MCELA NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 2025

MCELA News

• Big Conference News
• Past President's Message
• New President's Message

MCELA Fall PD

• Online Book Study
• New: MCELA Lens
• AI in ELA Chat

Maine ELA Educator Spotlight

• Jen Munson–Edna St. Vincent Millay Talk
• Will Cogswell–Climate Lesson

MCELA Conference

• Big Reveal
• Call for Proposals
• Conference Keynote
• Poetry Night Pre-Conference Event
• Registration

Student Opportunities

• Young Writers Contest
• Video Contest

Other Educator PD Opportunities

• Rural Educators PD Fund
• NerdCamp Northern New England
• Maine Writing Project Conference
• New England Association of English Teachers Conference

Big News! The MCELA Annual Conference Will Alternate Locations–
Starting in Bangor for March 2026!

We’ve heard you–and we’re responding with thoughtful change.

Based on feedback from our attendees across the state, MCELA is thrilled to announce that our annual March Conference will now alternate locations between Southern and Northern Maine each year to better support educator access and reduce travel barriers.

This year’s conference will be held in Bangor, Maine, at the Cross Insurance Center on
Friday, March 20, 2026, with a special Pre-Conference Poetry Night on Thursday evening, March 19th, at the Penobscot Theatre Company in downtown Bangor.

This shift reflects our continued commitment to accessibility and community. We’re excited to be able to inspire professional learning, foster local partnerships, and spread MCELA energy to new regions of the state.

We’ll return to Portland in 2027, then back to Bangor in 2028, continuing this annual rotation.

Keep scrolling for our Conference Call for Workshop Proposals & Conference Registration Information

Past President’s Message

Dear MCELA Community,

It has been one of the great honors of my professional life to serve as the President of the Maine Council for English Language Arts over the past three years, following two years as Vice President during the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. In that time, I’ve witnessed this organization adapt, advocate, and flourish–growing in impact, voice, and purpose. As we continue to evolve, I’m excited to announce a new chapter in MCELA’s leadership.

Stepping into the role of President is Bre Allard, Literacy Instructional Coach at Lewiston Middle School. Bre brings to this position a deep sense of thoughtfulness, organization, and vision. Her ability to lead with intention, care, and a big-picture perspective makes her exceptionally well-suited to guide MCELA through its next phase.

Joining her on the executive team is our new Vice President, Michelle DeBlois, a 7th-grade ELA teacher at Tripp Middle School in Turner and a former librarian at Auburn Public Library. Michelle is also the CEO and Founder of ReMo, a Maine-based edtech company supporting independent reading. Her attention to detail and insightful questioning will be invaluable to both Bre and the board.

Rounding out the new leadership for our executive board officers is our new Secretary, Amanda West, an enthusiastic middle school ELA teacher at Penquis Valley Middle High School. Amanda’s curiosity and commitment to learning will strengthen the board’s energy and collaborative spirit.

Sheila Bennett, with her steadfast commitment and patience, will continue one more year as our Treasurer. I will continue to serve as an Executive Board member and advisor in our Past President role. 

I have every confidence that this new leadership team will uphold MCELA’s mission and values while bringing fresh energy and perspectives to our work. As we continue our efforts to support ELA educators across Maine–through professional learning, advocacy, and collaboration–I hope you will join me in welcoming and supporting Bre, Michelle, and Amanda in their new roles.

We are also excited to add new members to our Executive Board: Kim Barnes and Heather Anderson from Caribou, George Jreije from Portland, Heather Ahern-Huish from Livermore Falls, Jessie Odgren from Camden, and Angela Lathem-Ballard from Edgecomb.

One last shout out to Bridget Wright, English teacher at Lincoln Academy. Bridget is a semifinalist for the 2026 Maine State Teacher of the Year. Rooting for Bridget to be selected to have an English teacher represent our state in this role.

With deep appreciation and continued commitment to the work,

Patti Forster
Past President, MCELA

New President’s Message

Thank you, Patti, for the warm welcome and introduction. As you step down from your role as president, I know I have big shoes to fill. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the incredible work you have done for MCELA in your tenure as President. For those who may not know, over the past three years, Patti has dedicated herself tirelessly to our organization. Her leadership was instrumental in establishing MCELA as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and laying the groundwork for our new strategic plan. She brought in several well-known authors to present both in book study professional development sessions, as well as for our keynote speakers at the annual conference. Much of her work was done behind the scenes, be it organizing much of the conference or writing this newsletter monthly. Through it all, she helped MCELA to be recognized on the national stage with several affiliate awards from NCTE (which you can find on our home page of our website). Patti, we are in a stronger position than ever thanks to your vision and commitment. I hope to carry the torch well. 

I also want to recognize the growing dedication of our executive board. We have a robust team of professionals who bring a wealth of ideas and passion to the table, and I am grateful for their support. With such a strong team, I know this year's work will be a collaborative and rewarding experience for all of us. This year, we will continue to provide the high-quality professional learning and support that you've come to expect from MCELA. We are hard at work working toward the goals of our strategic plan, and we look forward to sharing our goals and action steps with you throughout the year. 

I am truly honored and excited to serve as the new president of MCELA. I am confident that with the continued dedication of our board and your commitment to the profession wherever you may serve in Maine, we can continue to grow and strengthen our vibrant community of ELA educators across the state. I look forward to the work we will do together this year.

Ready to work hard and serve you all,

Bre Allard
MCELA President

MCELA's Fall PD Opportunities

Online Book Study Starts
October 20th!

Five Zoom discussion meetings 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17 Mondays, 4-5:30.

Q&A with the authors on Dec. 1st.

Free book to the first 10 to register.

Book Study Price:
Free to members.
$40 for non-members.

Up to 15 contact hours!

New: MCELA's LENS
Create your own Literacy Educator's Network for Study
Using Our Monthly
Lens Resources & Discussion Guide

MCELA is strengthened by strong personal relationships, collegiality, and a deep commitment to collaboration. We provide a wide range of professional learning opportunities and professional experiences that empower educators across Maine. Driven by a commitment to “educators teaching educators,” we offer support, share new ideas, and advocate for the profession.

LENS is a new initiative designed to help ELA teachers across Maine. MCELA has been thinking about this present moment from a variety of angles, and we have planned an inquiry series designed to offer resources to help ELA teachers engage with topics, issues, and strategies while working through discussion/ reflection protocols. Our hope is that these conversations will help us embody what it means to be lifelong learners who continue to enhance our practice in ways that will benefit our students and our school communities. As always, if you have any thoughts or suggestions for us, please share them at maine.ela@gmail.com

Strategies for using these materials:

September Lens:

"The State of Literature Today"

1 contact hour available.

Email us the names and emails of those involved in your MCELA Lens discussion and we'll send all a certificate.

AI in ELA Zoom Chat

MCELA Online Zoom discussions tackling AI educator questions like:

• How do you position yourself as an educator with AI?
• How do we get kids to use AI responsibly?
• How do we convince kids that writing is a thinking process that is worth doing?
• How do we integrate some AI use as a tool?
• How do we teach kids to understand the line where they are giving up their thinking?

Maine ELA Educator Spotlight

Jen Munson
English Teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School

In-person talk in Camden on Edna St. Vincent Millay

Vincent had a complex childhood in Camden—full of love and beauty, but also full of poverty and conflict. Come learn about her journey from the young girl who dreamt of fairies and dancing raindrops to the young woman who stepped on the train heading to New York City and a life her younger self could never have imagined. Through an examination of her poetry, essays, and journals, we will go back in time and spend an evening with young Vincent.

This event is part of the Millay House Reading series and is being hosted at First Fig in downtown Camden. Admission is $10, seating may fill quickly. You can purchase a ticket in advance.

Speaking:
Jen Munson is an English teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School, Vincent’s alma mater, and the Operations Manager at Millay House in Rockland. She has spent the past several years researching Millay’s unpublished juvenalia and is working on a book about her childhood in Camden.

Will Cogswell
English Teacher at Mt. Ararat High School

Climate Lesson Plan Featured on Maineclimatehub.org 

Will Cogswell teaches high school English Language Arts in Midcoast Maine. He has taught high school ELA for ten years in Maine and Salt Lake City, UT; worked with pre-service teachers in Nashville, TN; and taught English to non-native speakers in Bogotá, Colombia. Regardless of the setting, Will aspires to cultivate collaborative, critical thinking and active, engaged citizenship. When Will is not teaching, you can find him reading books with his kids or romping through Maine’s woods, waters, mountains, and snow. 

March 2026 Conference

The Annual Conference Big Reveal

The countdown to lift-off
is underway!
MCELA’s Annual Conference 2026 will be one to make
your hearts and voices RISE! 

We’re thrilled to announce the theme of our 2026 conference. 

RISE
Lifting Voices, Bridging Worlds, Inspiring Change.

8 contact hours

Join us to explore what it truly means to rise as educators. We'll elevate diverse perspectives, build bridges of understanding across different backgrounds, and drive meaningful transformation within ourselves and our students.

This isn't just a conference; it's a powerful movement to empower every ELA educator to become a catalyst for change. In the midst of national divisiveness, we need to uplift and empower educators now more than ever.

Experience the conference on Friday, March 20, 2026, to get the tools and community you need to navigate challenges and inspire your students to become agents of change.

We are honored to welcome our keynote speaker, Sawsan Jaber, a global educator, presenter, equity strategist, curriculum designer, and community activist. She is also the coauthor of the second installment of Street Data, Pedagogies of Voice, with authors Shane Safir, Marlo Bagsik, and Crystal Watson. With a career dedicated to helping students envision and enact equitable futures, her work shows us how to foster agency and advocacy, helping our students grow into global citizens committed to equity and justice. With her powerful insights, Sawsan will set the stage for a day of thought-provoking sessions and collaborative discussions.

Get ready to connect with fellow teachers, innovators, and changemakers
as we rise together: lifting voices, bridging worlds, and inspiring change.

Call for Proposals Now Open

We’re now accepting workshop proposals for our 2026 conference in Bangor! Whether you're a classroom teacher, literacy coach, librarian, or ed leader–we want to learn from you.

Theme-aligned, classroom-tested, interactive, and inspiring sessions are encouraged!

Proposals are due by
October 31, 2025

Come share your voice, elevate your work, and connect with other passionate educators from across the state. 3 contact hours available + 8 for conference.

Pre-Conference Event
Poetry Night at Penobscot Theatre Company

Thursday evening pre-conference event with Poet and Author Dawn Potter
5:30 pm-7 pm
@Penobscot Theatre Company, Bangor

Food, drink, connection, and poetry!

Dawn Potter is the author or editor of ten books of prose and poetry—most recently the poetry collection Calendar. A finalist for the National Poetry Series, she has also won a Maine Literary Award for nonfiction and has received grants and fellowships from the Elizabeth George Foundation, the Writer's Center, and the Maine Arts Commission. Her poems and essays have appeared in the Beloit Poetry Journal, the Sewanee Review, the Threepenny Review, and many other journals. After teaching at the Frost Place for more than a decade, she now leads poetry programs at Monson Arts. She lives in Portland, Maine.

Student Opportunities

Student Writing Contest

Empower your students to be problem-solvers for the planet! The World of 8 Billion student video contest challenges middle and high school students to create a 60-second video that presents a sustainable solution to one of this year’s topics: Energy, Economics, or Wetlands.

This project encourages students to research, think critically, and communicate their ideas for tackling urgent global challenges. Winners can earn up to $1,200 in cash prizes, and teachers are eligible for classroom grants. To make participation easy, we provide topic overviews, lesson plans, and step-by-step guides. Submissions are due March 4, 2026. Learn more and get your students started 

#WorldOf8Billion #StudentVoices #GlobalGoals #STEM

Other Educator PD Opportunities

Teach at a rural school?
You can apply for funds to pay for PD like the MCELA Conference. See below.

The “What I Need” (WIN) Funds are offered through Rural Thrive: The Rural Educator Resilience Project, led by the UMaine College of Education and Human Development. Funding can be used for:

• · Course tuition at any qualifying higher education institution
• · Conference attendance (registration fees, travel costs, lodging)
• · Outside speakers for districts or regional school units
• · Book study materials
• · Mental health supports and teacher coaching

Any full-time classroom teacher in a rural Maine school district is eligible. 

This collaborative professional development opportunity is designed for K–16 educators passionate about enhancing their instructional practices, personal writing skills, and their work teaching writing. In the institute teachers learn from other teachers in being writers and teaching writing. Beginning with online discussions in May and culminating in a week of immersive, in-person collaboration, participants will engage directly with expert teacher-consultants and fellow educators. 

The Day’s Schedule:

8:00-8:45 | Registration and Meet and Greet Coffee and refreshments served
8:45-10:00 | Keynote panel 
10:15-11:30 | Session I 
11:30-12:30 | Lunch in the Dickerman Dining Center (included in registration)
12:45-2:00 | Session II 
2:15-3:30 | Session III 
Wrap up and Certificates 

New England Association of Teachers of English

Book Recommendations

MCELA Membership

MCELA Website

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