Maureen Tevanian
9th and 10th Grade English Teacher, Creative Writing Instructor
Bachelor of Arts, Secondary English Education, SUNY Cortland
As an English teacher and creative writing instructor, perhaps it isn’t surprising that Ms. Tevanian cites one of America’s greatest authors as a favorite mentor growing up. Maya Angelou had dozens of inspiring quotes; this one captures Ms. Tevanian’s approach to teaching. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Meaningful Work
Ms. Tevanian has been teaching since 1994, primarily in traditional brick-and-mortar learning environments. She joined Maine Connections Academy in 2022. While literature and poetry are central to her responsibilities as a teacher – “I enjoy sharing my passion for reading books” – it is the person-to-person relationships that she values most. “What I especially love about teaching at this school,” Ms. Tevanian says, “is making connections with students and their families – it’s meaningful work for me.”
In many ways, the online learning environment is better suited to making these kinds of personal connections than brick-and-mortar classrooms. One-on-one interactions with students are an important part of the experience at Maine Connections Academy, and part of every single day for Ms. Tevanian.
It’s exactly what she enjoys about being a teacher. The students benefit too. “Getting an online education at this school suits the needs of many students,” she says. “They feel more comfortable here than at a traditional brick-and-mortar school.”
Taking it Easy – But not too Easy
When Ms. Tevanian isn’t busy helping students, she’s busy spending time with her family. She loves her dogs and looks for every opportunity to get outdoors with them. She also enjoys traveling and going on retreats.
“Everyone at Maine Connections Academy works to support students. It’s lovely to have such a dedicated school family.”
— Ms. Tevanian