By Stephanie Grinnell

Staff Writer

Thornton Academy’s Jon Sylvester was recognized by Gov. John Baldacci and Education Commissioner Susan Gendron Feb. 14 at the State House in Augusta as one of nine nominees for Maine’s Teacher of the Year Award.

Sylvester has been a functional life skills teacher for the past eight years. He said he was surprised to be nominated. 

“It was kind of unexpected. I had to pinch myself,” he said. 

Sylvester describes his teaching job as unique because of the range of students and subjects he tackles on a daily basis. His students are between 15- and 20-years-old and Sylvester works with the same students for up to seven years until they are ready for what he calls “the real world.” 

“Lifeskills is regular academics with a slant to functional consumer math and English,” he said. “I use the same curricula but adapt it to a level they can process. I help them with expectations of what the real world is.”

A typical day in Sylvester’s class could address English, reading, math, cooking, automobile repair, science or bicycle repair, he said.

“I never get bored of the subjects because I am always finding out new things,” he said. 

Sylvester said he was happy to be nominated because it gives him a chance to reflect upon his teaching career. He said the nomination would also give him a platform to educate the public about “what effective programming can produce.” 

“I want to let them know about Lifeskills beyond the state and that what we do is really important,” Sylvester said. 

He credits his staff of ed techs with making the program better for the students.

“Without them, our program would be very drab and dark,” he said. 

Though he started as an English teacher 10 years ago, Sylvester said he would not go back to teaching English again.

“I don’t think I would ever switch back,” he said. “There is always talk about life-long learners, I am one. I am constantly doing research.”

The next step in the nomination process is regional semi-finals, a school visit, a portfolio review, an oral presentation and a final review before the 2009 Teacher of the Year is chosen. The process will be conducted by past Teachers of the Year, principals, Department of Education staff, members of the Maine Education Association and the business community. The 2009 winning teacher will be announced at a surprise assembly in September. 

Maine Teacher of the Year awards began in 1966, when Madeline Linscott of Winthrop was named the first Maine Teacher of the Year. Martin McKeon, a history teacher at Sanford High School is Maine’s 2008 Teacher of the Year.