TURNER – Class discussion includes parties, underage drinking, drugs and other risky business.

And, how to say no.

Saying no isn’t always easy, said Leavitt Area High School health teacher Sarah Duchette, who was named health teacher of the year by the Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

On this day, Duchette engaged students in her sophomore wellness class with questions that required thoughtful answers and problem-solving.

It’s easy to say no to a stranger who asks you to get into his car, Duchette said. But what if a friend asks you to go to a party?

“We don’t want to say, ‘No!’ They’re going to be like, ‘Jerk,'” Duchette said, sounding like a teenager.

Why is it harder to say no to a friend? she asked.

“Because you’re emotionally attached. You don’t want to lose them,” one girl answered.

“Absolutely,” Duchette said. The class talked about how not to say no to the friendship but say no to the activity.

It could be a party with alcohol or drugs, riding in a car with someone who’s under the influence, smoking, fighting, taking a drink from a stranger, stealing or lying to parents.

The sophomores talked candidly about the possibilities, then went over five refusal steps: ask questions, name the risk, state the consequences, suggest alternatives and move it, sell it, leave the door open.

Zach answered that No. 5 meant to interest a friend in joining you in a healthier activity.

During the lesson Duchette came across as honest, not preachy, someone who understood her students’ world. Students seemed engaged.

That’s one reason Duchette won the health teacher of the year award, Principal Patrick Hartnett said.

“Sarah is the real deal, a difference maker, both in the lives of students and in the life of the school,” Hartnett wrote in his nomination letter.

He said Duchette was successful with all students, not just those at the top of their class or from college-educated parents. In her classes students create, question and think, he said.

Duchette is also the district’s K-12 health and physical education coordinator, is instrumental in curriculum development and teacher mentoring.

Hartnett praised her as a caring and vocal advocate for students, a pioneer in creating school-wide student demonstrations, a respected faculty voice.

Duchette, 35, of Turner, said she was “embarrassed and shocked” when she recently received the honor at her school. “Then my family came out. That was awesome.”

This is her ninth year at Leavitt. Before that she taught four years in Rumford.

Duchette said she loved her health class when she was a ninth-grader at Edward Little High School in Auburn. It’s a subject that students find relevant, she said.

As a health teacher, Duchette guides students in decision-making, nutrition, exercise, avoiding diseases and risky behavior.

“I’ve seen so many people make decisions they regretted,” she said. Her job isn’t to teach values, but to give students skills and information to make healthy decisions.

Some don’t, but others return after high school to thank her. “For a lot of students, I’m the last formal health education they’ll ever receive.”

Sophomore Ashley Baril said Duchette is an understanding and helpful teacher. “You learn a lot about yourself, your wellness and health.”

Sophomore Jeri Newman agreed. “She puts it in a way everybody can understand.”