Choosing our FLAME “Teacher of the Year” is always a difficult task. We chose this recipient for the

award, and after I read selected quotes from the nominating letters, I am sure that you will realize why we

selected this outstanding teacher as FLAME's “Teacher of the Year.”

     A fellow teacher wrote that “ (This teacher's) service to our school, our school district, and community

has been immeasurable. She serves as a ‘volunteer’ in-house technology expert who is always willing to spend

time with an individual staff member needing assistance with anything from developing a teacher website, to

how to perform a certain function on the laptop, to how to integrate the use of the smart board into a given

content area. In addition to serving as the “key” teacher for our middle school foreign language team, (she),

together with her fellow French teaching colleague, organizes an annual ‘total immersion’ trip to Quebec for her

students.” In a word, she exemplifies a language teacher who is a model not only for foreign language educators

at the state level, but indeed, the national level.

     Another colleague expressed that “(This) is a classroom teacher who models “best practices” in the

teaching of French. In addition to extensive use of the target language, (her) teaching strategies are interactive,

hands-on, and include skills-building activities that enable her students to communicate in meaningful and

purposeful activities that simulate real-life situations. (She) has established an effective classroom in which

students feel comfortable in taking risks. Her classroom is the single most extraordinary classroom in our school,

reflecting not only the culture of the French-speaking world, but also showcasing her student's many languagebased

projects.”

     Her principal noted “Her ability and capacity to analyze and reflect on her own teaching through (a peer

evaluation model) inspired others to take risks in their own teaching and learning. She is often viewed as a role

model for taking risks in her own learning.”

    And finally, from the heart and soul of “all” educational efforts, from the source that is the most

meaningful of all, we have these thoughts offered by students. An eighth grade student wrote “Something that is

really important to me when it comes to what determines a good teacher is whether (or not) I can count on them.

I want to know that if I am having a hard time with a certain concept that (a) teacher will be willing to stay after

school and help me, or if my grades are slipping that they will come to me and let me know, and tell me what I

can do to bring it up. I just want to know that they really have my best interest at heart. In this way, (this teacher)

has exceeded my expectations.” One of her former students explained that “ When I was told that (my former

French teacher) was nominated for the FLAME teaching award, I have to say that I was not surprised. I was a

student in (her) 8th grade French class last year. ... Throughout the year, I found (French) class challenging me a

lot more than I had ever been challenged academically. She always made me believe I could do so much more

than what I previously thought possible.”

     I'd like to conclude with that last thought: that kids, students, can always do more, and better, than what

they think their limitations are. Leading young students beyond their own myopic horizons to the wonders of a

world that they cannot yet comprehend should be the aspiration of every teacher. According to the numerous

letters of recommendation, this teacher has embarked upon that quest.

FLAME's 2008 “Teacher of the Year” Award goes to Biddeford Middle School French teacher,

BRAVO NICOLE!!

WE ALL AT FLAME CONGRATULATE YOU !!

by Mary Oches, FLAME Vice-President

     Connor FitzSimmons, a senior at Mt. Ararat High School, is a three sport athlete – he participates in cross country, indoor

track, and track and field. He enjoys running. He likes to move quickly. Now, you may think that this is a strange way to introduce

FLAME’s Student of the Year, but soon you will see that talking about Connor’s running ability is an apt metaphor for his language

skills. You see, he runs through language classes like a sprinter. Let me give you some examples:

As a freshman, Connor was enrolled in a Spanish class for students identified as being able to learn two years of Spanish in one,

and then during his sophomore year, he was enrolled in Spanish III.

     When the time came in the spring of his sophomore year for Connor to sign up for his junior year classes, he told his Spanish teacher,

Candace Myers, that he wanted to skip Spanish IV and go straight nto Spanish V. Despite her warnings that even the Spanish IV class

with its 7 new tenses, 700 new vocabulary words, and a lot of speaking, reading, and writing practice would be challenging

enough, Connor persisted in wanting to try Spanish V. So, during the fourth quarter, she tutored Connor to help him prepare. Each

week, he was producing what students usually produce in a month.

     But, as it turned out, Connor did not take Spanish V his junior year. No, instead he signed up for a new Spanish course called Advanced

Spanish Seminar which was designed to meet the needs of students who had already completed Spanish V. He was able to converse

effortlessly with Mt. Ararat’s students from Ecuador, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic, and he amazed everyone with his ability to

employ advanced grammatical structures in both his writing and speaking. As a senior, he has continued his Spanish studies in the evening at

Bowdoin College in a class full of college juniors and seniors returning from their year abroad.

     Of course, Connor was not about to stop there. In his junior year, he started taking French and again was enrolled in a class with

students identified as able to learn two years of French in one. After a few months, his French teacher, Ellyn Ballou, knew that he could have

moved on right then to French III or IV, but Connor enjoyed his mentor role with the other students, and Ellyn admits that she selfishly did

not urge him to move up to a higher level because she loved having him in class. By the end of his first year of French, Connor informed

Ellyn that he felt himself ready to move on, but not to French III or IV, but, of course, French V. This delighted Ellyn because she teaches

French V. Now Connor is producing some of the best work in the French V class, even though auditing a class at Bowdoin takes him out of

class frequently.

     So, as you can see, Connor does not leave his running shoes on the track, but races his way through languages with great skill.

I’d like to leave you with a quote from Carmen Palmer, Connor’s math teacher and math team coach – oh, did I forget to mention

that Connor is one of the top math team scholars in the state, that he is a member of the Science Olympiad, that he is a National Merit Semifinalist,

that he has spent his summers traveling to a variety of countries, volunteering his time and working to help the local people – well,

anyway, Carmen Palmer has said, “If more ‘Connors’ were around, what a lovely, lovely world it would be.”

Please join me as I proudly congratulate Connor FitzSimmons – FLAME Student of the Year!