Laura Doolan remembers sitting in the Carroll County Board of Education's employee recognition ceremony Thursday with no expectation to win Teacher of the Year.
But when they called her name, Doolan was in shock, she said.
"I really believed the other [seven] finalists were so strong, I was absolutely convinced I was not the one who was going to be chosen as Teacher of the Year," Doolan said. "It's still sort of surreal, but a true honor."
Doolan, a Westminster High School English teacher, began her teaching career as a home and substitute teacher for the Carroll County Public School System in 1992. From August 1992 until 2004, she taught in the Charlottesville, Va., city school system. In 2004, Doolan began teaching at Westminster High School where she has taught courses in grades 9 through 12 at all academic levels. In 2010, she became the English Department chairwoman.
Doolan grew up in a family of educators. Her father, Jim Doolan, who worked in public education for more than 35 years, was recently elected to the Board of Education and was also thrilled and surprised to find out she won the award, she said.
"I had him convinced I hadn't won," Laura Doolan said. "I actually expected that would be the reason why I wouldn't win."
A committee of educators, including former Teacher of the Year winners, a parent and a Carroll County Chamber of Commerce representative interviewed and scored the finalists. Carroll County Public Schools spokeswoman Carey Gaddis, who was also part of the committee, was the one to tally the scores and determine Doolan had won the award.
Doolan almost decided not to pursue education in college, registering herself as a business major at first. That is, until she stepped into her first economics class at James Madison University.
"I immediately realized I didn't want to go into the business world," she said. "I love teaching, I love kids, I love learning."
She considered music education because she was the drum major of the marching band when she attended Westminster High School, but then found her strength was teaching English, especially to high school students.
"I think I understand and can relate to teenagers better," she said. "I love challenging students to learn more, I love that idea of really pushing them to find their potential."
She believes her work with students outside the classroom was something that helped her stand out. Doolan has been the yearbook sponsor, class sponsor with the Student Government Association, Stand Up! founder and sponsor, School Improvement Team member, chair of the Multicultural Committee and graduation coordinator.
At the county level, she has taken a leadership role in writing curriculum and has led countywide professional development on the new curriculum. Her professional associations include the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the National Council for Teachers of English. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher.
When Doolan returned to her alma mater nine years ago, she knew she wanted to increase the academic rigor at the school and help improve the climate and culture of Westminster High.
Doolan began hosting an annual advanced placement night at the school for parents and encourages students to take a more rigorous course load through the Step Up initiative. She serves as the school's AP cohort leader and liaison to the county AP cohort leader, and is an AP English language teacher.
"I've been working really hard with that to promote the academic culture at Westminster," she said. "I think our students are more skilled and more confident in their academic abilities because they're stepping up and challenging themselves and meeting with success."
Westminster will be giving more than 700 AP exams next month, the most ever at the school, Doolan said.
To accomplish her second goal, she founded the Stand Up! club, which holds two Unity Days each year and has other education campaigns to help improve behaviors and attitudes and unite the student body.
Doolan was concerned about how students were treating each other, the negative language they were using and the lack of acceptance she saw among the students. The Unity Days, which include student testimonials and performances, in addition to other lessons throughout the year help teach students to be kind to one another and alleviate tension from other issues that arise, she said.
"We've been very successful in shifting the climate of this building," Doolan said.
The fall Unity Day is a serious one that aims to set a tolerant and inclusive tone for the school year. The spring Unity Day, which will be held Wednesday, is a celebration of the school's accomplishments and a time to show appreciation, she said.
Since Westminster hosted its first Unity Day in 2007, all seven other high schools in the county have since started hosting their own version of the event.
Westminster Principal Kenneth Goncz said Doolan's work with the Stand Up! club and her other after-school activities has allowed her to get to know students on a deeper level.
"When you do that, you're able to reach them and motivate them," he said. "She just has this passion for kids and their success."
Doolan is excited to represent the county on the next level. Gaddis said the teacher of the year is asked to speak at different venues throughout the county and will prepare to be interviewed for the Maryland Teacher of the Year honor, which occurs over the summer.
"In May, the state board of education will recognize all the teachers of the year," she said.
As a school system, Doolan hopes Carroll County celebrates its successes but also works toward improvement by giving students more access to technology to work on their 21st-century skills. She wants all students to get into the college of their choice and be academically successful during their post-secondary education.
Doolan said it's rewarding to be back in Carroll County, along with her 9-year-old son, supporting the community that helped to raise her.
"I don't think my work is ever done," she said. "I would definitely like to work on continuing the work we've been doing."
