NMArt Professional Learning Workshops for Educators

NMArt Professional Development Workshops

Follow the links below to register for the free professional development workshops offered by NMArt.  These workshops are open to teachers, administrators, counselors and teaching artists from all NM schools.

NMArt, the New Mexico Alliance for Responsive Teaching, is a partnership between the Santa Fe Opera and the school districts in Albuquerque, Los Lunas, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe. This alliance came together as part of the Kennedy Center’s Partners In Education Program. The mission of NMART is to elevate creative, culturally responsive, student-centered teaching and learning through high quality arts and arts-integrated professional development.

• Workshops emphasize one or more of the following:  Arts Integration, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Social Emotional Learning.
• For in-person workshops, coffee and hearty snacks will be available 30 minutes before the start of the workshop.
• Each workshop will be followed by a feedback survey.  Three participants who complete the survey will be selected at random for a $20 gift card. In addition, teachers who attend three workshops and share documentation of using a technique or exercise from the workshop with their students will be celebrated as part of the NMART Vanguard in the summer of 2024.

Any questions or to cancel registration, please email Charles Gamble, Director of School Programs at the Santa Fe Opera, at cgamble@santafeopera.org if you cannot attend; another teacher may need your spot!

NMArt is the NM Alliance for Responsive Teaching
The Santa Fe Opera | Albuquerque Public Schools | Los Lunas Schools
Rio Rancho Public Schools | Santa Fe Public Schools | The Kennedy Center

Engaging the Whole Child the Whole Way Through

with Randy Barron
Max 30 participants. All Grade Levels

Santa Fe Public Schools
Monday, September 16, 2024 – 4:00-7:00 pm, In Person. 
BF Young Building – 1300 Camino Sierra Vista, Santa Fe

Rio Rancho Public Schools
Thursday, September 5, 2024 – 1:00-4:00 pm, In Person.
RRPS District Office – 500 Laser Rd NE, Rio Rancho

For RRPS teachers, subs are provided for you to attend this workshop. After you register, please email Tamara Garcia, Fine Arts Administrative Assistant, at tamara.garcia@rrps.net. She will coordinate with your school administrative assistant to secure a half-day substitute for you.

Los Lunas Public Schools
Monday, August 26, 2024 – 4:15-7:15 pm, In Person. 
LLS Teacher Resource Center, 801 Coronado NE, Los Lunas

Albuquerque Public Schools
Tuesday, September 10th, 2024 – 4:30-7:30 pm, In Person.
M Building – APS Fine Arts, 912 Oak St SE Albuquerque

REGISTER

Session Description

As educators know by now, lasting learning must be actively built, experiential, reflective, collaborative, evolving, and based in problem-solving. That approach to teaching results in students who are motivated, innovative, team-oriented, and self-confident. That also happens to be the evolving “portrait” of a successful New Mexico High School graduate, according to the State Public Education Department.

In this workshop, teachers of all grade levels will experience and actively work to build a compact set of crucial arts-integrated skills, ones that will set their students up for deeper learning in every subject area. Drawing on multiple art forms and the New Mexico Content Standards and informed by four decades of arts-integrated practice in classrooms of all descriptions, veteran New Mexico Teaching Artist Randy Barron guides teachers through a logical scaffold of strategies they can use to bring the power of the creative process into their students’ lives and learning.

This workshop is designed for all teachers who are interested in stretching their own creative muscles in the art of teaching. Teachers should come dressed comfortably for simple movement activities. Participants will receive a workbook handout, as well as links to online materials and resources that will connect to NMART workshops held later in the school year.

About the Presenter

Randy has danced and choreographed professionally since 1978 with ballet and modern dance companies across the United States. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, with minors in Chemistry and Psychology, and he is continually amazed at how often he uses that knowledge.

Since dancing has not always paid all the bills, Randy has also worked as an arts administrator, school bus driver, meeting planner, stage manager, bill collector, real estate assistant, lighting designer, high school principal, wild land firefighter, and emergency medical technician, among others — all while continuing to dance and choreograph professionally.

As a teaching artist since 1984, Randy has led over 500 professional development workshops in 40 states and Singapore. He has also designed scores of in-depth, arts-integrated residencies (one to four weeks) for schools of all types and grade levels.

Randy lives with his family near the village of Tecolote, New Mexico, about a hundred yards from the original Santa Fe Trail.

BARS: Learning the Writing Process Through Rap

with Bomani Armah
Grades 2-12 though all are welcome

Santa Fe Public Schools
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 – 4:00-7:00 pm, In Person. 
BF Young Building – 1300 Camino Sierra Vista, Santa Fe

Rio Rancho Public Schools
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 – 1:00-4:00 pm, In Person. 
RRPS District Office – 500 Laser Rd NE, Rio Rancho

For RRPS teachers, subs are provided for you to attend this workshop. After you register, please email Tamara Garcia, Fine Arts Administrative Assistant, at tamara.garcia@rrps.net. She will coordinate with your school administrative assistant to secure a half-day substitute for you.

Los Lunas Schools
Monday, September 30, 2024 – 4:15-7:15 pm, In Person. 
Los Lunas Schools Teacher Resource Center – 801 Coronado NE, Los Lunas

Albuquerque Public Schools
Thursday, October 3, 2024 – 4:30-7:30 pm, In Person. 
M Building – APS Fine Arts, 912 Oak St SE Albuquerque

REGISTER

Session Description

Baba Bomani Returns! A remarkable teaching artist, producer and MC, Baba Bomani will show teachers how to use aspects of hip-hop art and culture to create an engaging learning environment. Participants will learn rhyme-based strategies that build student writing and communication skills using the five steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing). Through the art of hip-hop, these strategies also enhance vocabulary while making connections between essay writing and songwriting.

About the Presenter

Bomani Armah, aka Baba Bomani, has been using Hip-Hop to teach fun and informative workshops for learners from early childhood to graduate students for well over 15 years. On his website you can find his Hip-Hop music for kids as well as teaching materials:

Bomani Armah’s Website

Musical Tellings: Enhancing Literacy with Soundscapes and Musical Stories

with John Bertles
Grades PreK-8, though all are welcome

Santa Fe Public Schools
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 – 4:00-7:00 pm, In Person. 
BF Young Building – 1300 Camino Sierra Vista, Santa Fe

Rio Rancho Public Schools
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 – 1:00-4:00 pm, In Person. 
RRPS District Office – 500 Laser Rd NE, Rio Rancho

For RRPS teachers, subs are provided for you to attend this workshop. After you register, please email Tamara Garcia, Fine Arts Administrative Assistant, at tamara.garcia@rrps.net. She will coordinate with your school administrative assistant to secure a half-day substitute for you.

Los Lunas Schools
Monday, November 18, 2024 – 4:15-7:15 pm, In Person. 
Los Lunas Schools Teacher Resource Center – 801 Coronado NE, Los Lunas

Albuquerque Public Schools
Thursday, November 21, 2024 – 4:30-7:30 pm, In Person. 
M Building – APS Fine Arts, 912 Oak St SE Albuquerque

REGISTER

Session Description

Stories are so much more fun – and fun to create – when combined with musical ideas and instruments! Discover how to create sound-effects-stories using simple noisemakers and student-built instruments; then go deeper with soundscapes and musical stories inspired by classroom texts and poems. No musical experience or expertise needed – this workshop is designed for all educators!

About the Presenter

John Bertles is an educator, composer and instrument-builder. For over 30 years, in 42 states and overseas his professional development workshops for teachers and artists have explored the intersection of art and science. His programs can (for example) help teachers build better instruments from the simplest materials by understanding the science of sound; or combine art forms to “play” paintings of famed Bauhaus artist Paul Klee. A professional development facilitator for The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts National Touring Workshops for Teachers since 2006, he is also the founder and co-director of Bash the Trash Environmental Arts, a musical ensemble of 35+ performers nationwide using musical instruments created from reused/repurposed materials. An early advocate of STEAM and environmental arts education, he has worked tirelessly to interweave environmental issues and sustainability into his presentations. His prior work with Carnegie Hall’s Distance Learning Program meant that during the pandemic he was in high demand for virtual workshops demonstrating how to use online platforms to transform in-person educational programs into virtual experiences. He was nominated for a Grammy Award and a Drama Desk Award for on-stage instruments created from beach trash for the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit “Once on This Island”; is a recipient of Bennington College’s Visionary Leadership Award; and is a nine-time winner of the ASCAP Plus Childrens’ Song-writing Award.

Integration & Action: Teaching Social Studies Through the Arts

with Michelle Holdt
Grades K-12

This arts integration PD is offered in partnership with the NMPED and made possible by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Santa Fe Public Schools
Thursday, January 16, 2025 – 4:00-7:00 pm, In Person. 
BF Young Building – 1300 Camino Sierra Vista, Santa Fe

Rio Rancho Public Schools
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 – 1:00-4:00 pm, In Person. 
RRPS District Office – 500 Laser Rd NE, Rio Rancho

For RRPS teachers, subs are provided for you to attend this workshop. After you register, please email Tamara Garcia, Fine Arts Administrative Assistant, at tamara.garcia@rrps.net. She will coordinate with your school administrative assistant to secure a half-day substitute for you.

Los Lunas Schools
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 – 4:15-7:15 pm, In Person. 
Los Lunas Schools Teacher Resource Center – 801 Coronado NE, Los Lunas

Albuquerque Public Schools
Thursday, January 23, 2025 – 4:30-7:30 pm, In Person. 
M Building – APS Fine Arts, 912 Oak St SE Albuquerque

REGISTER

Session Description

Calling all teachers! You don’t have to be an artist to integrate the arts into your lessons. Learn how to teach some key skills and content of the New Mexico Social Studies Standards (NMSSS) with creative, high-engagement instructional strategies. See how these key principles apply to all content areas:

• Empowering students to develop pride in their identity.
• Developing student agency and leadership
• Supporting students to maintain their own cultural integrity while learning about others
• Identifying tools for sharing authentic stories.

Creative practices are tools for inquiry, investigation, creativity, community building, & connect to classroom curriculum. This practical, experiential, and hands-on workshop will be grounded in the pedagogy of Harvard Project Zero including Making Learning Visible and Thinking Routines. Participants will be introduced to simple and yet dynamic arts integrated strategies that are immediately applicable to your own lesson plan development and implementation.

Topics:  ELA & Music (Arts Integration)

About the Presenter

Michelle Holdt is an enthusiastic arts integration specialist and leader with a strong commitment to leading an arts rich life and making creative practice available for all children. She has over 20 years experience in arts education as a drama teacher, professional development leader, and arts administrator in a wide variety of educational settings. She was the Arts and Restorative Learning Coordinator at the San Mateo County Office of Ed and holds a Masters and Credential in Educational Administration from San Francisco State University, an Art Integration Certificate with The Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership, a BA in Drama and Human Development from Harvard University, a Masters in Theatre and Dance from the University of New Mexico, and a clear K-8 multiple subject credential from New College of California in San Francisco.

Teacher as Storytelling: Building Story Comprehension in Beginning Readers

with Stuart Stotts
Grades K-5, though all are welcome

Santa Fe Public Schools
Thursday, February 27, 2025 – 4:00-7:00 pm, In Person. 
BF Young Building – 1300 Camino Sierra Vista, Santa Fe

Rio Rancho Public Schools
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 – 1:00-4:00 pm, In Person. 
RRPS District Office – 500 Laser Rd NE, Rio Rancho

For RRPS teachers, subs are provided for you to attend this workshop. After you register, please email Tamara Garcia, Fine Arts Administrative Assistant, at tamara.garcia@rrps.net. She will coordinate with your school administrative assistant to secure a half-day substitute for you.

Los Lunas Schools
Monday, February 24, 2025 – 4:15-7:15 pm, In Person. 
Los Lunas Schools Teacher Resource Center – 801 Coronado NE, Los Lunas

Albuquerque Public Schools
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – 4:30-7:30 pm, In Person. 
M Building – APS Fine Arts, 912 Oak St SE Albuquerque

REGISTER

Session Description

In this hands-on workshop teachers develop their ability to tell stories more effectively through the expressive use of voice and movements.

Good storytellers capture attention. They help listeners visualize characters, understand dialogue, and connect to emotional details that bring a story to life. Workshop participants’ increased skills will help develop students’ story comprehension as teachers add character gestures, create lines of dialogue, and describe sensory details. As evidenced in classroom after classroom, these are powerful strategies for developing literacy skills for students who range from advanced to not yet fluent readers.

This workshop is ideal for Reading Specialists, Elementary, English Language Learners, and Special Education teachers.

Topics:  ELA & Music (Arts Integration)

About the Presenter

Stuart Stotts is an author, storyteller, educator and songwriter.  He’s sung with and performed for kids and families in schools, libraries, and community settings around the world since 1984.  Stuart is a Kennedy Center teaching artist and a frequent presenter at educational events, keynoting conferences and leading workshops for early childhood and elementary school teachers, librarians, and social service professionals around the country.  His keynote presentations are funny, practical, engaging, and based on everyday practice and experience. Although the topics may vary, Stuart always emphasizes the importance of story, relationship, brain-based research, and ongoing learning in striving for improvement and success. Stuard offers school assemblies, family concerts, and student writing workshops. He gives many concerts every year and has released several recordings. He is also the author of sic books for children. When he’s not traveling, he lives in Deforest Wisconsin with his wife Heather Terrill Stotts, and various assortments of offspring, depending on the day and season.

NMART is a Partners in Education Partnership Team of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. NMArt Workshops are sponsored by the School Districts in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Los Lunas with additional funding from the Santa Fe Opera. For more information, contact Charles Gamble, Director of Community Engagement at the Santa Fe Opera, at cgamble@santafeopera.org.