Wiscasset School Department

Wed, 08/29/2018 - 11:30am

SUSAN JOHNS

Ten of Wiscasset’s incoming teachers. From left, front row: BethAnn Monroe, Michelle Brand, Ashley Poland, Katelyn Beedy and Samantha Crawford; back row, Jennifer Hembree, Jesse Hinman, Alexis Gillis, Jack Wise and Joel Grindle. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper

WMHS technology integrator-coordinator Tricia Faulkingham speaks with one of Wiscasset’s newest teachers, past educational technician Jesse Hinman. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper

University of Maine student and 2014 Boothbay Region High School graduate Ashley Poland was hoping she could teach near home and son Ryan, almost 1. She is getting to. Her student-teaching is at Wiscasset Elementary School, teaching and learning in kindergarten.

Poland and other new and longtime educators trained two and a half days last week for their first year teaching in Wiscasset. Wiscasset Middle High School’s technology integrator-coordinator Tricia Faulkingham headed up the training she said proved a big help in its first year, last year.

Before lunch in a WMHS classroom Aug. 23, school counselor Shaye Paradis was talking with the group about speaking with students’ parents.

Then, in interviews over their pita sandwiches, vegetables and cookies, the teachers shared their excitement for the start of the school year and gave the varied reasons they were pleased they will spend it here.

Wiscasset reminds him of his hometown of Islesboro, WES’ new physical education teacher Joel Grindle of Brunswick said. The Boston Celtics fan used to work in landscaping. Then he started coaching soccer at Isleboro Central School and moved toward teaching. He loves it and has found that part of it is learning from students, he added.

Michelle Brand taught second and third grades for many years in North Haven, Connecticut. Then her husband Andrew Brand got a job at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Now she'll be teaching fourth grade at WES. She is excited to be living and working in Maine now instead of it only being a place to vacation, she said.

For Alna's Jesse Hinman, working in Wiscasset's schools isn't new, but teaching is. He used to be an educational technician and helped start a WMHS course on drones. A science-technology teacher now, he wants to continue the course and incorporate a 3D printer into his work at the school.

"I'm excited to take that next step in my educational career," the Wiscasset High School graduate said about teaching.

Ten incoming teachers were taking the training, Faulkingham said. Two others could not be there for it, she said.