BIDDEFORD — What qualities make a great teacher? Colleagues of Christine Goulet, a grade 2 teacher at Biddeford Primary School who was named York County Teacher of the Year late last week, say her big smile, frequent laughter and ability to connect with students help make her shine.

“She creates a fun, exciting, student driven learning environment where students have voice, choice, and accountability,” said Biddeford Schools Director of Instruction and Innovation Mandy Cyr, in her nomination of Goulet for the annual honor. “Christine has a positive attitude, a growth mindset, and a strong passion of teaching all learners.”

Goulet said she’s “honored, humbled and excited” by being named York County Teacher of the Year. She is among a small number of teachers so named — one for each of Maine’s 16 counties — and was chosen from a York County field of 36 candidates, said Dolly Sullivan, the state coordinator of the Teacher of the Year Program. In all, there were 436 nominations statewide, including 79 duplicates.

The Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier asked Goulet what constitutes a “best day,” in the world of education.

“My best day teaching … I have so many,” said Goulet, “I think my best teaching days are when a light bulb goes off for a student when he or she has finally mastered a concept. A best day teaching is when I am able to turn a child’s day around with a kind word, gesture, or hug. Any day when I feel I have had an impact.”

Goulet said she’s been a teacher in the Biddeford school system for 18 years, 13 as a grade 6 teacher and five years teaching grade 2. She is married to Jeremy Goulet, the student services coordinator at Biddeford High School. The couple has a son, Drew, 13. When she’s not teaching, Goulet said she enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and golf, “basically, anything outside.”

Goulet earned associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in natural resources conservation and environmental science in Bennington, Vermont, her teaching degree at the University of New England in Biddeford and a master of science degree in education at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.

“(She) has a gift of connecting with students, and colleagues,” said Cyr. “She is able to build relationships and truly understand what each learner needs in their education.”

As a county teacher of the year, Goulet and each of her colleagues in Maine’s other counties will lead and participate in a number of professional development sessions and develop a ‘passion project.’ County teachers of the year meet with business, education and policy leaders; participate in a Mock Legislature; and have the opportunity to work with pre-service teachers, said Sullivan.

County teachers of the year prepare a classroom instruction video, and from the videos, eight teachers are selected as 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year finalists, who then prepare a portfolio and give a presentation, from which the field is narrowed to three. Sullivan said a State Review Panel visits each of the three finalist’s schools for a day long observation and meetings with colleagues, students and community members and then a final interview, from which the 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year is chosen.

“This is a very rigorous process, designed by teachers for teachers to reflect on their work and to provide opportunities to amplify and elevate the voice of teachers,” said Sullivan. “As Ethel Atkinson, the 2019 York County Teacher of the Year, tells teachers, ‘If you are looking for a crown and sash, you won’t find it here.'”

Goulet said for her, the best part about choosing teaching as her career is witnessing students’ academic, emotional, and social growth.

“I look forward to representing my amazing district and highlighting social emotional learning,” she concluded.

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