Later this week, Maine's Teacher of the Year for 2019 will be announced. The program honors outstanding teachers who represent the thousands of excellent educators in Maine
There are three teachers in the running, all of them nominated for their dedication to their students.
NEWS CENTER Maine will be introducing them to you over the next three days. Our first profile is of Connie Russell a 2nd and 3rd-grade teacher at Mable Wilson school in Cumberland.
Russell has been a teacher for 27 years. "I love working with kids, but I also like being in an environment that's relevant and feels like I'm doing something meaningful".
Russell loves teaching elementary students for many reasons. She says "I love their transparency. I love that you visually see them thinking. I love their energy and their honesty".
And she loves building relationships with every single one of them. Russell says it's important to help them to be not just learners, but the kind of students that can work in the community, work with partners, work in groups".
Russell's dedication to her craft and her students is why she was awarded the 2018 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year. And why she's now a 2019 Maine Teacher of the Year finalist.
Susie Robbins is the principal of Mable Wilson. She says Russell has such a unique way of instilling in her students a strong sense of self. "She is really good at knowing her students, that is a strength of hers. She knows their strengths, areas of growth and then she knows the learning targets and where she needs to get them".
Russell has made an impact on generations of young people. "I've had several students in Kindergarten that are now teachers in the state that I'm still in contact with and done mentoring with, which is kind of exciting."
Russell's current students think she's a pretty great teacher!
Amelia Wnek says "I like that she lets us do writing and reading because those are my favorite times of the day."
Harrison McAllister says, "If I got something wrong, say in my math journal, I walk over and have her check it and if I'm wrong she doesn't correct me, she gives me tips that I can do it on my own."
Russell is proud and honored about being a finalist, but she says there are so many deserving teachers that in the end, all want what's best for their students. "It's really a team effort, everybody really takes a part in making my classroom successful and the school successful, so whatever happens that was a gift."