit was thrown around today, but make no mistake, those teachers are what drive that program.”
We (arts educators) have first hand knowledge of the work that goes into a dynamic arts education program! I know all of my colleagues reading this blog post join me in offering a huge congratulations to the students, educators, and all those who support arts education in Waterville school district!
Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
The information for this blog post taken from an article in the Morning Sentinel and written by Amy Calder. Read the entire article at THIS LINK.
They’ve done it again! Today the Union of Maine Visual Arts (UMVA) journal was published and it is jam packed with amazing articles; something for everyone! The fall issue, Materiality has a variety of thought provoking articles written by artists, writers, and educators.
Maine Arts Journal Fall 2023 cover (Rosamond Purcell’s studio, Somerville, MA, with a detail of Wall, mixed-media installation, photo: Veronique Plesch, May 2018).
Introduction by Veronique Plesch
For this issue we invited our contributors to reflect upon the many ways in which their work engages with the notion of materiality, considering the different stages of the creative process, starting with their choice of medium and how tools and materials interact, all the way to the tangible objects they produce. The topic proved inspiring: the responses address the centrality of the choice and handling of the medium. We read about materials’ possibilities and limitations, about how one might attempt to control them or instead submit to them (some materials seem to remain indomitable while others readily—willingly?—cooperate in allowing the artist to reach their goals). Contributors discuss the importance of tools to obtain certain desired effects, while they also marvel at the resulting unexpected and welcome surprises. The process’s dynamic nature is made clear by how often notions such as fluidity, transformation, transmutation, and metamorphosis are mentioned, suggesting that materials have an agency of their own. As we read through the issue, it becomes clear that materials are more than a driving force in the creative process: they are true partners, at once inspiring and motivating, starting point and goal.
This issue includes a piece written for the education column, Insight/Incite by Maryam Emami. Maryam is the 2023 Franklin County Teacher of the Year, has been teaching graphics and social studies at Rangeley Lakes Regional School since 1995. The article includes a variety of images that Maryam’s students have created.
If you’d like to learn more, become a member of UMVA, and support this fabulous organization you may do so at THIS LINK. UMVA hopes that you will subscribe to AND support the journal by becoming a member of the Union of Maine Visual Artists by clicking here. You can subscribe for free by clickinghere.
If you’re interested in writing for the journal please contact me Argy Nestor at meartsed@gmail.com or go to THIS LINK.
Explore archived journals (from the past 10 years) at THIS LINK.
Four Maine teachers were selected as the State Finalists for the 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year program. Second-grade teacher Joshua Chard from Cumberland County, sixth-grade writing and social studies teacher Edith Berger from Lincoln County, fifth-grade science teacher Lacey Todd from Oxford County, and high school science teacher Colleen Maker from Washington County were all selected to move forward in the Teacher of the Year process and were chosen from the 2023 Maine County Teachers of the Year.
“Colleen, Edith, Joshua, and Lacey are all extraordinary educators who care deeply about their students, schools, and communities. They lift up everyone around them, are passionate about their profession, and are true champions of all students and schools in Maine. These four finalists represent the best qualities of Maine’s amazing educators, and I congratulate them on this very well-deserved honor,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.
One of the four State Finalists will be named the 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded each year to one teacher in Maine. The announcement will be in October after the final stages of the selection process are complete. During the last two weeks the schools and classrooms of all four finalists were visited. Maine’s Teacher of the Year serves as an advocate for the teaching profession, Maine schools, and students, and represents Maine in the National Teacher of the Year program.
“Maine is fortunate to have so many outstanding educators working to ensure that every learner has what they need to be successful,” said Dr. Jason Judd, Executive Director of Educate Maine. “These state finalists are great examples of all the dynamic and versatile teaching that happens each day in our Maine classrooms. Congratulations to them and their districts. We look forward to working with them as they continue their journey as teacher leaders and ambassadors for the profession.”
“Congratulations to these four wonderful teachers! The hard work, dedication, and love they put into all they do and the commitment they show to their communities, schools, and students is inspiring,” said Matt Bernstein, 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year. “I am grateful to these four educators for representing the incredible work that happens in classrooms and schools all over Maine. I am tremendously proud of them. It is an honor to know them and learn from them.”
“Maine educators support their students, families, and communities with professionalism, compassion, and commitment,” said Heather Whitaker, 2020 Maine Teacher of the Year and President of the Maine County and State Teacher of the Year Association (MCSTOYA). “Our finalists, who come from all across the state, are leaders in this work. We look forward to learning from their expertise as we work together in our shared commitment to Maine public education.”
More information on the State Finalists and the Maine Teacher of the Year program:
Joshua Chard East End Community School, Portland 2023 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year
“Teachers across our state do amazing things in their classrooms every day. Being a finalist for Maine Teacher of the Year provides me with a platform to share and celebrate the incredible work happening in Portland Public Schools and in schools all across Maine. I am humbled and proud to stand among such amazing professionals.”
2023 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year Joshua Chard is a second and third-grade looping teacher at East End Community School and the drama director at Deering High School in Portland, Maine. His approach to designing and implementing curriculum for young learners always starts through a culturally responsive lens. Joyful relationships are at the heart of everything Chard does in his classroom and he is inspired every day by the honor of lifting up and celebrating his diverse learners. Chard holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in theater from the University of Southern Maine, a Master of Science degree in Education with a K-6 Literacy focus from the University of New England, and a Certificate in K-6 Standards Based Mathematics from The American College of Education. He is also certified as a K-12 teacher of English to speakers of other languages. During his 31-year career, he has been an educational technician, has taught fourth and fifth grade, and has been an instructional coach with a focus on mathematics. Chard is proud to teach in two of the most culturally diverse schools north of Boston, having passionately dedicated his entire career to working in high-needs, urban schools, and he is excited to have a platform to share the amazing work that is happening there. Outside of school, Chard can be found participating in local theater as an actor and director and exploring Maine’s beaches and lighthouses with his husband and their grandsons.
Edith Berger Miller School, Waldoboro 2023 Lincoln County Teacher of the Year
“Being a part of the Maine County and State Teachers of the Year program is an opportunity to lift the voices and amplify the experiences of all teachers in Maine and beyond. My school, administration, colleagues, and district have supported me in my growth as a teacher leader and I owe the same to others in education no matter where they teach.”
Edith Berger is a teacher of writing and social studies in 6th grade at Miller School in Waldoboro, Maine, RSU 40. Berger has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with concentrations in art and architectural history and psychology from Ithaca College and a Masters of Education in Literacy: Writing and the Teaching of Writing from the University of Maine, Orono. She is the 2023 Lincoln County Teacher of the Year. A 2013 Fellow of the Maine Writing Project, her poetry and essays have been published in several anthologies. Berger considers mentoring her mission in life. She is especially passionate about using mentoring to help other teachers integrate civics into their classrooms. Berger feels that sharing excitement, knowledge and strengths with each other benefits teachers across all grade levels and content areas. By explicitly teaching and embedding the traits of good citizenship across the curriculum, she believes children will grow up to respect the rights and beliefs of others and contribute to a civil society. Whether presenting at an international literacy conference about teachers teaching teachers, mentoring new teachers and graduate students in their craft and leadership, or representing social studies in her district and state, Berger demonstrates her commitment to the profession of teaching as well as to the subject of social studies. When not at school or doing other “teachery” things, Berger can be found writing in a noisy coffee shop, reading history geek nonfiction or baking goodies she shouldn’t eat to satisfy her husband’s sweet tooth.
Lacey Todd Mountain Valley Middle School, Mexico 2023 Oxford County Teacher of the Year
“The Teacher of the Year program has provided me with an opportunity to recognize and honor those who have supported my journey in education. This award represents the hard work and dedication of my teaching team, who support and challenge me every day; my husband, who spends his evenings and weekends working in my classroom; and my parents, who made countless sacrifices to ensure my success as a first-generation college student.”
Lacey Todd is a fifth-grade science teacher at Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico, Maine. Todd earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Maine at Farmington, Master of Education in Inclusion Education and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Literacy K-12 from the University of New England, Education Specialist degree in Teacher Leadership from Walden University, and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Todd grew up in Oxford County, where she continues to live and teach, which is why she takes great pride in being named the 2023 Oxford County Teacher of the Year. Todd is a Maine Science Teachers Association board member, completed a three-year term on the Maine Professional Standards Board, and was selected as a mentor for the national Diversity in STEM Education Summit in 2020 and 2023. She is also a Next Generation Science eXemplar facilitator and advocates for the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards at all grade levels, especially elementary. Todd is a teacher leader in her district, serving on several committees, including Staff Council, Technology, Certification, and Contract Negotiation, and is a mentor for new and pre-service teachers. Todd is especially passionate about making science education engaging and accessible to all students and regularly seeks out professional learning opportunities that promote collaboration, authentic learning experiences, and inclusion. When she’s not teaching or tending to her menagerie of class pets, you can find her camping or exploring the Maine woods with her husband and their golden retriever, Ruby.
Colleen Maker Washington Academy, East Machias 2023 Washington County Teacher of the Year
“It’s an honor to represent Washington Academy and Washington County in the Maine Teacher of the Year Program, and I’m thankful to my students, colleagues, administrators, community partners, family, and husband, Joshua, for fueling and nurturing my passion and love for teaching. Being part of a program that celebrates teachers across Maine is truly exciting, especially in a state where incredible things are unfolding in our classrooms and communities.”
Colleen Maker teaches biology and marine biology at Washington Academy in East Machias, Maine. Maker has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Maine at Machias. Maker is the 2023 Washington County Teacher of the Year. Maker’s pedagogy revolves around experiential learning and emphasizes student engagement through hands-on experiences and community partnerships. She integrates the curriculum with real-world applications, fostering lifelong learners who are productive community members and responsible stewards of their environment. She creates student leadership opportunities by advising homeroom, student council, science club, and sustainability club. As a member of the Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee, she collaborates with colleagues to develop and implement initiatives that foster a safe and accepting environment for all. Her commitment to creating a sense of belonging is evident in her efforts to ensure everyone feels welcomed and valued.
Maker seeks opportunities to engage with other science educators and is a member of the Connected Learning Ecosystems cohort sponsored by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. She was the 2022 recipient of the prestigious University of Maine Volunteer Pen Award for her dedication to the Washington Academy Community Garden, which donates all produce to the Machias Food Pantry. Maker is passionate about fighting food insecurity in her community and provides opportunities for students to volunteer by caring for the garden, participating in gleaning initiatives, and supporting personal care share drives. While not teaching, Maker cherishes time with her family camping, playing board games, reading, and exploring beaches.
For more information about the Maine County Teacher of the Year Program and to see a list of County Teachers of the Year, and Maine Teachers of the Year, visit http://www.mainetoy.org.
In 2010 Congress passed the House Resolution 275 which designates the week beginning with the second Sunday in September as National Arts in Education Week. This is a week to shed extra light on the power of arts education. Young people and adults come together to tell the story of why the arts are essential for all ages and share the benefits of engagement in the arts.
Suggestions on how to PARTNER with others to celebrate.
Come up with a plan to ADVOCATE with your colleagues.
Create a SOCIAL MEDIA campaign to pass the word on about the value of arts education.
This week is an opportunity for you, your students and your community to recognize the importance of arts education. Celebrate in your classroom, your school, and beyond!
I know what you’re doing is amazing! Take a moment to let others know and THANKSSSS for your great work. YOU ROCK!
Argy Nestor
Arts Educator, Blogger, Artist, Connector meartsed@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/view/anestor/
Argy’s Blog
The purpose of this blog is to share stories about people and places; and to celebrate the amazing work (and play) that students, educators, and organizations are doing in and for arts education. In addition, the blog has a plethora of resources and innovative ideas. This forum gives blog readers the opportunity to learn from each other. It is essential that we listen, learn, and collaborate in order to build on teaching practices for the benefit of every learner in Maine and beyond.
me arts ed 