LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADMINISTRATORS
In alliance with Antioch University, Anne Stires also facilitates a professional learning community for Maine public school administrators and is part of a group of nature-based early childhood professionals working on advocacy and licensing projects here in Maine in order to support systemic change for children and the environment. Scroll below for the details!
Additionally, Anne leads workshops and speaking engagements at regional and national conferences, and teaches several courses as an affiliate faculty member of Antioch University, and coordinates retreats, workshops, and courses for educators at the Juniper Hill Center for Educator Renewal with like-minded colleagues. Anne Stires works with innovative consultants: Kate Ziminsky, Sue Ford, Marie Robinson, and others; these educators, therapists, wellness practitioners, and administrative leaders provide professional development opportunities with Anne Stires Educational Consulting, LLC and on their own. Alongside administrators, Anne and her colleagues can develop and implement meaningful, district wide professional development for whole school communities.
A NOTE FROM ANNE TO THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY
RE-IMAGINING EDUCATION AND CO-CREATING CHANGE!
A Professional Learning Community for Maine Administrators:
Connecting Outdoor, Nature-based Leaders of PreK-Grade 8 Public Schools
Why outdoor learning and nature connection? Why now? Why not? What are the concerns? How do we implement outdoor learning in small steps? How do we make sure it continues into the colder weather and post pandemic? How do we get teachers the professional development and support they need? How do we ensure equitable and culturally responsive outdoor learning opportunities for all students and teachers? These are some of the questions we have been asking and hearing from schools across Maine since COVID-19 changed our world. As the school year began, many Maine schools embraced a shift toward outdoor learning--but now, administrators, teachers, school communities, and students need continued support.
As one way to meet that need and expand reach over the 2020-21 school year, we formed a Professional Learning Community (PLC) for Administrators who are leading their schools to be models of “nature connection and outdoor-based teaching and learning.” The Administrator PLC began with a virtual meeting on January 28th, 2021 to share what was happening at schools across Maine. Following the introductory meeting, the group met every two months through May. We held a single day summer retreat for Nature-based Administrators to plan for the 2021-22 school year and have been meeting monthly ever since to share resources, meet and talk with innovators in the field, and visit each other’s sites. We created a mission/vision/values statement and a position statement. One of our other goals is to create a handbook to support other regions to establish Administrator Professional Learning Communities for schools and districts committed to equitable nature connection and outdoor learning. We plan to expand this school year 2022-23 to include more administrators, as well as begin a regional group for the Northeast.