On Friday October 10, while students enjoyed a day off, Sanford School Department teachers and staff were hard at work—investing in their own learning to better support our students.
The district-wide professional development day brought together educators from elementary through high school levels for intensive training sessions focused on improving instruction, safety, and student support.
A highlight of the day was the "Young Mathematician" training for Pre-K teachers, which ran both morning and afternoon sessions. This specialized program helps our earliest educators build strong mathematical foundations for our youngest learners. Rather than simply teaching counting, the training focuses on developing children's natural curiosity about numbers, patterns, and problem-solving—critical skills that set students up for success throughout their academic careers.
Another major highlight was the innovative York County collaborative training, an initiative developed by Sanford's Curriculum Director Beth Lambert. This regional approach brought together educators from school districts across York County. School counselors and social workers gathered at the Sanford Performing Arts Center, while teachers in specialized areas—including Art, Music, Library/Media, and World Language—met at various locations throughout the county. The collaborative model allows professionals who often work in isolation within their own buildings to connect with colleagues facing similar challenges, share effective strategies, and build ongoing professional learning networks. By learning alongside peers from neighboring districts, Sanford staff gained fresh perspectives and resources while also contributing their own expertise to benefit the wider education community.
Mathematics remained a strong focus across grade levels, with all math teachers K-12 participating in ongoing training with the Maine Math and Science Alliance, a statewide organization that helps schools implement best practices in math instruction. These sessions provided teachers with new strategies to help students not just memorize procedures, but truly understand mathematical concepts.
Throughout the day, staff also participated in de-escalation training, learning techniques to help students manage strong emotions and prevent behavioral situations from escalating. Other sessions included "Science of Reading and Intervention" for literacy teachers, which uses evidence-based approaches to help struggling readers, and "Building the Toolbox" for special education staff, focusing on how to integrate physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech services into classroom instruction.