For every teacher who felt daunted by the sheer volume of resources and training opportunities PEI offers during November’s introductory workshop series, a seasoned veteran was there to talk about how they use PEI materials and the difference they make.
“While some new people were thinking, ‘Wow, this is overwhelming. How do I use this in my classroom?’ others who have been with us were talking about the support they get and the resources PEI has,” says Megan Rivard, Associate Director, Columbia Basin & Coast Region. “We love having our champions there.”
This was the first year PEI held the introductory series in the fall rather than early spring to give teachers enough time to sign up for the 6-hour courses offered later in the year. These include core topics like Fostering Outdoor Observation Skills, High Impact Field Experiences, Schoolyard Investigations and FieldDesign. Ideally, after the introductory course, they will either sign up for one of the longer workshops or contact their regional FieldSTEM coordinator to learn more about their options.
Approximately 30 educators attended each introductory session, a helpful number for promoting discourse, according to Rivard. “Even though we’re giving a 30,000-foot overview of a particular resource, it still felt like we could have a conversation,” she says.
“[One] teacher loved being able to talk with so many diverse educators. They’re all from Washington but have different issues going on in their schools. She felt like we were valuing them as educators and that it was a valuable use of her time.”
— Megan Rivard, Associate Director, Columbia Basin & Coast
Attendees came from communities throughout the state that reflected the variety of landscapes within Washington, including forests, agricultural lands, rural areas and urban environments. One participant commented on the value of having a range of perspectives. “This teacher loved being able to talk with so many diverse educators,” Rivard explains. “They’re all from Washington but have different issues going on in their schools. She felt like we were valuing them as educators and that it was a valuable use of her time.”
For future introductory series, PEI plans to bring back an asynchronous course for those who want to take a deeper dive into our resources. For now, Rivard hopes attendees will contact their regional coordinators. “They can start having conversations and moving into a consultation and mentorship relationship with PEI,” she says. “The main goal is to increase our support of educators in Washington.”