Professional Development for Teachers
Come to PEM to get inspired, connect with colleagues and advance your classroom teaching with workshops, artist demonstrations, open houses and other opportunities especially for teachers. Attend an evening session or apply to the PEM Teacher Institute for an immersive experience this summer. Check back here throughout the year for the latest professional development offerings.
Sign-up for monthly updates by contacting Emily Scheinberg at emily_scheinberg@pem.org or 978-542-1546.
The museum also offers day-long workshops for schools and districts on topics such as object-based teaching, interdisciplinary learning, creative expression and writing inspired by art. Customized workshops are available to groups of 10 or more teachers in the museum or at your school.
Visiting another time? New England educators always receive free admission! Just show your ID.
To RSVP for a teacher workshop or find out more information, contact Emily Scheinberg at emily_scheinberg@pem.org or 978-542-1546.
Upcoming Programs
Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 4-7 pm: Educator Open House featuring In Conversation: Modern African American Art. Free.
Celebrate the approach of summer with a festive evening just for teachers! Enjoy refreshments, make art, socialize and tour In Conversation: Modern African American Art.
Learn about this new exhibition, drawn from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's premier collection of works by prominent African American artists. The paintings, photographs and sculpture on view present emotional conversations about individuality, relationships and change.
PEM Teacher Institute
July 23-25, 2013 | 8:45 am-3:30 pm daily
Earn 25 hours PDP credit | $50 participant fee | Applications due May 15, 2013
To fill out your PEM Teacher Institute Application, please click here »
*Note: If you are having difficulties with the online form, please email emily_scheinberg@pem.org with your name, school, grade/subject, email, phone and home address. Also, please provide a brief description of what interests you about the PEM Teacher Institute and what you hope to gain from participating.
Collaborate with museum educators to learn strategies to apply in your classroom and explore how PEM’s renowned collection and dynamic exhibitions deepen student learning and promote 21st-century skills.
Tour the galleries, meet curators, brainstorm with colleagues and get creative with guest artists. Leave with fresh ideas, new expertise and lessons for your classroom. This summer’s institute will highlight the special exhibition In Conversation: Modern African American Art, as well as Fabergé Revealed, From the Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Featured speakers include Lynda Hartigan, The James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Chief Curator, and Dean Lahikainen, The Carolyn and Peter Lynch Curator of American Decorative Art.
Open to K-12 educators. Generalists, language arts, history/social studies, STEM, art teachers and other specialists are all encouraged to apply. Preferential enrollment for two or more teachers applying from the same school or district.
Free parking, coffee and treats provided. Earn 25 PDP credits, including follow-up assignments. Contact Emily Scheinberg at emily_scheinberg@pem.org or 978-542-1546 for more information.
Praise from past participants:
"I really enjoyed the specific activities that were discussed that I can use in my classroom right away. In particular, the using a photograph as setting for a story and the writing activity we did."
"I am still reflecting deeply on my learning from the Institute, but I feel so refreshed and anew with ideas for my classroom."
"[A highlight was] getting to look closely at art myself! The pleasure in doing so reminds me that it is a fabulous activity for students."
Ongoing Professional Development Opportunities for Educators
Interdisciplinary Learning in the Museum and Classroom
Explore interdisciplinary learning against the backdrop of PEM’s exhibitions and collection. Inspired by works of art that link the visual arts to a variety of other disciplines, teachers take part in lively discussions, make connections to classroom teaching and practice developing interdisciplinary lesson plans with other participants.
Write at the Museum! Making Objects Come Alive to Promote Literacy Skills
How can objects tell a story? Look at objects in the museum’s collection as inspiration for writing and discover how object-based learning can be applied to classroom teaching. Learn how to view objects with students and how students can develop a variety of written responses to works of art.
Discover the Art of Object-based Teaching!
Objects and artwork come to life through the use of open-ended questioning strategies. Explore the educational potential of objects in PEM’s collection and learn how using objects in your classroom can engage students in inquiry and collaborative learning while building observation and communication skills.
