The young leaders of MEA’s Michigan New Educators—MiNE—are presenting a virtual series called “Tackling Tough Topics,” professional development they designed to help newer educators survive the cold, dark days of winter.

Register now!

While early-career educators may have attended other professional learning opportunities centered around these topics, this one is tailored to their needs, facilitated by peers from across the state, and open only to educators in the first seven years of their careers.

“We wanted to give educators a safe environment to come together to tackle the tough things we deal with in our day to day and support each other to know we’re not alone,” said Erinn Parker, a MiNE representative and president of the Stephenson Education Association in Menominee County.

The four-part virtual series began in January with a session on classroom management and continues through April. Each Zoom session begins at 5 p.m. EST/4 CST. These sessions are all SCECH eligible. Register now!

Other sessions include:

• Mental Well Being // February 20. This session is designed to help educators prioritize their mental well-being. It will explore the unique challenges of starting a teaching career and provide practical strategies for managing stress, setting boundaries, and cultivating self-care habits. It will help participants maintain balance and build resilience.
• Work-Life Balance // March 27. As educators, there is always more work that could be done. This session will help educators learn to manage time, set boundaries, and prioritize personal well-being despite the demands of teaching. Participants will leave with actionable tools to maintain balance and thrive both personally and professionally.
• Evaluations // April 17. This session helps educators take the legal and contractual issues of the evaluation system and leverage this knowledge to have great results in their own performance evaluation. Focus will be on showcasing strengths and growth areas in the various evaluation tools utilized across the state, interpreting feedback, and knowing your rights and the district requirements related to your evaluation.

“MiNE selected the topics by reflecting on our first years of teaching and talking about our greatest needs during this time of the school year,” Parker said. “It’s important to remember to revisit expectations, take care of ourselves, and better understand evaluations as they come at the end of the year.”

COMING SOON: Look for a reboot of our MiNE podcast and a series of Pop-Up PD videos of short and easily consumable learning segments. This summer a short book study on Beyond Your Bubble will help you find ways to talk about important issues with people who may differ from you politically.

MiNE is dedicated to creating professional learning and networking opportunities for early career educators. Join us!