AUGUSTA, Maine — Every day, thousands of teachers across our state head to their classrooms to educate and improve the lives of Maine children.
It's a profession that has faced a number of challenges in recent years, including the COVID pandemic, harmful narratives about public education, and staffing shortages. For many who teach, though, it's a way of life they just can't desert.
In August, the Maine Department of Education announced the four finalists for 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year. They were handpicked from the 16 2022 Maine County Teachers of the Year.
"Teacher of the Year" is a title given annually to one Maine teacher who has a deep commitment to their job and is optimistic about public education. Those still in the running for it include Heather Anderson of Aroostook County, Matthew Bernstein of Cumberland County, Ashley Bryant of Oxford County, and Emily Albee of Penobscot County.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday. NEWS CENTER Maine had a chance to sit down with each of them before then.
Heather Anderson
Heather Anderson is an eighth-grade social studies teacher and English language arts teacher at Caribou Community School. Anderson said she first became interested in teaching in eighth grade during a leadership program when she had an opportunity to volunteer in classrooms. For her, the love for the profession has always had to do with the human connection.
"Being with the kids is really my heart. That’s what really means the most," Anderson said, noting that she was an administrator for six years before moving back into teaching two years ago.
Anderson said she started teaching in The County at a very small school (about 50 kids from pre-K through grade six) in an unorganized territory. The teacher said she always thought she would move back home since she graduated from the University of Maine at Orono and is originally from Jay. But she developed a love for the people up north.
"The people are so kind. They’re just great to be around," Anderson said.
It's one reason why she said she's using her nomination for Maine Teacher of the Year to raise awareness about the unique circumstances teachers from The County face on a daily basis.
"[We] really need to know how to be creative thinkers and how to think outside of the box because we don’t have the same resources available at our fingertips that [may be available] in Portland or Bangor," Anderson said.
Anderson said her partner teacher nominated her. She said she already feels like a better teacher since being nominated and plans to continue to change and improve things. For her, she just wants to meet kids where they're at, especially taking COVID's impact into mind.
"I’m finding that I think each group of children that comes through that went through that COVID remote period is going to have a unique set of needs because they didn’t get what they normally would have gotten in school at that time," Anderson said.
Matthew Bernstein
Matthew Bernstein is a ninth-grade humanities and social studies teacher at Casco Bay High School in Portland. He said he has wanted to be a teacher since he was in high school, and his time as a student at Bowdoin College sealed the deal for him.
"I got placed here at Casco Bay [High School] as a student intern and fell deeply in love with this place," Bernstein said about his experience in the Bowdoin Teacher Scholars program.
Bernstein said after graduation, he left for a year, and then a spot opened up at Casco Bay High School.
"This place really helped me shape the type of teacher I want to be," Bernstein said.
For him, that's someone who cares for students as entire individuals. He said some of his favorite moments are seeing how far his students have come. The person who nominated him is actually a former student who is now a sophomore in college.
"I think when I learned that I was nominated, I was grateful. To learn that it was a student really meant a lot to me," Bernstein said.
Bernstein said he doesn't love being in the limelight and credits the support from and work of his colleagues with his nomination.
"I’ve just been getting better every year at stealing good things from my colleagues," Bernstein said, laughing.
Ashley Bryant
Ashley Bryant is a fourth-grade math, science, and writing teacher at Sacopee Valley Middle School in Hiram. She went to school in this district as a child and said, for a while, she actually didn't really enjoy it.
"I was one of those kids that was really nervous about going to school, really nervous about leaving mom," Bryant said.
She said the person who changed that for her was her second-grade teacher, Mrs. Richmond. It's why she herself decided to go into teaching in the place she grew up.
"I thought, 'I want to be that person for somebody. I want to be a Mrs. Richmond for somebody,'" Bryant said.
Bryant has been teaching since 2006, noting the principal at her school used to be her sixth- and seventh-grade teacher. She said one of the best parts about her job is that it's different every day and every year. She also enjoys the relationships she forms with her students.
"It makes you want to cry. You get the notes. You get the emails. You get the visits and the hugs. It’s the best part," Bryant said.
Bryant said a fourth-grade student nominated her. She said she was in "complete shock and disbelief" when she found out but said she was honored to have the opportunity.
"What I see in my colleagues, others see that in me," Bryant said. "It’s hard for yourself to recognize that in yourself."
Emily Albee
Emily Albee is a social studies teacher at Hampden Academy. For her, that role makes a lot of sense. She grew up with two U.S. Army colonels as parents, and her family moved around a lot.
Into adulthood, she has also always enjoyed traveling. Albee went to school at the University of Maine at Orono and said teaching was always the goal.
"I’ve had a lot of different types of jobs but none that felt so fulfilling. I never have the same day twice," Albee said.
Albee said she entered the field during the recession, and it took a while for her to get hired full-time. Five years into her career, she secured a full-time spot at Hampden Academy and has been there since.
"Experiencing the victories when a student gets a concept — you really can’t put a price tag on that," Albee said.
Albee said she learns a lot from her students, especially when it comes to technology and the ways young people consume their news through apps and social media.
"What keeps my job exciting is that every day, we all bring something to the table, and we learn from each other," Albee said. "I think that’s so powerful."
Albee said her principal nominated her for Maine Teacher of the Year. She said she's hoping to use her nomination to advocate for fellow teachers and come up with ways to improve public education by addressing issues like burnout.
"I would hope at the policy level that we have some action in Augusta that helps support, recruit, and retain our public educators," Albee said.