Marjorie M. Nolan
2009 Teacher of the Year
First Coast High
Reading Coach
Principal: Deborah Smith
Education
B.A., Valdosta State University
M.S., Nova University
Highlights
•31 years of teaching experience
•2005 Gladys Prior Award for Teaching Excellence Recipient
•2004-2005 Duval County Teacher of the Year Finalist
•2004-2005 First Coast High School Teacher of the Year
•1996 Duval County Teacher of the Year Finalist
•1995-1996 Raines High School Teacher of the Year
Marjorie Nolan has taught for more than 30 years in Duval County. She holds a deep love and respect for the teaching profession and believes that an important part of her job is motivating learners, whether they are students or teachers. A passionate advocate for the power of reading, a recent health challenge forced her to expand her focus from teaching children to coaching other teachers so they could impact even more students.
Ms. Nolan has since created and partnered in the development of numerous training programs designed specifically to improve and inspire reading instruction in teachers, as well as school-wide reading programs that provide continued, structured learning to all First Coast High students. She, along with her principal and standards coach, were invited to present their initiatives at the “Just Read, Florida” conference in 2007 and 2008. Her various training programs have been so well received that many have already been adopted by other Duval County high schools. Recently, Ms. Nolan has even been approached by educational professionals from other counties who have expressed a desire to employ the same programs in their own schools.
“It is my hope that by exposing teachers to quality instructional practices and resource materials that support reading, they will begin to create such materials on their own.”
Marjorie M. Nolan
“Margie Nolan motivates me to be a better teacher and to find more creative ways to reach my students. I only hope that one day I can be as much of an inspiration to someone else as she has been to me.”
