There's a bit of a ritual: At the beginning of the school year, Wiscasset Primary School first grade teacher Julie Mitchell has the kids write something down. Then, the process is repeated at the end end of the year.

Like marking height with pencil stripes on a door frame, the two bits of writing show a lot, especially where growth is concerned.

“First grade is such an amazing year for growth: When they come in they seem really young, but you get to watch them transform socially and academically,” she said. “I love to show them the writing they did on the first week of school on the last week of school.

“Kids this age are just so full of joy and curiosity, and it's easy to have fun in the classroom.”

Mitchell will be one of two first grade teachers at the Primary School this year, but the Wiscasset resident isn't a stranger to the district or the school.

Mitchell had previously worked as a literacy intervention instructor for Regional School Unit 1, before filling the same position in Chelsea. Last year Mitchell was a kindergarten teacher at Chelsea, and before that she had worked at Southport Central School.

“Last year I was in kindergarten and this year I'm in first grade, so there's a natural progression,” she said.

It isn't just her time as a kindergarten instructor that will aid Mitchell, she said. She said most students are learning to read in kindergarten, and are sharpening those skills in the first grade.

“I love the fact that in my classroom I can reach 15 kids at once instead of one or two at a time,” she said. “It's so important, too, because (first grade) is when we focus on reading and writing.

“That extra experience I have with literacy intervention just makes me more confident when it comes to helping kids with reading and writing.”

One of the challenges with going from one or two students to a classroom with 12 or more, is tailoring each class around the group, Mitchell said.

“You need to meet everyone's individual needs, and to try to adjust your instruction to reflect your students,” she said. “You need to strike a balance.”

Beyond sharpening their reading and writing skills, Mitchell said she wants her students to take something else from her class: a continued love of exploring and learning.

“I want them to be able to say that they had a lot of fun; that school is a great place to be,” she said. “I want them to be able to grow, and to feel good about themselves as they grow.”