College of Education and Human Development

To enroll in Maine SEEDS, complete the SEEDS Enrollment form. Maine SEEDS staff will contact you within a week with additional information and instructions for completing the conditional certification process.  If you do not yet qualify for a conditional certificate or wish to use the Ed Tech III Pathway and are not sure how to access it, Maine SEEDS can help with your next steps. Please scroll to the bottom of this section for more information.

Special Education Internship for Maine SEEDs

SED 625 is an online, 3-credit graduate course that provides a hands-on orientation to the profession and guides novice teachers through special education processes. Completion of this course is required for participants who have completed fewer than four special education courses when enrolling in Maine SEEDS. The course counts toward professional certification, and  is offered through the University of Maine in the fall and spring semesters.
NOTE: Enrollment in SED 625 is a separate process from enrolling in Maine SEEDS.

Special Education Mentoring

If a special educator’s school does not have a veteran special educator mentor available, Maine SEEDS will assign an external special educator mentor (e-mentor) to support the new special educator with special education-related needs. The school is responsible for assigning a local mentor to conduct the required observations and help the new teacher learn school or agency policies and practices. Early career special educators (SEDs) may request a Maine SEEDs e-mentor for their second and third years of practice.

Special Education Mentor Specialists

Maine SEEDS is building a small network of veteran special education teachers with expertise in areas that early career teachers often find difficult or confusing. These mentor specialists will offer intensive, short-term support to help the early career special educators develop and implement action plans to address areas that challenge them. This network is still in development. Once launched, teachers seeking support will be able to request assistance via a link on this webpage.
 
Fill out our online form to request a SEEDS e-mentor or e-mentor specialist.

Online Professional Learning Communities for First-year Special Educators

Maine SEEDS offers monthly, online Professional Learning Communities that cover topics of interest to first-year special educators, along with monthly office hours for those who have questions or would like help with a particular concern. First-year Maine SEEDS participants enroll in the learning community and choose the monthly session that most interests them. Sessions and office hours are facilitated by veteran special educator leaders with expertise in a variety of key areas.

Online Communities of Practice for Early-Career Special Educators

Maine SEEDS is developing monthly Community of Practice sessions for second- and third- year special educators who are interested in working with their early-career colleagues to explore problems of practice with veteran special educator facilitators. More information coming soon.