Karen MacDonald

Maine Teacher of the Year- 2014 • Retired Educator after 37 years • Ed Consultant • Advocate for Project-Based Learning

[Colby Sharp @colbysharp]

Our Christmas gift each year from our principal is a book of our choice. The only rule: it cannot be a book about teaching. It has to be a book that we want to read for pleasure.

My principal, Sue Haney, invests in the reading lives of our entire staff. EVERY. SINGLE. EMPLOYEE.

[ME Dept of Education @mdoenews]

“Joshua Chard embodies the qualities that make Maine teachers amazing, and we’re thrilled to honor him as Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.https://t.co/dShslYcf0V

[MEA @MaineEA]

🎉👏 Congratulations to MEA Member Joshua Chard on being named 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year! #WeAreMEA #MEAProud
https://t.co/BfEMLkRpl4

[Brooke Teller @brooke_teller]

Thank you @PtldMuseumofArt for hosting FableVision and Paul Reynold. Reiche students had a great time creating bravely. You are all Going Places! @PORTLANDPUBLIC

[Paul Gorski | Equity Literacy Institute @EquityLiteracy]

Backward Systems Thinking: Trying to "diversify staff" our way to antiracism by recruiting people into a racist system, then providing them with mentoring and other "supports" ostensibly to help them survive the racism we're ignoring. Then acting surprised when they leave.

[Alex Cole @acnewsitics]

Republicans: Why won't Biden fix the border!!!!

Also Republicans:

[Ms Kelly Gallagher @KGallagher_SCI]

today we answered questions about ourselves and then made connections by finding out what we have in common & physically linking our hexagons together - every single student found something in common with at least one other person in their class #classroomculture #teacherlife

[Mueller, She Wrote @MuellerSheWrote]

I was in the room when Shaye Moss gave her riveting and emotional testimony to the J6 Committee. I watched @libradunn offer comfort to her mother, Ruby Freeman. I’m glad to see them getting some Justice from the Fulton County DA this week.

[Heather Anderson @caribouteacher]

Colleen Maker- 2023 Washington County Teacher of the Year- “incorporating hands-on learning opportunities is crucial to expanding student engagement in learning.”

[Heather Anderson @caribouteacher]

Inspiration abounded today @UMaine for Panels, Presentations and Portfolios Day. Check out the thread for some incredible words of wisdom from our Maine 2023 County Teachers of the Year. @MAINETOY @mdoenews #lovemaineschools⬇️

[Kimberly Barnes @ACTOY2019]

Spent the day at UMaine with @caribouteacher celebrating and cheering on our colleague Emily and the 2023 CTOYs at the 2024 MTOY Presentations, Panels, and Portfolios.

[Teachers of the Year @MAINETOY]

Excited to be at @UMaine for #MTOY24 Panels and Presentations! Good luck to the semifinalists… thank you @UMaine_COEHD for co-hosting with us! #CTOY23 @mdoenews @EducateMaine @MaineTOYA

[Allison Crouch @mrsesteycrouch]

This is so cool!

[Heather Anderson @caribouteacher]

Another great zoom! Thank you @UndoneMovement. Loved hearing Christine Flavin discuss her journey as a white ally and @selmekki’s discussion of freedom schools of the past and how the current model supports kids today.

[Heather Anderson @caribouteacher]

Spent tonight on Zoom learning from these inspiring veterans of the Civil Rights Movement. “Movements change but commitments don’t”- Flonzie Brown Wright. “Think about the kind of world that you want it to be. Learn the stories and tell them.”- Frank Figgers.

[Ashley @bryant_teacher]

We met Susan & Gina from Nevada (do you pronounce it correctly? We do now!) walking around the pool area on night one. This morning we hugged them goodbye. They are two exceptional educators and our conference besties! @caribouteacher #NNSTOY2023

[Karen MacDonald @MTOY2014]

Also, have them use the "speech" tool on their computer to listen to it.

[edutopia @edutopia]

Here’s a useful tip to help students improve their writing. ✍️ 🤩

Ask them to read their work aloud. While it may not feel as natural—or modest—as reading silently, it can help them catch often-overlooked errors, a 2022 study found.⁠