Multiple Maine Teachers of the Year to be Coaches for Thomas College’s 2018 Summer Institute Web Director | February 27, 2018

WATERVILLE, MAINE, February 2018 — Thomas College announces its coaches for its 2018 Summer Institute, Innovating in Education for Maine’s Diverse Population of Students, on June 26-28 at Thomas College in Waterville.

Coaches include: County Teacher of the Year 2018 Marielle Edgecomb, of Peninsula School; Jeff Bailey, of Mountain Valley High School; Maine Teacher of the Year 2015 Jennifer Dorman, of Skowhegan Area Middle School; Lindsay Stewart Pinchbeck, director of Sweet Tree Arts and founder of Sweetland School; Maine Teacher of the Year Finalist 2018 Kasie Giallombardo, of Nokomis Regional High School; and Mallory Haar, of Casco Bay High School.

Open to Maine educators PK-12, the Summer Institute 2018 will provide networking opportunities, ample team-time with personal coaching, and breakout sessions focused on hands-on deliverables rather than direct instruction.

Each team will have a coach, who has been carefully selected to address this year’s theme. They will assist participants with drafting, revising, and finalizing a unit or project that incorporates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), proficiency-based education, and/or digital learning.

“The coaches are an integral part of the CIE Summer Institute,” says Assistant Professor of Education and Institute Co-Director Dr. Katie Rybakova. “The coaches provide real-world experience and advice, as they are all practicing and/or veteran teachers who are passionate about these particular subject areas. We recruit coaches based on team needs and the theme of the institute. We are so excited—the depth of the coaching talent this year is incredible.”

This year’s coaches have vast experience and many of them are award winning.

Marielle Edgecomb is a middle-level math teacher at teaching Course 1 through High School Geometry at the Peninsula School in Prospect Harbor, Maine.  She is a mentor teacher, Springboard program trainer and a district facilitator for focus groups and teacher teams.  She has been awarded the 2015 President Award for Teaching Mathematics and is the 2017 Hancock County Teacher of the Year.  She has been in education for 26 years in both classroom teacher and administrative positions. She will be teaching sessions in Student Choices to Engage All Learners, and building a rigorous math program for all students.

Jeff Bailey began teaching in 1998.  He taught English at Mountain Valley High School for 10 years before switching to technology courses such as Architectural Design, Engineering and Computer Science. Jeff thinks the best way to bring innovation to education is take risks and challenges ourselves as educators to continue learning. Jeff will be leading the following sessions: Getting Started with Coding for any Grade, and Flipping your Classroom, at the Summer Institute.

Jennifer Dorman has 24 years of teaching experience in MSAD#54 and is currently a special educator and reading interventionist at Skowhegan Area Middle School. Jennifer is the 2015 Maine Teacher of the Year. She serves as co-chair of the Teach to Lead Maine Teacher Leadership Committee and is passionate about building teacher leadership in Maine schools as a way to improve teaching and learning. Jennifer will be leading sessions in Close Reading and Strategies for Engagement, and Visible Learning: Research-Based Strategies to Make Learning Stick.

Lindsay Stewart Pinchbeck is the director of Sweet Tree Arts and founder of Sweetland School, a Reggio Inspired, Project Based multi-aged elementary school program in Hope, ME.  She has been teaching in the arts and alternative education settings for the past 18 years.  Lindsay believes art can be shared by all ages and all abilities on many levels – we create as active participants, engage as observers and share experiences together enriching our lives and building empathy when we explore the world through the Arts. She’ll lead sessions on The Challenges of Creativity and embracing Chaos in the Classroom, Growth Mindset and the Arts.

Kasie Giallombardo has been a 9-12 social studies teacher at Nokomis Regional High School for the past 10 years. She is the 2018 Maine State Teacher of the Year finalist and recipient of the 2018 Lawrence O’Toole Teacher Leader for Student-Centered Learning. She’ll be leading sessions in Utilizing Natural Curiosity to Increase Student Engagement, and Student-Centered Simplified: Strategies for Any Classroom.

Mallory Haar is a National Board Certified teacher of English as a New Language at Casco Bay High School in Portland, Maine. For the past six years, she has taught eleventh and twelfth-grade students advanced academic English, and has co-taught content ranging from chemistry to history. This year, she and a colleague launched a new course, entitled “I Am From Many Worlds: Literature, Culture, Identity.”  She currently serves on district committees to design proficiency standards for ELLs and cultural responsiveness training for staff.  Before coming to Maine, she worked as a Creative Arts Specialist in St. Paul, Minnesota, leading writing circles for students in special education settings. Mallory’s sessions will include: STEM and ELL: Collaborating to Serve All Learners, and Initiating the Conversation: Strategies for Building Cultural Competency Discussions in Schools.

Registration is still open and can be completed online. Cost is $195 per person. Special group discounts for teams of four or more are available. Grant applications are open for those needing financial assistance, and will close May 1st, 2018. See thomas.edu/cie for more information.

About Thomas College: Founded in 1894, Thomas College offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in programs ranging from business, entrepreneurship, and technology, to education, criminal justice, and psychology. Its Guaranteed Job Program, the first of its kind in the nation, is built on student’s academic, career, and leadership preparation. Thomas is also home to the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation and the Center for Innovation in Education. Money Magazine recently ranked Thomas 23rd in the Country for adding the most value to their degrees, and data reported by the New York Times ranks Thomas in the top 15 percent of all college and universities in the U.S. for upward mobility of its graduates. For more information, visit wwwold.thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley at [email protected] or 207-859-1313.