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2025 Presenters
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Marc Battle
Marc Battle is an ECE Instructor in a community-focused diploma program in Winnipeg at Red River College Polytechique. His passions are; advocating for Children's Rights, designing adventure playgrounds, playing music for kids, all things inclusive and exploring all forms of play.
Marc’s question:
"If we are truly working in the best interests of children, then it is essential that we involve them. They must have ‘say’ in things like menu planning, rules, community experiences, decision making, research, recruitment and hiring of staff and management and routines. Therefore, my question is, how do we truly capture their voices in order to manifest it in our work?"
Jeanine Fitzgerald
Jeanine draws on more than 45 years of professional experience to empower those who work with and love children to view their work through a lens of paying attention to what truly matters with and to children. She is intrigued by diversity and how to navigate the dynamics of difference and she believes that everyone has a one-of-a-kind story that matters.
Jeanine is an internationally known presenter and is respected for her work with children, educators and parents as both a mental health professional and a teacher. She owns and is executive director of the Fitzgerald Community School in MA, a nature based project immersion, independent, educational community for preschool through grade 6.
Jeanine is the author of the Dance of Interaction and is just putting the finishing touches on her second and third books, Educating the Heart and Through the Eyes of a Child! As a returning presenter to GMTC, Jeanine has been inspired by her experiences and the people here, even incorporating one or two into her books!
Jeanine's question:
”What really matters, when all is said and done?”
Carla Shalaby
Carla Shalaby's professional and personal commitment is to education as the practice of freedom, and her research centers on cultivating and documenting daily classroom work that protects the dignity of every child and honors young people’s rights to expression, to self-determination, and to full human being. Specifically, she is interested in practices of critical pedagogy and critical literacy at the elementary level; classroom community and "management" as the practice of democracy; and the relationships between the daily work of teachers and the ongoing struggle for justice. Carla previously served as director of the Elementary Master of Arts in Teaching program at Brown University, and as the director of elementary education at Wellesley College. Carla holds a B.A in English from Rutgers College, an M.Ed in Elementary Education from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, and an M.A. and doctoral degree in Culture, Communities, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is the author of Troublemakers: Lessons in Freedom from Young Children at School (New Press, 2017).
Nettie Lane
Nettie’s interest in theatrical clowning led her to study, and apprentice with, Italian Maestro Giovanni Fusetti. Her approach to Clown is somatic, energetic, and process-based. Teaching locally, across the U.S., and in Ireland, she has been guiding students for over 14 years, and has 'midwifed' close to 200 clowns. She directs and produces the yearly Clown Soiree and firmly believes in the power, play and humanity of the Sacred Fool as a way of excavating inner wisdom. When she isn't clowning around, you can find her walking in nature, gardening, writing, yoga-ing, and studying bioenergetics and the invisible mysteries of life.
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Annie Patterson
Annie Patterson’s voice, musicianship and infectious enthusiasm has ignited audiences across North America and abroad for over 3 decades. She is the co-creator, along with her husband Peter Blood, of the iconic sing-along songbooks Rise Up Singing and its sequel Rise Again. A multi-instrumentalist, Annie’s musical repertoire ranges from folk and Blues to gospel and jazz. Accompanying herself and others on banjo, guitar, snare and cajón, she has performed and/or toured with notable musical artists Emma’s Revolution, Charlie King, Magpie, Sally Rogers, Reggie Harris, Lou and Peter Berryman, Joe Jencks, and more. Annie is a member of New England based bands Big Yellow Taxi and Dear Ella and has been a longtime vocalist with the swing band Girls from Mars. Annie and Peter Blood’s work with folk legend Pete Seeger is documented in the film entitled We Began to Sing.
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Annie is wondering: “What helps me stand in my power?”
2024 Presenters
April Zajko
April Zajko, M.Ed. supports educators at various career stages, ranging from pre-service students in community college courses to seasoned professionals. Dedicated to reigniting JOY in teaching, April delivers an inspiring message through her professional development offerings. April leads educator trainings, captivating keynote presentations, nature-based college courses, and virtual professional development series honor children and boosts the well-being of teachers. As the moderator of the thriving Facebook group, "Nature Inspired Teacher," April fosters a vibrant community of over 15,000 engaged educators.
April is wondering:
"What happens to the growth of our courage when we gain clarity in our communications?"
Over the past fifteen years, April's mission has been to heal from, unlearn, and disrupt non-affirming teaching practices. April's non-linear journey as an educator spans multiple countries (and across a variety of educational settings) and her background is in special education, psychology, and trauma-informed practices. April is passionate about educator well-being and supports educators in a multitude of capacities including facilitating wellness circles and teaching mindfulness and trauma-supportive school courses. April reminds us to lean into humanity, compassion, and joy and disrupt the toxic teaching practices and mindsets that harm us and the children in our care. She's a dreamer, a lover of play, and constantly curious. April lives with her husband, daughters, and rambunctious rottweilers in Vermont.
https://www.aprilbrownconsulting.com/
April Brown
April is wondering:
"Have you checked in with your heart lately? How do we truly nurture ourselves while taking care of others?"
Mikaela Simms
Mikaela Simms has been working as WSESU Director of Equity and Social Justice for 15 years. She arrived in Vermont by way of the San Francisco Bay Area and Guinea West Africa; where She taught middle school with an emphasis on Social Justice. In her current role she emphasizes humanizing every situation and making connections across disciplines and other dividing lines. “Our job as educators is to be curious about every student and colleague. It is through deep inquiry that we learn about ourselves and the equitable world we wish to build.”
Mikaela is wondering:
” How we can meet the needs of every student, every human without applying deficit thinking to that person or their circumstance?"
