“The Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA) awarded its 6th annual Claudette & John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award, in honor of the contributions of the two long-time educators who have inspired students and mentored teachers for over eighty combined years in Maine public schools. MCELA is an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The Claudette & John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award is presented annually at the MCELA Conference in March.
The Brassil Award recognizes exceptional English language arts and literacy teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, contributed to the profession, and shown a commitment to the community.
MCELA’s state-level English language arts educator award for 2024 goes to Jennifer Babcock, a 25-year educator at John Bapst who currently teaches American Literature and Composition, British Literature and Composition, AP Literature and Composition, and Creative Writing. Babcock is the English Department Head and mentors new teachers. In addition, she has been a supervising teacher for student teachers from Husson and the University of Maine since 2011. For her school, Babcock has led student tours in the United States and abroad, has been prom advisor, spring musical choreographer, Varsity cheerleading coach, and the National Honor Society. Beyond her school, Babcock is currently the State Officer Advisor for the Maine National Honor Society and has been a judge for the Maine Principal’s Association state cheerleading competition.
Babcock is a distinguished educator because of her commitment to student-centered learning and her resolution to connect her students with their community: “I constantly seek to balance collaboration with independence, which ultimately gives my students the best opportunity to find meaning in their own educational experience…The students are deeply invested in their research, they practice communicating with adults in professional settings, and we build relationships with community members and former students whom the students interview and shadow.””