HARTLAND, Wis. — A Hartland teacher with a love for performing arts has been nationally recognized for her work.
Maralynn Markano has been a teacher at Arrowhead High School for 24 years. She teaches English, speech and acting at the school. Markano is also the theater director for Arrowhead High School. Over the years, she’s directed dozens of shows.
Teaching is in her DNA. From a young age, Markano said it’s what she knew she wanted to do.
“I really just am a teacher,” Markano said. “I really think I was born to be a teacher.”
When she found out she was named the Honored national teacher of the month, Markano was shocked.
“I was just kind of dumbfounded by the whole thing and I couldn’t barely teach class the rest of the day,” Markano said.
Honored is a national nonprofit organization focused on honoring extraordinary teachers to engage, inspire and keep outstanding teachers. The group has been recognizing teachers from around the country each month since 2017.
With this recognition, Markano received a monetary reward of $5,000. For her though, the money pales in comparison to the reward of knowing it was her own students who nominated her.
Arrowhead senior, Michael Orton, was one of the students who submitted an essay showcasing the impact Markano has had on him and his classmates.
“I feel like every time I go on stage, I remind myself that she got me here,” Orton said. “I pretty much wouldn’t be who I was without her.”
Orton said Markano helped bring him out of his shell and recognize his love for acting. He now hopes to make his passion for acting into a career.
The essays nominating Markano talked about her ability to create a warm and welcoming environment, and her unmatched and palpable passion for teaching her students.
One of the nominating essays said, “If ever there is a fleeting moment where one of her students is feeling down on themselves or their work, she’s there to rectify this with words of encouragement and compassion, and undoubtedly, every single one of her students feels even just a little bit better after talking with her.”
Markano said it’s incredibly humbling to hear what her students have to say about her as a teacher. She is happy to know she’s helping the kids who mean so much to her.
“Building relationships with kids is what I am all about,” she said. “It really is just an honor all the way around.”
Markano said she hopes to continue to make an impact on her students for years to come.