Lyons named Teacher of the Year at Richard Allen

Every year each Indian River School District school honors one of its teachers with a Teacher of the Year Award. Page Lyons was named this year’s Teacher of the Year for the Richard Allen Intensive Learning Center in Georgetown, where she has been teaching mathematics to sixth- through 12th-graders for four years. She has been teaching for six and a half years altogether.

Coastal Point • Submitted
Page Lyons, center-right, accepts her Teacher of the Year award from IRSD Board President Charles Bireley, far left, IRSD Superintendent Susan Bunting, far right, and Richard Allen Principal Kris Perfetti, center-left.

Lyons said her teaching philosophy revolves around having a classroom environment in which students can feel comfortable.

“I deal with a really special population of students, and they often have a lot of struggles when it comes to school,” she explained. “They have a lot of learning disabilities, and they also tend to have emotional and behavioral problems, as well. So a lot of that plays into how they even view the classroom environment.”

That’s where Lyons teaching philosophy comes into play.

“I think it’s really important for them to see the classroom environment as a really welcoming place, because if they don’t feel comfortable, then there’s no way that they are going to be able to become successful,” she said.

Lyons, who currently lives in Dagsboro with her husband, Drew, and their young daughter, grew up in Baltimore but spent her summers in Delaware since the age of 14. She went on to attend the University of Delaware, where she earned a degree in general education.

From the time she herself was in fifth grade, Lyons’ knew that teaching was what she wanted to do with her life. Teaching also runs in her family.

“When I was very young – probably when I was in fifth grade – my mom was a teacher, my grandmother was a teacher, and I liked working with kids,” she said.

Though many would find teaching students with learning, emotional and behavioral problems to be challenging, Lyons said she loves it.

“They can’t function at a regular school, so to get them to trust you and to understand that, no matter what they say and no matter what they do, that you’re going to be there for them, day in and day out, I think is the most challenging part.”

It’s not only her own achievements that Lyons relishes about her job, but those of her students, as well.

“They are just such a diverse population, and they really have so many obstacles in front of them, that when they are able to accomplish something, they are so proud of themselves, and it very much shows. And seeing them achieve that is such a neat thing. I think it’s just one of the best things in the world – to see these kids be able to figure out how to do their problems, how to solve their math problems and not become frustrated with things that have always frustrated them.”

The teacher who Lyons said inspired her the most was her kindergarten teacher.

“Mrs. Frost – she just welcomed every day with a smile,” Lyons recalled. “She didn’t care what you’d done the day before. It was that day that mattered, and she was always proud of you no matter what you had done in the past. She never let on that she believed you couldn’t do something. She always made you feel like anything was possible,” said Lyons.

Lyons’ advice to those new to the world of teaching is to love what you’re doing.

“They should put their heart and soul into it. If they’re not into teaching with their heart, the student will see that and feel that, and it’s going to reflect in how their students view them,” she said.

This is the first time Lyons has been named Teacher of the Year, and she said she truly feels appreciated.

“I was really honored. I was nominated by the administration of my school and the students. I don’t do this to win awards or anything like that, but it was really nice to know that not only do the students appreciate it but the administration of my school appreciates what I’m doing,” she said.

Lyons is one of 15 teachers within the district who was considered for the district-wide Teacher of the Year Award.