Mary Giard, a first grade teacher at the Abraham Lincoln School in Bangor, is particularly interested in parental involvement in the schools and as a result enjoys broad participation of parent volunteers. President of the Maine Reading Association in 1990-91, Ms. Giard is a member of a special interest group of the International Reading Association and has traveled as a literacy consultant throughout the United States. Ms. Giard is also the recipient of the 1992 International Reading Association Literacy Award. "I believe that being a professional carries many responsibilities. I am responsible to the children and families with whom I work to be current in educational practices and clear in setting standards for our classroom community. I am responsible to the field of education to learn about new issues and share my understandings through presentations and writing. Finally, I am responsible for my own learning. I constantly question myself to clarify my purposes."
