Q & A with the Maine County Teachers of the Year
From handwashing tips to better grading practices, to ways to support students who weren’t present, the County Teachers of the Year shared their best ideas with Maine Educator to help make this year a success.
What lessons did you learn while teaching during the pandemic about your practice that could help others in their jobs?
There is always time to connect with students. It is the most important aspect of our profession. Take at least 10 minutes every morning to talk, ask questions, and listen to them. Diana Mahar, Washington County
The most important lesson I learned during the pandemic is that students can learn so much more if we slow down and focus on what is most important. During the pandemic, I cut out entire units to make space for the limited time we had together and found that I had to slow down even more with the pace of hybrid teaching. I had to “hurry slowly,” from the Latin term festina lente which Maryanne Wolf, author of Reader, Come Home, describes as recovering “a rhythm of time that allows you to attend with consciousness and intention.” This intentional slowing down contributed to more in-depth learning which led to better learning transfer; and it had the added bonus of easing student anxiety since we weren’t rushing from one learning opportunity to the next. The key to slowing down for me is teacher clarity for myself and my students. John Hattie’s research reveals that teacher clarity can double the learning in a year. For me, teacher clarity is about purpose, focus, and letting go. I start with my planning and then continue with how I communicate learning intentions and criteria with students throughout the process. This clarity starts with purpose: I have to determine what is best for the students I have right now. Then, I have to focus on that purpose in curriculum mapping and each lesson design. Finally, I have to be willing to let go of all that doesn’t meet the intended purpose. During the pandemic, I let go of a lot and hurried slowly and was pleasantly surprised that the learning was so much deeper! Patti Forster, Knox County
Trying new things was a common theme throughout the pandemic. It gave teachers and students a chance to try new ways to learn and teach alongside each other. Students having the opportunity to see their teachers learn something while also seeing some of the struggles is such an experience. When in a google meet, I will never forget when a student was trying to present something to the class. As I was trying to help this student, another peer was typing the directions in the chat to support them. This struggle and working through it together shows the importance of being a life-long learner and collaborator to our students. Hillary Hoyt, Waldo County
I got better at quick, meaningful ways to collect formative data on student learning and as a result, I learned to more often celebrate the smaller growth students make along the way. In the hybrid model, I only had my cohorts of students 2 or 2 ½ days per week. Data got old quickly in this model and time was more precious and limited than ever. End of unit celebrations were in place, but I learned how to celebrate with students more during their learning, not just when the unit concluded. Class time was filled with more chanting, dancing, air-high fiving, work samples on display, shoutouts, partner sharing, etc. I learned how to make moments a little extra special to make students aware of and highlight the growth they were making each day. It helped to keep students motivated and feeling proud of themselves. This year was so hard AND our students grew! That’s worth celebrating. Jessica Harvey, Androscoggin County
I have always taught students to step out of their comfort zone, try experiences they are hesitant too, or in areas that are not their strength. In the past I would say we are now on the “roller coaster” or ready to “skydive” which signaled students we are trying something new. I would say I am right there with them. I would teach lessons beyond content knowing that the skills would be important for future university classes, internships, and employment. This year was HUGE in modeling these concepts in real time, especially using technology. Students saw me fail, relearn, recover, and try again in real time. They did not see me quit, shy away or give up. There is a real-life lesson. RayeAnne DeSoto, Kennebec County
The most important part of teaching—the heart of it—is loving and caring for the students. The pandemic reminded me that despite everything we couldn’t do this year, we could still make our students feel cared for, valued, and heard. Sometimes, that is enough. I found myself prioritizing taking 5-10 minutes at the beginning of each class to check in with students and ask them how they were doing. In the reflections that I had students complete at the end of the year, many noted that these informal check-ins where we could just talk were the best part of their school year. It really allowed me to reflect on my teaching practice, and cemented what’s at the core of my teaching practice: teaching and learning cannot occur unless there are positive, trusting, supportive relationships between and among students and teachers. Lianna Fenimore, Sagadahoc County
At the start of the 2020-2021 school year faced with hybrid learning and having to “cut” to teach “only what is essential,” I was discouraged to have to give up so much — only to find out that this year was one of my most rewarding years as a teacher. Why? Because I learned that asking my students to ask questions of each other, to bring in their own resources connected to primary readings, to digitally create and teach each other, and to cross these learnings to my different cohort classes made a much richer learning environment than sticking with the curriculum as it was outlined for an entire year. Having to think day-by-day and the uncertainty of it all actually reinforced authentic, individualized learning, and the cohorts took on collective identities that allowed me to mold experiences for them too. All this to say, pandemic or not, students always should have voice and choice in what and how they learn. Kelsey Stoyanova, Penobscot County
Make sure that I cherish and take advantage of every minute of in-person class time. When I am tired or not well-prepared enough, my classes are sometimes little better than an on-line class. Instead, I want to focus on building in more projects, team investigations and hands-on learning opportunities to make school a rewarding and enriching environment that my students love spending time in. Bill Hinkley, Lincoln County
What practices did you or will you abandon going forward after teaching during COVID?
One practice I will abandon going forward is the notion that every assignment needs a grade. I feel that providing timely, targeted feedback is a more effective way to promote student growth and learning. Diana Mahar, Washington County
I have been in search of more equitable grading practices for a few years now. As we plunged into remote learning during spring of 2020, our administrators and even the Governor were pleading with us to “do no harm” with our grading, to avoid penalizing students with traditional practices of points for everything, late penalties, no retakes, and failing grades. I will no longer use traditional grading practices that harm students. I will no longer serve as judge and jury. I will guide my students in a way that helps ALL of them move their learning forward, celebrating their individual progress and growth rather than placing a verdict on where their learning is in comparison to others on the traditional ranking and compliance grading scale. This fall, I plan to focus on learning, not grades by doing more of the following:
Learning vs. Points Strategies:
•Conferencing with students about their learning and growth.
•Giving immediate feedback during the formative learning process, not points
•Collecting evidence of learning via comments in the gradebook instead of scores.
Competence vs. Compliance Strategies:
•No taking points off as a penalty i.e. taking off points for late work or improper heading.
•Ditching the zero; instead entering a 50% in the gradebook with a comment “need to submit.” This approach will help students recover from the overwhelming deep hole with missing formative assignments.
•Assigning higher value grades for summative work, minimal or zero weighted grading for formative.
Growth vs. Grades Strategies:
•Having students set expectations for their growth based on the learning criteria—John Hattie’s research calls this self-reported grades and gives it the effect size of 1.44, which is equal to 3 years of growth in one year.
•Having students reflect on their learning (metacognition).
•Collaborating with students to co-create grades for grade checks and final grades.
•Making space and time for students to drive their own learning by setting their own learning goals, tracking evidence of their learning, and reflecting on their growth with a self-assessing of their learning and co-construction of their final grade. No grades were posted for the entire quarter, but many individual conferences were held throughout. We did this in the final quarter of the pandemic learning year. 80% of my students felt this type of “grading” motivated them to invest more in their learning. 95% of my students felt this was a more accurate, fair and unbiased assessment of their learning and growth. Patti Forster, Knox County
What is your best quick tip you would like to share? (Quick hand washing idea?)
Use digital tools to reach out to parents/guardians at the beginning of the year. Create a Google Form asking for their input through a series of questions about their child/children. Share the link and collect some great information from them! Diana Mahar, Washington County
Embrace technology and make its use meaningful to enhance the educational experience for your students. Andrew Kirby, Aroostook County
Washing hands for lunch can take a long time when you teach early primary. A colleague of mine taught me a trick to cut down on the time it takes. I will continue this hand washing trick. When students are lined up waiting to wash their hands, you spray their hands with water. Give them a squirt of soap. They scrub their hands while waiting. When they reach the sink all they have left to do is rinse! It cut hand washing time in half! Michelle Laliberte, Franklin County
Letting students have the option to show what they are learning through digital ways! Many students this year were shy when sharing out their thinking with the class but were excited to share their learning through technology! It is an excellent way for a teacher to see what students are learning, whether through recordings, surveys, or more. Hillary Hoyt, Waldo County
Do not underestimate the power of 30 second dance parties or 5 collective belly breaths. Kids will show you what they need; listen. Jessica Harvey, Androscoggin County
Think about intentionally leaving some of your back-to-school decorating unfinished. What signs or posters or artwork could you invite students to help create in the first weeks of school? By having students co-construct the classroom, you can learn more about them, ease into cooperative work, and the students feel valued and gain shared ownership of the space. Everyone wins. Melissa Guerrette, Oxford County
Open up digital options for students. Over this last year kids have become much more fluent in digital communication. Allow them to shine in this new found skill. Sarah Doremus, Hancock County
Spend the first bit of class, five or ten minutes, asking students what is worthy of being talked about today. Frame it with a prompt (book talk, current event share, etc.) if you want to, but inviting your students to share might be the one opportunity they get that day to feel heard about something they are passionate about and will give you insight into those passions which can have a lasting effect on your relationship with them and their relationships with one another. Kelsey Stoyanova, Penobscot County
Using technology/Google classroom eliminated standing in front of the photocopier this year and saved so much paper. I attached digital copies and encouraged students to use their iPads to complete their assignments. They uploaded pictures of their work for me to correct. Students became experts with their Google drives. Lisa Martell, Piscataquis County
Biggest silver lining of the pandemic?
We were able to connect with families in a new way. Parents/guardians became even closer partners in the learning process as we zoomed into each other’s homes. The home tours, introduction to extended family members and even sharing of pets during lessons is something that I hope to continue in the future. Paige Fournier, Cumberland County
Using Google to record lessons. I will continue to use these for two groups. Those students who we always have that go on family vacations, have extended illnesses, many of our sports members who have to go through concussion protocol. This will make it easier for them to stay engaged until they return, without the daunting “make up work” they get in all their classes. And those students who have attendance issues, it gives them a non-confrontational way to catch up. And I will continue to have the work electronically available for all students. Kevin Malady, Somerset County
The silver lining of the pandemic was deepening our relationships with our students and their families. As a classroom we entered each others’ homes weekly and developed relationships beyond the four walls of our classroom. We ate lunch in our classrooms, had smaller class sizes, and were able to dive deeper into our learning! Through this unpresented time, families played a larger role in their child’s education and supported teachers more than ever! Christine Goulet, York County
Educators learned to expand their mindset in terms of how to present content to their students. The pandemic has opened the door for ways to move away from the “traditional” class and instead move towards flipped, blended, or online learning environments. Andrew Kirby, Aroostook County
The silver lining of the pandemic was the connection to students and their support systems, for it truly does take a village. These support systems showed flexibility and willingness to try new things. This connection to the community outside of the school walls is something that I will cherish and hope to continue as we move forward! Hillary Hoyt, Waldo County
One silver lining of the pandemic was recentering students and their needs in all we do. We knew the abrupt disruption of the previous school year would necessitate constant evaluation and re-evaluation of students’ present levels of performance–academically and socially–and we responded. Our students’ needs truly became the curriculum over the pressures of grade-level standards. While this doesn’t seem different from what teachers always do, the backdrop of teaching in the pandemic issued an important reminder that this should remain central to our work. Melissa Guerrette, Oxford County
The biggest silver lining of the pandemic was being privileged enough to witness how incredible, amazing and resilient our students are. There’s something special (yes, it’s a weird word to describe a pandemic) about this school year that you really can’t describe unless you’ve lived it. I teach primarily seniors. During their last class, I told them how incredibly proud I am of each and every one of them. I meant it with my whole heart. I cannot imagine being in their shoes. They inspired me to keep going. They showed up, they worked hard, they smiled and they cried and they grew into young adults. They experienced something that no one before them will know. Graduation was just a little bit more emotional and special this year. They earned that diploma and they procured real-world skills that you can’t teach in a classroom. It has been my distinct honor to teach this group of young individuals, and experience this “atypical” school year with them. Lianna Fenimore, Sagadahoc County
Ironically it was the healthiest I have been in years. Being forced to slow down and not be involved in 100 different activities was emotionally hard at first. As the pandemic rolled on, I discovered I was more rested, sharper of mind, and able to enjoy the quiet moments. I learned that in modeling good healthy habits, walking, getting the adequate amount of sleep and eating right my students took note, especially my seniors who have been with me for nine years. They noted I did not have the circles under my eyes, or was drinking pots of coffee, and that I laughed more. I took up photography again and that became a discussion point inspiring students to see the little things in their worlds that are unique and things they normally take for granted. I learned more about their families, pets, and childhood memories, than I would have in a regular year and that brought us closer. For my Type A students like me we had many discussions that helped us to be more selective in the important activities that we really enjoyed versus doing “everything.” Finally, I sponsored weekly homework evenings. I created a Google classroom and with family permission students could log in at night and we would do “homework” together. For my students who had parents that worked evenings, or were absent, they had an adult that was “there” to help encourage them, support them, and just be there for them. My homework group ranged from freshmen to seniors and the cross connections, discussions, and help they gave each other filled my heart every time we met. Those connections are still going strong. There is the true lesson, connection with others. RayeAnne DeSoto, Kennebec County
Teaching out of doors and using the out of door as a ready-made curriculum guide. I found that spending a larger portion of class time on our nature trail provided healthy activity and a ready-made science lab, artist studio and meditation center all rolled into one. Sarah Doremus, Hancock County
The biggest silver lining of the pandemic for me was the recentering of relationships. With cohorted classes, my largest class was 11 and smallest 7 back in August. This allowed me to get to know my students individually on a deeper level — and allowed them to get to know each other too. The cohorts really took on these collective identities where they had passions, they shared with one another and projects they wanted to take on. Reading challenges, outdoor games, friendly “prank the teacher” opportunities that were all in good fun. This group of students will stick with me forever and as much as they relied on me to be there for them, I relied on them too. It’s funny how you start to see a smile even behind a mask once you get to know someone. Kelsey Stoyanova, Penobscot County
The biggest silver lining of the pandemic for me, it was forced organization. Even though technology can sometimes be unreliable, I have been able to use it to put class videos, PDFs of handouts, digital notes all in a central location for students to access whenever they need them. Lisa Martell, Piscataquis County
How will you help support students for whom attendance or participation was inconsistent or less frequent during the past school year?
We created a mentor program that was led by non-classroom teachers and paraprofessionals during the pandemic. Mentors were liaisons between school and families. Mentors worked closely with the classroom teachers to encourage attendance and participation with students. The lesson that we can take away from that for this year is to keep those connections active! Work as a team to support students in ways that we did during the pandemic. Call or text when a student is absent and express how much they are missed. Diana Mahar, Washington County
Using Google to record lessons. I will continue to use these for two groups. Those students who we always have that go on family vacations, have extended illnesses, many of our sports members who have to go through concussion protocol. This will make it easier for them to stay engaged until they return, without the daunting “make up work” they get in all their classes. And those students who have attendance issues, it gives them a non-confrontational way to catch up.And I will continue to have the work electronically available for all students. Kevin Malady, Somerset County
I will continue to use Seesaw to communicate with families. Even if remote learning is not an option, I will support students and families with posting assignments and tasks. I learned that it did not take much time to post a quick link or assignment to let families know what is happening in our classroom. When a student is absent, families can support their child at home. Michelle Laliberte, Franklin County
One of the most critical ways teachers can support students’ attendance is early, positive contact with their caregivers at home. I like to call every students’ home(s) during the first month of school to introduce myself, give a genuine positive comment about their child, and to check in to see how things are going at home and to see if I can answer any questions. After this initial contact, communication should remain consistent throughout the year. Call home again, write a positive note, send an email with easy information to connect with home about. When the time comes for a more challenging phone call, you’ll have this relationship already established. The first time you call home should not be when there is a problem or concern! Additionally, I will be sure to greet my students, remind them how glad I am to see them, and to carve out those intentional moments for 1:1 conversations with students so that I can get to know them and connect with them on day one. This isn’t a different approach than any other year, but I think it’ll be more important than ever for the students and families who are getting back into in-person school routines. We have to meet them and welcome them wherever they’re at. Jessica Harvey, Androscoggin County
Establishing contact early on with both the student and their caregivers will be essential to building the foundation of trust that is necessary for a student to feel like school is a safe space for them. Once the foundation is built and they start coming to school, keeping them at school will come from fostering that relationship with them, engaging them in relevant experiences, and always maintaining an open line of communication between student, home, and school. Kelsey Stoyanova, Penobscot County
I will continue to use Google Classroom/Docs/Forms for lessons and communications and for students and their families. Being a theater director, I loved recording and uploading lessons that allowed for me to explore creativity in presentations and tailor the delivery to specific audiences. Google classroom/docs also helped my highly disorganized students (papers were not left in the bedroom or crammed in the backpacks.) RayeAnne DeSoto, Kennebec County
How will you address the emotional toll this took on students, some of whom may not have been in a classroom for more than a year?
As a teacher researcher, I was able to collect data from students this past spring on their general mental health and well-being. I collected the same rating scales prior to COVID and will now be comparing the scores to investigate the impact the pandemic has had on students- through their own voices. As I work through the results of this data, I will be able to share these findings with fellow educators and with students to drive our SEL work during advisory activities throughout the school year. Paige Fournier, Cumberland County
I will NOT stress over what they did not cover “last year”. I will let the students know they have all the tools to do well and WE will proceed together through the material. I am not a “punishment” type of guy. My response to those students will be to help them be part of the excitement of being in this class. Kevin Malady, Somerset County
As the new Resiliency Coordinator at the Biddeford Primary School, I look forward to providing students with mindfulness activities and SEL methods to help ease their transition back into the classroom. These students will be received with open arms and continual support to help them be socially, emotionally and academically successful. Christine Goulet, York County
I’m going to make sure that my students hear me say more than ever, “I’m so glad you’re here.” Between teaching in a hybrid model where I only saw my students half of each week and the extended quarantines, I look forward to having my students back in class, full time. Every student needs to know and be reminded of how important they are to their classroom community and how glad their teacher is to be with them every day. Jessica Harvey, Androscoggin County
Time spent nurturing our classroom communities will carry an added importance as we re-form classrooms with learners of various experiences. I will lean on picture book read alouds to quickly build common experiences for my new class. This way, we will meet a cast of characters who are the same as and different from us and open the door to conversations that honor and validate the many mixed emotions of our return. Melissa Guerrette, Oxford County
This year reminded me that there is no one-size-fits-all model of education for our students. It’s imperative that we focus on the silver linings from this year (more time with family, creative ways of being together, students gaining time management and organizational skills and a sense of independence, creating robust and effective remote learning lessons, more student choice) etc. and move forward in a way that does not focus on what was lost—but rather what we can gain from this as a collective. I will continue to prioritize the well-being of my students and strive to make my classroom a welcoming and safe place to be. I will listen to them and use their voices to guide my teaching. Lianna Fenimore, Sagadahoc County
