CLAYTON — First State Military Academy, an all-Marine Corps Junior ROTC charter school, has named mathematics instructor Maria Collier as its 2020-21 Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Collier, one of the founding members of the faculty, has been with the school since it opened six years ago. She is completing her 20th year teaching mathematics.

“I was amazed to be recognized by my peers,” Ms. Collier said when she was announced as the Teacher of the Year.

She teaches Advanced Placement Calculus and Algebra II. This school year, with the hybrid-learning situations, her teaching skills were put to the test.

“Everyone knows that technology hasn’t always been my friend,” Ms. Collier said. “But I’ve come a long way.”

Science teacher and one of the school’s technology instructors Stephanie Hollingsworth acknowledged Ms. Collier's growth with technology.

"She now helps others to get around Echo (the school’s learning platform)," Ms. Hollingsworth said. 

To make sure her AP Calculus students covered all the material they needed for the AP test in early May, Ms. Collier frequently tutored her students during multiple office hours through Google Meet sessions on days when the class did not meet in person.

She noted that educators aren't in the profession for the money “because we don’t get paid for all of the planning and prep that is done outside of class.”

“We try to get the cadets (students) started in the right direction, so they have options when they are adults trying to find their way in the world,” Ms. Collier said. “Each one of us is here for the cadets and the potential growth that we see in them. This is why we do what we do every day.”

In her recommendation, fellow mathematics teacher Andrea Cook said that Ms. Collier “has a wealth of knowledge and experience.”

“We talk constantly about what lessons to teach next and the best way to teach them,” she said.

“We worked hard on curriculum, so that we would have something to be proud of,” Ms. Collier said. “Each year is better than the last because we try to learn from our mistakes. We always need to strive for more and protect each other for the rough times ahead. Education has natural ebbs and flows, but as long as we have the support of each other, there is no telling what we can truly accomplish in 10 to 20 years.”

Ms. Collier, a native of Lititz, Pennsylvania, is an 2001 Ohio University graduate and a four-year letter-winner in field hockey.

First State Military Academy has an enrollment of 460 students from 12 of 16 feeder school districts in Delaware.