On the banks of the Sheepscot River sits the OWLS (Outdoor Wonderful Learning Space) community.

This outdoor learning space at Wiscasset Elementary School was the brainchild of 4^th grade teacher Becky Hallowell, and each year she and her students transform this space into a vibrant community to build, learn from, and explore through the seasons.

Ms. Hallowell and her students began by developing a map of their space with different boundaries and landmarks, such as the river and their school. On a recent visit, she and her students were deciding what was important for their community to have. They started with a list of everything from a freshwater source to a museum and then worked in teams to identify the top five things their community needed. Students shared what they came up with and they developed a collective class list that included a food source, a water source, and a market. Everyone loved a library and a museum, but thought those things could be built after their community was up and running.

OWLS doesn’t feature expensive materials or infrastructure. The outdoor classroom is fashioned from orange buckets for seats, a folding table, and a whiteboard, demonstrating that this type of hands-on learning is doable and accessible for all.

It’s not the only way that Ms. Hallowell incorporates the community and nature into her teaching. She takes students on weekly visits to a nearby sunken garden to journal and monthly visits to the Hidden Valley Nature Center.

“Ms. Hallowell is a really fun person,” said one of her students. “She doesn’t like sitting inside at all, so we go to OWLS to learn about things we want to know about in nature.”

Parents said that Ms. Hallowell has a remarkable ability to connect with students and has a gift to naturally meet children where they’re at.

“She’s one in a million,” said one parent.

Another parent said, “She knows everything about every one of [her students] and makes each one feel special.”

When a parent asked her son what she should share about Ms. Hallowell, the student said, “She always follows through with what she promises.”

Ms. Hallowell’s teaching colleagues shared similar sentiments, calling her an anchor and the epitome of a teacher leader.

“She doesn’t solve the problems for you, but gives you the tools to do it,” said one teaching colleague. Another teacher recalled how Ms. Hallowell supported her as a first-year teacher in developing behavioral and classroom management strategies that she felt overwhelmed by. They also described her as their one dependable constant through several years of changing district and school leadership.

“Becky gives 100 percent to her colleagues,” said one teacher.

They also highlighted how her enthusiasm and passion are infectious.

“Her enthusiasm for outdoor learning prompted me to start doing outside lessons,” said one colleague, adding that she would have never had the confidence to incorporate the outdoors into her teaching if it were not for Ms. Hallowell modeling how it could be done.

She constantly seeks new and interesting learning opportunities for the school community. Wiscasset Elementary began a composting program, and Ms. Hallowell figured out a way to turn the program into an engaging math lesson. And everyone brought up her passion for mushrooms that she shares with students and the school.

Ms. Hallowell is one of four finalists for Maine Teacher of the Year and was named the 2024 Lincoln County Teacher of the Year last May. She was nominated by a teaching colleague who wrote, “Becky is that rare gem who cares about the teaching craft and continues to grow her practice; contributes to her profession through presenting and mentoring; and adds to her school by being a leader with solutions and ideas to carry us all forward.”

Later in the day in Ms. Hallowell’s classroom, she was reading aloud to her students while students drew different scenes and objects from the book, including a green car described as a pickle with wheels. To add movement, students did a gallery walk to view what their peers drew and gain inspiration for their own work. Together, she and the class identified the main character of the book and the supporting characters. Then, students worked in teams to write down evidence to support which supporting characters were the most important in the book. Ms. Hallowell’s class was as engaging and dynamic inside their classroom as it was down by the riverbank.

When asked to describe Ms. Hallowell, some words teaching colleagues and parents said were vibrant, compassionate, engaged, loving, self-aware, fun, mentor, comforting, and inspiring.

“She’ll do anything for us,” said one student. “If we need something, she is going to make it happen.”

This year’s Maine Teacher of the Year selection process began with more than 500 nominations. Sixteen County Teachers of the Year were announced in May and there are currently four finalists. Learn more about the Maine Teacher of the Year program here.

Adventurous, vibrant, caring, fierce, authentic, inclusive, and passionate.

Those were some of the words Baxter Academy for Technology and Science teacher Katie Strait’s students and colleagues used to describe her.

You can feel that passion for science and care for her students the moment you step into her classroom. One a recent visit, Ms. Strait and her students were immersing themselves in the inner workings of the immune system. She and the students discussed what happens when you are sitting in class and the person next to you coughs in your direction and the next day you don’t feel well. What are the symptoms? What is the immune system doing to fight illness? What parts of the immune system are triggered?

Following an engaging discussion, students formed groups to begin creating multimedia presentations to demonstrate their knowledge of the innate immune system with the urging to be creative. Students could create an ad, perform a skit, make a video, write an article, or do something else completely outside of the box.

Near the entrance of her classroom hang a row of waders that students wear as they regularly venture beyond the four walls of her classroom for hands-on, real-world learning experiences. Above the waders hangs a mural capturing a vibrant marine environment. It was a gift from one of Ms. Strait’s students for the difference she made in her life.

“She has completely changed my life,” said one of her former students.

Another student said, “She’s so empowering. I look forward to being like her.”

Multiple students highlighted how Ms. Strait connects what she teaches to the real world and makes learning engaging and fun. They also elevated her kindness, how she sees every student as an individual, and how she supports their unique needs.

Her colleagues shared the same sentiments.

“Katie has a vision for science outside the four walls of her classroom. She is constantly looking for opportunities to go out into the community,” said a colleague.

Another colleague said, “She believes everyone should be able to bring their entire self to everything they do in her classroom. The way she shares of herself makes students comfortable to share themselves. You’re a scientist but you’re also a surfer or an artist. Bring your artistic nature to your science. Bring your athletic nature to your science.”

Her hands-on, real-world teaching style and her focus on relationship building has also inspired her colleagues.

“She does stuff and I think, wow, I should try that. She’s changed how I think about teaching,” said a colleague.

Katie Strait is one of four finalists for Maine Teacher of the Year and was named the 2024 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year last May. She was nominated by parents and community members, with one parent writing in her nomination that “Katie’s ability to inspire not only her students but also her colleagues and friends is a testament to her exceptional character and passion. Her relentless pursuit of fostering a generation that cares deeply about our planet sets her apart as an outstanding educator and role model.”

Ms. Strait regularly organizes beach clean-ups and students often make art work and installations with what they find. She also hosts regular trips to allow students to explore tide pools and marine ecosystems in their backyard.

“Everything she teaches is applicable to stuff we experience in real life,” said one student.

Another said, “She inspires her students to want to learn more about what she is teaching.”

Some additional words Ms. Strait’s students and colleagues used to describe her included persevering, creative, nurturing, incredible, unshakable, experimenter, and invigorating.

This year’s Maine Teacher of the Year selection process began with more than 500 nominations. Sixteen County Teachers of the Year were announced in May and there are currently four finalists. Learn more about the Maine Teacher of the Year program here.

Allyson Gilbert is the sun.

That’s how several of Ms. Gilbert’s students and colleagues at Mt. Ararat High School described her.

Yes, it’s because she dresses up in a big inflatable sun costume for one of her science lessons, bringing students outside and arranging them at different distances from her like the planets in the solar system.

But it’s also because of the warmth and joy she brings to her teaching and to building relationships with her students, colleagues, and community.

Her sunshine was on full display during a recent visit to her school. In fact, students and educators all wore sunshine stickers to show their support for Ms. Gilbert as a finalist for 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Gilbert is one of four finalists for Maine Teacher of the Year and was named the 2024 Sagadahoc County Teacher of the Year last May. She was nominated by a teaching colleague who wrote, “Ally sees each student as an individual and meets them where they are. She understands that each student has a unique potential, and she is dedicated to helping them meet it.”

She does so by engaging her students through hands-on learning opportunities, making science accessible to every student, and bringing joy and fun to learning. Every student recalls her sun costume or when she dresses as a tree for Arbor Week, and they also recall what they learned with Ms. Gilbert through those experiences.

In one of her 9th-grade physical science classes, students were learning about the metric system, building a foundation on how it differs from the U.S. customary measurement system and how it is used in science. Students explored the different units of the metric system and measured classroom windows, doors, and desks to apply what they were learning in groups.

In a later class, students went outside to measure the amount of time it takes to walk, run, and crabwalk between cones.

Later in the year, Ms. Gilbert will ask students to interview scientists or people working in the science field to learn more about the real-life applications and opportunities connected to her teaching. And everyone knows her tortoise who regularly makes an appearance at school.

Her colleagues said that she “makes science come alive for her students” and that “it’s like she has a crystal ball and can see how students will interact with an assignment.”

Ms. Gilbert extends learning beyond her classroom, the Mt. Ararat campus, and even the Topsham community. She organized and led an educational trip to Belize last April for 30 students. She even brought in a suitcase to demonstrate how and what students should pack for an adventurous trip abroad. And when the group got stuck in Florida for several days coming home due to weather, Ms. Gilbert made sure they had food, housing, and activities to do, and got everyone booked on new flights home.

One parent said that Ms. Gilbert is the “only other person [besides my husband] that I would send my child across the world with.”

Students said that Ms. Gilbert makes them believe that anything is possible, gives them the confidence to explore, and that she is like a real life Ms. Frizzle.

Ms. Gilbert is a passionate science teacher. However her impact on the school goes well beyond the lessons and activities in her classroom.

As a student put it, “Ms. Gilbert is the embodiment of the best parts of this school community.”

Many students, colleagues, and parents at Mt. Ararat raised Ms. Gilbert’s focus and talent on building relationships, referencing her ability to connect with a wide range of students, how she sees students as individuals and notices kids who might not otherwise be noticed, that she makes students feel special inside and that they can be themselves, and how she draws in students who don’t love school.

Ms. Gilbert serves on the attendance committee, building connections with students who are not engaging with school and helping them find ways to reengage and spark an interest in learning.

“She makes connections with kids very quietly but very effectively,” said one of her colleagues.

That relationship-building and engagement extends to her colleagues. Ms. Gilbert’s fellow science teachers elevated how she has helped strengthen the science curriculum at the school and how her enthusiasm is contagious. They are also a close-knit team that supports one another at school and beyond. Ms. Gilbert has even officiated several weddings of her colleagues.

“Whenever I need a boost, I pop my head into Ally’s room and that reenergizes me,” said one of her colleagues.

“I’m struck by how generous Ally is,” said another colleague.

After hearing someone speak powerfully about ways to counter teacher burnout at a conference she had access to, Ms. Gilbert worked to bring that speaker back to her district so all of her colleagues could also benefit. She is constantly seeking ways to empower, support, and be there for the other educators and staff at Mt. Ararat.

When asked for a single word to describe Ms. Gilbert, students, parents, and colleagues, some of the responses included effervescent, fierce, enthusiastic, kind, dynamic, passionate, sparkly, welcoming, and present.

“She’s done so much for us, and this is what we can give her back,” said one student describing what it would mean to them and the school community for Ms. Gilbert to be Maine Teacher of the Year.

Another student said, “I don’t think our teachers get the recognition they deserve. What makes our school really great is our teachers and it would really help our school.”

This year’s Maine Teacher of the Year selection process began with more than 500 nominations. Sixteen County Teachers of the Year were announced in May and there are currently four finalists. Learn more about the Maine Teacher of the Year program here.