Pupils’ Pet> Distinguished Teacher Award winner came to Warsaw Middle School intending to better children’s lives, and he’s succeeding

When Arnold Shorey taught mathematics at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, the students called him Deputy Dawg. They teased him about his love of candy and his fascination with Winnie the Pooh — and not behind his back, either. Shorey, who not only taught but was once a student at MCI, took it in stride.

“You can’t take it personally,” he said Wednesday. “A sense of humor is vital when dealing with teen-agers. By modeling humor, I can help them be more at ease with risk.”

Shorey is one of 30 Maine secondary school teachers who will be honored later this month with a Bowdoin College Distinguished Teacher Award. The award was created this year to pay tribute to the important role of high school teachers in instilling students with a passion for learning. The first recipients of the award teach subjects as diverse as English, chemistry and music.

Shorey was nominated for the award by Aaron Rosen, a former math student at MCI who now is studying religion at Bowdoin. He is considered a unique, forward-thinking administrator, praised by both fellow teachers and former students as an inspiration to others.

With only eight years of teaching experience under his belt, Shorey left the classroom to accept the challenge of being assistant principal at Warsaw Middle School in Pittsfield. He took with him a personal mission of bettering the pupils’ lives. Both teachers and pupils at the school say he is succeeding.

“He really connects with the students,” said Warsaw teacher Marilyn Graham. “And they also respect him.”

Teacher Teresa Kane said the pupils think so highly of their disciplinarian that “when they have a problem, they often seek him out for advice or solutions. He always makes time for them. It was a loss for MCI when he came to Warsaw, but a huge gain for us.”

As the first full-time assistant principal at Warsaw, Shorey said he doesn’t have a classroom anymore but feels that discipline itself is a curriculum. He says the middle school years — fifth through eighth grades — are the most turbulent time of life for youngsters.

On any given day, Shorey could be dealing with suicidal teens, distraught or angry parents, runaways — the whole gamut of teen-age dilemmas and struggles.

“Middle school students get a bad rap,” says Shorey.”Yes, they can be violent and irresponsible, but they can also be wonderful, gifted, fun and independent. By the time they get to high school, they are beginning to establish some direction in their lives. But here, in middle school, they have no direction at all.”

The challenge, said Shorey, is to instill a sense of responsibility in them. “I set standards but try to be as flexible as possible.”

An example, he said, occurred Tuesday when a group of sixth-graders went to the MCI campus to participate in an outdoor workshop. “They left a little mess,” said Shorey, “so we had a class meeting, apologized to MCI and 88 sixth-graders went up there this morning and symbolically picked up the campus. This is what responsibility is about: You make a mistake, you apologize and then you make it right.”

“Fairness in discipline is the key,” he said.

Students sent to Shorey’s office for discipline are first asked to fill out an incident form. “This gives them ownership and validity in the process,” he explained. The form gives the student a chance to assess their behavior and suggests ways to avoid a similar situation in the future, as well as stating possible consequences.

“We must teach our children to accept responsibility, for themselves, their education and their behavior,” he said.

Shorey, who started his education in the Mount View school system, graduated from MCI in 1985, University of Maine at Farmington in 1989 and is pursuing his master’s degree in educational leadership at the University of Maine in Orono. He taught math and history at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport for five years and math at MCI before moving to Warsaw.

He is married and the father of two young sons.

“The biggest challenge for my students today,” he said, “is the deterioration of the family. If you have a strong family foundation, students are better able to deal with the issues of drugs, alcohol and peer pressure.

Shorey said he does not feel like he has all the answers. “I do get the feeling sometime that it is an impossible task. But when it comes right down to it, I’m not alone here. The first line is the parents. By working cooperatively — whether it is in a discipline situation or through a parent volunteer system — we can help students achieve their goals.”

“Also,” he said, “we really have some dedicated people here, people who truly care about children and their success.”

But it is Shorey whom staff members credit with motivating the pupils. “He is so full of ideas and energy,” said Anna Peterson, guidance counselor at Warsaw. “He balances those skills with being a good listener and very much a problem solver.”

“He may have a big voice,” said Peterson, “but he also has a lot of love. The kids know this, too. They know he cares.”

Bowdoin to honor Maine teachers

Shorey is one of 30 high school teachers being honored by Bowdoin College for the lasting effect they have had on the lives of their students, during a day of recognition April 29. The educators come from two dozen high schools throughout the state, from South Portland to Fort Kent.

They are Drew Milliken, Bangor; Walter Adams, Calais; Faith Vautour, Camden-Rockport; Denise Levesque, Caribou; Diane Ackerman and Joyce D’Augustine, Edward Little; Gary Spring, Falmouth; Doreen Emerson, Foxcroft Academy; John Kaleta and Irene Murphy, Fort Kent; Michael Carter, Gorham; Joseph Foster, Kennebunk; Jennifer Oliver, Lewiston; Gary Benson, Lincoln Academy; Bill Cowan and Arnold Shorey, Maine Central Institute; Celina Adams, Marshwood High School; Jeff Fischer and Lynn Giallombardo, Mount Ararat; David Stevenson, Mount View; Donald MacDougal, Nokomis; Harold Kingsbury and Ted Jordan, Cape Elizabeth High School; Sanford Phippen, Orono; George Pouravelis, Sanford; Thomas Major and Gene Humphrey, South Portland; Michelle Lettiere, Waynflete School; Jackson Marland, Westbrook; and Becky Pride, Yarmouth.