Story and photo by Marc Glass

Gloria Noyes ’93, a fifth-grade teacher at Congin Elementary School in Westbrook, was named the 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year by Maine Education Commissioner Susan Gendron in a surprise award ceremony held at the school on Wednesday, Sept. 10.



“Gloria Noyes is about the most enthusiastic and fun teacher a fifth-grader could ask for,” Gendron said. “In interviews, class visits, and speaking with those who reviewed her during the selection process, we heard over and over that she was ‘genuine,’ ‘real,’ ‘highly respected,’ ‘nurturing,’ and a downright blast. One of the evaluators said, ‘I wish I could have been in her fifth-grade classroom.” She received a perfect score on her site visit. She has some very lucky students.”

Noyes, who attended Congin Elementary as a child, graduated from UMF with a degree in elementary education and earned a master’s in literacy at USM, gave emotional thanks to her students in accepting the award: “You beautiful children…are the reason I get up in the morning. You are my inspiration,” said Noyes, as reported by the Portland Press Herald.

“I’m humbled to know that I’ve made a difference in my students’ lives, and I’m trilled to be a part of this fabulous
profession,” Noyes told Farmington First. “It is an honor to represent the many outstanding, compassionate, and dedicated teachers across this great state. I only wish that every teacher had the opportunity to experience this feeling.”

As the 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year, Noyes is now in the running for the National Teacher of the Year award to be announced in April.