The Teacher Collaborative
The Teacher Collaborative @ Power of Place is a learning community for Massachusetts teachers that provides them the opportunity to connect, learn, and lead alongside their peers. Originally founded in 2017 by Maria Fenwick, a former teacher (now PoP Board Member), The Teacher Collaborative became part of Power of Place in 2025.
The signature model of The Teacher Collaborative is the Co-Lab, which is designed to be “By Teachers, For Teachers.” In these sustained groups, teachers with common interests collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve together, often creating shareable resources to offer to the broader community.
All Teacher Collaborative programs offer Professional Development Points (PDPs), and many offer honorariums and graduate credit to honor the time and contributions of participants. Many of our programs are selective and require an application. Most programs are held online, as most are open to all educators across Massachusetts, we offer some in-person events as well. Please click through the tabs below to explore current opportunities and register.
- Our Teacher Leadership Co-Labs, Task Forces and Fellowships offer educators the opportunity to lead change while learning in a supportive community that prioritizes equity- and learner-driven approaches.
- We offer Professional Learning through Learning Co-Labs, which provide participants a safe and supportive space to engage in high-quality professional learning on hot topics in education while connecting with peers with common interests.
- Innovation Co-Labs bring together educators, often in teams, to participate in a supported design process to develop innovative solutions to better meet their students’ needs.
- Special Events are offered to recognize the hard work of our teachers and to help educators connect to one another.
Professional Learning
From Culture to Classroom – A Culturally-Responsive Teaching Co-Lab
- What: 5-part Co-Lab on Culturally Responsive Teaching
- Who: All Massachusetts teachers
- When: 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, and 11/12
- Where: 4:30-6 pm on Zoom
- Register
This Co-Lab will be designed to support teachers in understanding and applying the practices of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT). Drawing from the work of Zaretta Hammond, including Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain and her latest text, Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: Teaching for Instructional Equity and Cognitive Justice, the Co-Lab is intended as an introduction, refresher, or practical space for teachers who are new to CRT or looking to deepen their practice.
Participating teachers will build a foundational understanding of CRT, reflect on their own identities and experiences, and consider how their instructional practices can create more equitable learning experiences for students. The program will consist of a series of five weekly 90-minute sessions, where teachers will participate in interactive mini-lessons, discussions with other teachers, and work time.
The weekly sessions are designed to move from building the foundations of CRT and reflecting on identity, to exploring culturally responsive practices through the Ready for Rigor framework, examining how teacher actions and instructional choices can support more equitable learning experiences, and applying these ideas to classroom practice. At the end of the Co-Lab, teachers will have the opportunity to reflect on their learning, share their experiences with peers, and identify meaningful next steps to continue growing their practice. All Massachusetts teachers are welcome to participate.
Restorative Classrooms Co-Lab
Welcome to the new members of the Restorative Classrooms Co-Lab!
Elise Abreu, Holyoke
Kaitlyn Antobenedetto, Grafton
Maria Apale, Randolph
Maria-Veronica Barnes, Lexington
Grace Bromage, Worcester
Casey Cheng, Lexington
Rachel Doring, Beverly
Kalee Henderson, Boston
Yanan Jiao, Boston
Melissa O’Reilly, Dennis-Yarmouth
Marcia Ray, Wrentham
Karen Tlili, Cambridge
Paula Zagarella, Methuen
Jane Zell, Newton
Teacher Leadership
ECLC Teacher Action Research Fellowship
Welcome to the new cohort of Teacher Action Research Fellows!
Stacey Cook, Danvers
Heidi Emmons, Hamilton-Wenham
Robin Gleason, Pentucket RSD
Becky Groothuis, Swampscott
Kathryn “KC” Hubeny, Gloucester
Beth Karas-Speciale, Swampscott
Amber Malm, Swampscott
Amy Lopata, Pentucket RSD
Thomas McNulty, Danvers
Bianca Moise, Haverhill
Meredith Penta, Pentucket RSD
Vidula Plante, Manchester Essex
Cherie Rousseau, Haverhill
Kerry Tyrrell, Wakfefield
Toni Waldron, Gloucester
Sonya White Hope, Lynn
The Equity Leaders Co-Lab
Equity work has always been brave work, and now more than ever a supportive community is essential. Fortunately, there is Equity Leaders, Teacher Collaborative’s flagship Leadership opportunity, a free program for teachers that meets monthly to design and plan change projects that can bring about greater equity in our schools. Equity Leaders is offered annually. We are currently reviewing applications for the 2025-2026 cohort. Please stay tuned for further announcements.
Innovation Co-Labs
From Culture to Classroom – A Culturally-Responsive Teaching Co-Lab
- What: 5-part Co-Lab on Culturally Responsive Teaching
- Who: All Massachusetts teachers
- When: 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, and 11/12
- Where: 4:30-6 pm on Zoom
- Register
This Co-Lab will be designed to support teachers in understanding and applying the practices of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT). Drawing from the work of Zaretta Hammond, including Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain and her latest text, Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: Teaching for Instructional Equity and Cognitive Justice, the Co-Lab is intended as an introduction, refresher, or practical space for teachers who are new to CRT or looking to deepen their practice.
Participating teachers will build a foundational understanding of CRT, reflect on their own identities and experiences, and consider how their instructional practices can create more equitable learning experiences for students. The program will consist of a series of five weekly 90-minute sessions, where teachers will participate in interactive mini-lessons, discussions with other teachers, and work time.
The weekly sessions are designed to move from building the foundations of CRT and reflecting on identity, to exploring culturally responsive practices through the Ready for Rigor framework, examining how teacher actions and instructional choices can support more equitable learning experiences, and applying these ideas to classroom practice. At the end of the Co-Lab, teachers will have the opportunity to reflect on their learning, share their experiences with peers, and identify meaningful next steps to continue growing their practice. All Massachusetts teachers are welcome to participate.
Please bookmark this webpage and check back often!
Our learning agenda is a living document and highly adaptive to the shifting needs of educators in our community, so please check back often as new opportunities are added regularly.
If you have any questions, if you’d like to discuss partnering to leverage the perspective and expertise of teachers in our community, or if you’d like to discuss ways Power of Place® can support your teachers, please contact Diana Lebeaux, Senior Director, Teacher Collaborative, at dlebeaux@powerofplacelc.org.
Never miss an opportunity: Subscribe to our newsletter.