Maine Teacher of the Year and Maine County Teachers of the Year

06/11/2026

That one time...at Maine Arts Integration Camp...
The Teach Maine Center is hosting the first Maine Educators Summer Camp for Integrating the Arts.
Are you a classroom teacher looking to integrate more of the arts in your classroom instruction? Do you like to network with other amazing Maine educators and share your passion for the arts? Are you looking for ways to engage reluctant learners in meaningful ways?
Then this unique PD experience is for you!
For more information and to register click here: https://loom.ly/Jmbk_K0

06/09/2026

Way to represent Maine on the national stage, Laurie and Tonya!

Tonya Prentice (2020 Oxford CTOY) and Laurie Spooner (2025 Aroostook CTOY) recently presented at the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conference in Anaheim, California where they shared strategies for supporting STEM educators through collaborative peer leadership and professional community building.

Their session, titled Fostering Educator Belonging Through Safe and Supportive Peer Leadership, highlighted the important role that Connected Learning Ecosystems (CLEs) play in supporting educators as they navigate STEM teaching and climate education.

During their presentation, Tonya and Laurie focused on how CLEs foster educator belonging, create psychologically safe spaces for professional growth, and empower STEM educators through supportive peer leadership. They shared examples of how collaborative educator networks can reduce professional isolation, encourage innovation in teaching, and strengthen educators’ ability to bring authentic, community-connected STEM learning experiences to students

Thank you Tonya and Laurie for representing and advocating for our teachers here in Maine!

Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association Gulf of Maine Research InstituteMaine Department of Education Educate Maine National Science Teaching Association

Teachers know that some of their most valued support comes from other teachers! It’s especially important in the evolving universe of STEM teaching. This spring Tonya Prentice, the 2020 Oxford County Teacher of the Year, and Laurie Spooner, 2025 Aroostook County Teacher of the Year, shared their strategies for supporting STEM educators at the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conference in Anaheim, Calif. To Tonya and Laurie it’s all about collaborative peer leadership and professional community building. In the end, our students benefit. To learn more: https://www.educatemaine.org/news/post/teach-maine-tuesday-in-evolving-stem-education-collaboration-is-key

06/05/2026

Congratulations to Ben Johnson, 2025 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year, for receiving the 2026 Award for Excellence in Creating Technology-Based Educational Resources!

The award recognizes educators who create engaging digital content that makes classical studies more accessible and inspiring for learners.

At the center of Johnson’s work is his own platform, LatinTutorial.com, and the accompanying LatinTutorial YouTube channel, which has grown to more than 125,000 subscribers worldwide. Through hundreds of videos that he has written, filmed, and edited himself, Johnson helps students navigate Latin grammar, literature, and Roman culture, while supporting teachers who use the resources to supplement classroom instruction.

Johnson’s passion for making classical studies accessible extends beyond his video content. He has developed several digital learning tools, including Aeneid.co, a platform that helps students engage with Vergil’s Aeneid through guided passages, instructional videos, and learning supports. He also created Hexameter.co, another resource designed to help students master the complexities of Latin poetry. Together, his online tools are used by tens of thousands of learners worldwide.

https://mainedoenews.net/2026/06/05/2025-penobscot-county-teacher-of-the-year-ben-johnson-earns-national-recognition-for-innovative-latin-education-resources/

Ben Johnson, the 2025 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year and a finalist for 2026 Maine State Teacher of the Year, has earned national recognition from the American Classical League for his outsta…

06/04/2026

Glückwunsch! ¡Felicidades! Félicitations! Parabéns! Mabrouk! Gōngxǐ!
Congratulations to the students graduating with the Seal of Biliteracy this year, and a special shoutout to Deb Backman and Gretchen Livingston and the entire Cony Language Department!
Deb (2025 Kennebec CTOY) and Gretchen (2026 Kennebec CTOY) teach German and Spanish at Cony, respectively.

05/30/2026

Can we just take a moment to celebrate Kate Meyer, 2020 Hancock County Teacher of the Year?! Kate and her co-author Nicole Davis (Two Maine Teachers) just launched The EduProtocol Field Guide: AI Literacy Edition-15 lesson frames for teaching AI literacy in ANY content area. This is the resource teachers have been waiting for. Not AI hype. Real ways to help students think critically, use AI ethically, and stay human in the process.

Maine Public Television spent time in Kate's classroom capturing what AI literacy actually looks like with real students in real time. The Learning from Maine episode premiered this week as part of Season 2!

If you've ever attended one of Kate's PD sessions, you already know that her advice is GOLD. We are so proud of her!

Follow along and grab the book on Amazon and go find Kate and her colleague Nicole at Two Maine Teachers on Facebook!

05/27/2026

05/24/2026

Congratulations Kelsey Boucher, our 2022 Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year! You are an inspiration.

We are sharing the stories of our incredible award winners from our MEA Awards Night.

Our 2026 Ashley Bryan Award: Kelsey Boucher

A proud Lewiston native, Kelsey Boucher (Lewiston EA) is a dedicated educator whose commitment to her community has come full circle. A graduate of Lewiston Public Schools, she returned home to serve the same district that shaped her, bringing creativity, leadership, and a strong commitment to equity to her work.

After discovering her passion for art education at the University of Southern Maine, Boucher began teaching elementary visual arts in Lewiston. She currently teaches art to K–6 students at Robert V. Connors Elementary School, where she encourages creativity and student voice every day.

Boucher’s impact extends well beyond the art room. She serves as co‑advisor to the Civil Rights Team, K–6 Art Cohort Leader, Connors Unified Art Lead, and has facilitated the Building Anti‑Racist White Educators affinity group.

05/23/2026

As we welcome an incredible new cohort of 2026 Maine County Teachers of the Year, we want to take a moment to celebrate the educators who have inspired us all year long.

THANK YOU 2025 Maine County Teachers of the Year!

Your official Year of Recognition has come to a close, but your Years of Service are just beginning. We cannot wait to watch you continue to lead, advocate, and elevate this profession in all the ways only YOU can.

You are now proud members of Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association, a community of County and State Teachers of the Year who carry this work forward together. You're not stepping away from anything. You're stepping into something even bigger.

We are so proud of each and every one of you. Here's to what comes next.

05/23/2026

More amazing content from Julia Edwards: 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year and !