Every Teacher A Leader Summit 2026: Full Schedule

9:30am EDT

Bringing Technology and Wellness Together in the Classroom

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

As school districts increasingly integrate 1-to-1 device initiatives, the conversation must shift from mere technical proficiency to the cultivation of sustainable digital health. This session presents a comprehensive framework for a Digital Wellness Program that synthesizes three critical pillars: Digital Citizenship, Technical Mastery, and Cognitive Wellness. Rather than viewing these as disparate subjects, this integrated model treats them as a singular competency necessary for student success in a hyper-connected world.

Speakers

Eric Huntington

Technology Integrator, Cape Elizabeth Middle School

I am currently the technology integrator at Cape Elizabeth Middle School. I teach 8th grade technology and 6th grade digital wellness. This is my 18th year as an educator and I live in Portland, ME!

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Alfond 136

Innovation, 3-12

9:30am EDT

Escape the Ordinary: Unlocking Learning Through Classroom Escape Rooms

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

Alfond 208

Turn your classroom into an adventure with escape rooms that spark curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking. In this session, you’ll explore how to design and implement engaging, content-rich escape experiences while experiencing one yourself, and leave with ready-to-use ideas to bring energy and purpose to your instruction.

Speakers

Allyson Gilbert

Science Teacher, Mt. Ararat High School

I’m an educator driven by curiosity, connection, and the belief that learning should matter beyond the classroom. After facing burnout early in my career, I rebuilt my approach around student voice, choice, and real-world impact. I design experiences that push students to ask big... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Alfond 208

Innovation, 6-12

9:30am EDT

Not Extras, Not Enrichment: The Power of Arts Integration

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

This interactive session explores how arts integration can deepen learning, increase engagement, and build strong classroom communities. Participants will experience practical, ready-to-use strategies that blend the arts with core content areas, reflecting on how creative processes support academic, social-emotional, and cognitive growth. You’ll leave with simple ways to get started and a renewed understanding of the arts in your classroom.

Speakers

Joshua Chard

Arts Integration Teacher Leader Fellow, Maine Department of Education Office of Teaching and Learning

Joshua Chard is a second-grade teacher at East End Community School in Portland, Maine, and the 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year. With more than 30 years in education, he creates culturally responsive, arts-integrated learning experiences that center joyful relationships, student voice... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

Innovation, K-8

9:30am EDT

The Quiet Revolution: Transforming Public Spaces with Montessori Magic

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

Alfond 228

In a world of digital noise, a "Quiet Revolution" is happening within the hands of the child. Move beyond screens and worksheets and uncover the "magic" inside the Montessori pedagogy and curriculum. Through captivating visuals and hands-on materials, see how we can transform classrooms into serene sanctuaries that not only foster deep concentration and independence; but provide children with opportunities to learn through materials specifically designed to teach abstract concepts.

Speakers

Ashley Cirone

Kindergarten, Harrington Elementary School

Ashley has a B.A in Psychology with a focus on Early Childhood Education. She attended University of Maine and graduated with a M.Ed in Special Education. Throughout her career, she has spent time as a Special Education Ed Tech, a Second Grade Teacher, a K-8 Special Education Teacher... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Alfond 228

Innovation, K-2

11:00am EDT

Keeping AI HUMAN in Every Classroom

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Alfond 209

This session teaches AI literacy using the HUMAN framework and classroom-ready EduProtocols. Explore low-prep, high-engagement strategies that help students use AI safely, ethically, and effectively. You’ll leave with practical, adaptable ideas to make AI literacy approachable and empowering across all content areas, plus fresh, student-centered ways to spark critical thinking, ethical reflection, and real classroom engagement.

Speakers

Kate Meyer

Instructional Innovation Specialist, Mount Desert Island High School

Kate Meyer is an instructional innovation specialist and high school English teacher in Bar Harbor, Maine, where she has taught for 25 years. From 2021 to 2023, she served as a Distinguished Educator with the Maine Department of Education. This position allowed her to travel throughout... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Alfond 209

Innovation, General

9:00am EDT

From Page to Performance: Readers Theater and AI for Every Classroom

Friday July 31, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

This interactive session explores how readers theater can be used to build reading fluency, comprehension, and student confidence across grade levels. Participants will learn practical strategies for implementing readers theater in their classrooms and see how it can support collaboration and engagement for a wide range of learners. Designed for teachers just beginning to explore artificial intelligence, this session will also introduce simple, accessible ways to use AI to create engaging, leveled scripts tailored to students’ needs. Participants will have time to experiment with these tools, so please bring a device and be ready to try it out in real time.

Speakers

Joshua Chard

Arts Integration Teacher Leader Fellow, Maine Department of Education Office of Teaching and Learning

Friday July 31, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

Innovation, General

9:00am EDT

Pathways to Possibilities: A New Approach to Career Exploration

Friday July 31, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

Alfond 208

In the Pathways to Possibilities session, participants will reimagine the traditional high school career fair as a targeted, interactive, fast-paced workshop in which students engage in short sessions to understand the career opportunities and supports available across the state. During the workshop, participants will create an event for their school using resources and tools to support their planning process.

Speakers

Lisa Knedler

Career Connections Teacher Leader Fellow, Maine Department of Education, Office of Teaching and Learning

Lisa Knedler is the Career Connections Teacher Leader Fellow for the Office of Teaching and Learning at the Maine Department of Education. Her days are spent teaching at Gray-New Gloucester High School where she is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Coordinator and... Read More →

Friday July 31, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
Alfond 208

Innovation, 9-12

10:30am EDT

Creating the Evidence: Book Art in Action

Friday July 31, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT

Ayotte 103

Research consistently demonstrates that hands-on learning strengthens comprehension, increases student engagement, and promotes deeper understanding beyond rote memorization. In this workshop, participants will construct three book structures that function as authentic alternative assessments. Explore how book art can provide meaningful evidence of learning while fostering creativity, reflection, and student ownership across content areas and grade levels.

Speakers

Sharon Gallant

Retired Educator, MSAD 11

Sharon Gallant was a science educator at Gardiner Area High School and the 2023 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year. With more than 30 years in education, she is recognized for outdoor and experiential learning and has presented professional development throughout Maine. Sharon holds... Read More →

Friday July 31, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
Ayotte 103

Innovation, 3-8

10:30am EDT

Engaging Students and Shell-ebrating Maine Bivalves and Aquaculture

Friday July 31, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT

Alfond 136

Step into Maine's blue economy and re-engineer our relationship with our ocean! In this fast-paced hands-on workshop, you'll create tools that aquaculture farmers rely on and will leave with a turn-key NGSS-aligned curriculum that empowers students to harness their engineering skills to solve global food and restoration challenges. Help students realize their ability to help build the future of sustainability using STEAM!

Speakers

Kristel Anuszewski

Distinguished Educator, Learning Through Technology Team, Maine DOE

Kristel Anuszewski, a lifelong Mainer and 2024 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year, has 32 years of educational experience. After twenty-seven years teaching high school English and four years serving as an elementary librarian at Windsor Elementary, she now works as a Distinguished... Read More →

Colleen Maker

Biology and Marine Biology Teacher, Washington Academy

Colleen Maker is a biology and marine biology teacher at Washington Academy and serves as a K–12 Aquaculture Teaching Consultant for Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center. With 21 years of teaching experience, she is passionate about working with community partners to create authentic... Read More →

Friday July 31, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
Alfond 136

Innovation, 3-12

10:30am EDT

The Compass and the Canvas: Leading Innovation Inside and Out

Friday July 31, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT

Ayotte 104

How might we apply principles of human-centered, empathy-fueled design thinking to develop a more symbiotic relationship between outdoor education and educational technology? During this interactive sprint, participants will use a 5-phase design process to transform the indoor/outdoor dynamic of learning spaces by engaging the Compass Mindset (mentorship and self regulation) and the Canvas Mindset (creativity and multi-modal expression).

Speakers

Selina Greene Warren

Outdoor Learning Facilitator & School Garden Coordinator, Community Regional Charter School

Selina Greene Warren is a dedicated Outdoor Learning Facilitator and School Garden Coordinator at Community Regional Charter School. She was named the 2023 Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year and received the 2024 National Excellence in Teaching Agriculture Award... Read More →

Dan Ryder

Director of Design & Innovation, Community Regional Charter School

Dan Ryder is a veteran classroom educator and Director of Design & Innovation at Community Regional Charter School. He formerly served as Co-Founder and Education Director of the SUCCESS & INNOVATION CENTER at MT BLUE CAMPUS ), an empathy-fueled makerspace + mentoring space for... Read More →

Friday July 31, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
Ayotte 104

Innovation, General

Every Teacher A Leader Summit 2026

Tickets

Success you have shared X tickets.

Every Teacher A Leader Summit 2026

9:30am EDT

Eric Huntington

9:30am EDT

Allyson Gilbert

9:30am EDT

Joshua Chard

9:30am EDT

Ashley Cirone

11:00am EDT

Kate Meyer

9:00am EDT

Joshua Chard

9:00am EDT

Lisa Knedler

10:30am EDT

Sharon Gallant

10:30am EDT

Kristel Anuszewski

Colleen Maker

10:30am EDT

Selina Greene Warren

Dan Ryder

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