Teacher of the year visits Caribou Rotary lunch

13 years ago
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Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Alana Margeson, 2012 Maine State Teacher of the Year, made a guest appearance at the Caribou Rotary Club on Nov. 16. Shown with Margeson are Patrick Bennett, left, Rotary Club president; and Frank McElwain, RSU 39 superintendent.

By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer

Maine State 2012 Teacher of the Year Alana Margeson was the guest speaker at the Nov. 16 meeting of the Caribou Rotary Club. During her visit the CHS teacher shared her journey of how she was nominated by CHS Principal Mark Jones for the award, the interviews, observations of her class room instruction through to the semi finals during which she taught a class for master’s candidate students at the University of Maine at Orono with 50 observers that included other finalists for the award and a panel of judges.

“It means a lot to me to have this award as a teacher at Caribou High School and in this community,” stated Margeson.

Joking, Margeson shared with the Rotary members how in July, she and her family (husband Eric and four sons were traveling downstate, later attending a Boston Red Sox game with their son Noah. Just prior to leaving for Boston she received a call informing her that she was a finalist. “Poor Eric, during the game at a point when Kevin Youkilis was just settling into his batting crouch, I leaned over and said, “What do you think about the possibility of a five-year high school?”

“The CHS staff member said that during the waiting process as a finalist it was a bit like, “Waiting for your prom date and the doorbell doesn’t ring.”

During her reign as teacher of the year, Margeson will be traveling to a number of educational conferences nationwide including an international conference in Dallas in January, in April she will be in Washington D.C. where she will meet President O’Bama and Space Camp in July, at which she will teach a class. During the hectic travel schedule Margeson will continue to teach her English classes at CHS. Substitute teachers are provided for those times when she is attending to Teacher of the Year duties, at no cost to the school.

“It’s not about being the best teacher,” stated Margeson, “it’s about representing what’s best about teaching.”