A+ Coach: Services for Educators

Abaigeal always considers her audience first, and she insists on asking a variety of questions about her intended constituency before engaging with them. This is essential in order to provide the proper type of support and challenge needed for any group of people who wish to advance to a new level of success.

As a co-coordinator, museum educator, and presenter for Salem in History, Abaigeal was honored to recieve the best evaluation scores of the program during the 2006 Summer Institute. During the course of the project, there were session leaders and presenters that included local and national experts in a variety of fields educators from a variety of instutions.


Professsional Development

Abaigeal provides a wide range of professional development in both content material and pedagogy. Currently, she is working with the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Boston University on an initiative to support teachers of first-year students.

She also offers workshops that help educators learn how to meet their "requirements" while creating a learning environment that is engaging and challenging.


Course Instructor

Abaigeal has experience in teaching American Studies, American History, American Art, Art History, Literature, Education Technology, Education Theory, and Research Skills. She has taught classes and courses at the pre-college, college, and graduate levels.

NEW Course created for 2009:

Integrating the Visual Arts into the Classroom
Grad Credit: ED 3701
PDPs/CEUs: ED 5701
Levels: All Teachers, grades 5–12
Dates/Times: July 27 – 31; 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Billerica
Cost/Credits: 68 PDPs/6.8 CEUs, $500;
4 q.h. graduate credits, $820

In this course, participants will be introduced to effective strategies for integrating works of art into classroom learning, with a particular emphasis on using art to help students develop critical thinking and literacy skills. A powerful form of communication and expression, engagement with art brings possibilities for wonder and connection into the classroom. Such experiences inspire creative thinking and reinforce that capacity for creativity that is inherent to us all. Furthermore, art works provide unique opportunities for differentiated instruction. Register for this class through Northeastern University.


Research Services

Abaigeal is available, on a limited basis, to perform extensive research services. She has done so professionally.

 
Guide Training

Abaigeal is deeply committed to the excellence of museums, and she has served a number of prominent Massachusetts organizations, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Old State House Museum in Boston, the Skinner Museum in South Hadley, the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and the Women at Work Museum in Attelboro. At several of these institutions, she offered training and coaching to gallery educators. Her workshops covered research techniques, question-building, scaffolding off of academic frameworks, general "story" building, and creating programs that reflect curriculum frameworks. Training for educators, lecturers, and docents may be completely customized for your organization.


Program Development

It can be difficult to develop programs that target your specific audience. Let Abaigeal help your organization create interesting, appropriate, and fun programs that will make a great impression.

The material is great- you did a terrific job addressing some sticky issues with leading questions... [you have] my admiration for what you've done to make this project truly tremendous, and the material better accessible to schools and communities. You've done a really marvelous job. --Curator, Committe for Educators' Guide to PEM American Collections

I have just finished reading the Educator's Guide, and just want to say again what great work you have done. Tying the museum objects in with the Massachusetts Frameworks and then providing the opportunity for critical thinking in the teachers' role as presenters and in the students' role as interpreters. This means that you have created a tool that will be utilized for years to come. Congratulations! --SALEM in History Advisory Board Member

 

 

Dorothea Lang, Migrant Mother, 1936. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, DC.