Noyes Named Maine Teacher of the Year
Gloria Noyes, who graduated from UMF with a degree in elementary education and is now a fifth-grade teacher at Congin Elementary School in Westbrook, has been named the 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year.
Maine Education Commissioner Susan Gendron announced the honor in a surprise award ceremony held at the school in early September. Noyes, who attended Congin Elementary as a child, gave emotional thanks to her students in accepting the award: “You beautiful children… are the reason I get up in the morning,” said Noyes, as reported by the Portland Press Herald. “You are my inspiration.”
“Gloria Noyes is about the most enthusiastic and fun teacher a fifth-grader could ask for,” Gendron said. “In interviews, class visits, and speaking with those who reviewed her during the selection process, we heard over and over that she was ‘genuine,’ ‘real,’ ‘highly respected,’ ‘nurturing,’ and a downright blast. One of the evaluators said, ‘I wish I could have been in her fifth-grade classroom.” She received a perfect score on her site visit. She has some very lucky students.”
Peter Lancia, principal of Congin Elementary School, said, “Gloria’s students are perhaps the best reflection of her work. They are focused, positive, kind, and hard working. They consistently make outstanding academic progress, particularly in literacy and math, in response to her differentiated teaching style. She pays attention to the whole child, nurturing both emotional and intellectual intelligence.”
As the 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year, Noyes is now in the running for the National Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced in April 2009.
