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| Emily Stokes has been a teacher in the RSU 14 school district for the past 20 years. She currently is serving as a sixth-grade teacher at Windham Middle School where she teaches both English Language Arts and Social Studies. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
By Andrew Wing
Middle school is the most significant period for learning in a student’s life. It’s when they begin to develop study habits, but also, it’s when they develop strong personality traits, and for the past two decades, Emily Stokes has helped students in both of those aspects of life.
Stokes is currently a sixth-grade teacher at Windham Middle School where she teaches both English Language Arts and Social Studies. There are many different aspects of her specific duties and responsibilities, but mainly it’s teaching the students the curriculum, executive skills, social and emotional learning skills, and conflict-resolution skills to name a few. Stokes’ job also requires frequent communication with parents, attending a variety of school meetings, and working with her colleagues on a wide range of subjects pertaining to their jobs.
Stokes grew up in Standish, and attended Bonny Eagle High School. After graduating from high school, she stayed home and attended St. Joseph’s College where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. During college, she completed her internships and student teaching at the Windham School Department, and after her first teaching position as a fifth-grade teacher in MSAD 17, she knew she wanted to be closer to home.
Luckily, there was a posting for a fifth- and sixth-grade looping teacher at Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, and after being offered the position, Stokes gladly accepted and began working there in the fall of 2002. Years later once the Raymond and Windham schools consolidated into the RSU 14 district, Stokes shifted over to Windham Middle School to do what she does today.
Stokes is currently a sixth-grade teacher at Windham Middle School where she teaches both English Language Arts and Social Studies. There are many different aspects of her specific duties and responsibilities, but mainly it’s teaching the students the curriculum, executive skills, social and emotional learning skills, and conflict-resolution skills to name a few. Stokes’ job also requires frequent communication with parents, attending a variety of school meetings, and working with her colleagues on a wide range of subjects pertaining to their jobs.
Stokes grew up in Standish, and attended Bonny Eagle High School. After graduating from high school, she stayed home and attended St. Joseph’s College where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. During college, she completed her internships and student teaching at the Windham School Department, and after her first teaching position as a fifth-grade teacher in MSAD 17, she knew she wanted to be closer to home.
Luckily, there was a posting for a fifth- and sixth-grade looping teacher at Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, and after being offered the position, Stokes gladly accepted and began working there in the fall of 2002. Years later once the Raymond and Windham schools consolidated into the RSU 14 district, Stokes shifted over to Windham Middle School to do what she does today.
After 20 years on the job, one clearly has to love what they are doing and Stokes says one particular thing keeps her motivated.
“It is the students,” said Stokes. “It has always been and will always be the students.”
On the other hand, if one has had the same job for 20 years, they’re certain to come across a number of different challenges, and she said the most difficult part of her work is something she is still dealing with to this day.
“One of the most challenging parts of the job has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Stokes. “The pandemic changed the course of our lives as everything came to a standstill. As teachers, we still taught, but our top priority was the students’ overall well-being. We are still adjusting, and we will continue to do so for the sake of the students.”
On the same token, just as Stokes has come across different challenges, she has also come to realize misconceptions that the public may have about her job as an educator.
“One of the misconceptions I feel some people may have is that if you can’t do, teach,” said Stokes. “One does not enter the teaching field because they are incapable of doing anything else. Being a teacher requires a lot of different skills and abilities. Teaching is much more than watching children, correcting papers, and giving tests.”
But despite the challenges and the misconceptions that come with her job, Stokes says she loves what she does and has made countless memories in her two decades of teaching. But when given the difficult task to pick her most memorable moment, Stokes chose one where she got to witness her students display those important personality traits that were previously mentioned.
“One of my most memorable moments as a teacher was watching a student display compassion, respect, and honor to a stranger and a deceased soldier,” said Stokes. “It took place at the Maine Veteran’s Memorial where our students were cleaning headstones for Memorial Day as part of our project-based learning. One of the students went up to a stranger and helped the man clean the headstone he was there paying his respects to. This started a chain reaction and other students began helping families and friends clean loved one’s headstones, and that moment will be etched in my mind forever.”
And just as Stokes has gained wonderful memories in her time with RSU 14, she has also learned a lot of important things, with one standing out above the rest.
“One of the things I have learned while working in RSU 14 is that it’s a family,” said Stokes. “At any moment, on any given day, I know my colleagues would be there for me in a heartbeat, no questions asked.” <
“It is the students,” said Stokes. “It has always been and will always be the students.”
On the other hand, if one has had the same job for 20 years, they’re certain to come across a number of different challenges, and she said the most difficult part of her work is something she is still dealing with to this day.
“One of the most challenging parts of the job has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Stokes. “The pandemic changed the course of our lives as everything came to a standstill. As teachers, we still taught, but our top priority was the students’ overall well-being. We are still adjusting, and we will continue to do so for the sake of the students.”
On the same token, just as Stokes has come across different challenges, she has also come to realize misconceptions that the public may have about her job as an educator.
“One of the misconceptions I feel some people may have is that if you can’t do, teach,” said Stokes. “One does not enter the teaching field because they are incapable of doing anything else. Being a teacher requires a lot of different skills and abilities. Teaching is much more than watching children, correcting papers, and giving tests.”
But despite the challenges and the misconceptions that come with her job, Stokes says she loves what she does and has made countless memories in her two decades of teaching. But when given the difficult task to pick her most memorable moment, Stokes chose one where she got to witness her students display those important personality traits that were previously mentioned.
“One of my most memorable moments as a teacher was watching a student display compassion, respect, and honor to a stranger and a deceased soldier,” said Stokes. “It took place at the Maine Veteran’s Memorial where our students were cleaning headstones for Memorial Day as part of our project-based learning. One of the students went up to a stranger and helped the man clean the headstone he was there paying his respects to. This started a chain reaction and other students began helping families and friends clean loved one’s headstones, and that moment will be etched in my mind forever.”
And just as Stokes has gained wonderful memories in her time with RSU 14, she has also learned a lot of important things, with one standing out above the rest.
“One of the things I have learned while working in RSU 14 is that it’s a family,” said Stokes. “At any moment, on any given day, I know my colleagues would be there for me in a heartbeat, no questions asked.” <
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