DIXFIELD — When Maureen Houle was a fourth-grader at Farwell School in Lewiston, she was so impressed with her teacher, Edie Jordan, that she wanted to become just like her.

Now, more than 50 years later, Houle, an elementary literacy teacher at Dirigo Elementary School, is retiring after a 42-year teaching career. All but three of those years were in the former SAD 21.

“She was a wonderful teacher. She was young and enthusiastic. I wanted to do the same thing, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” Houle said.

Her last few years teaching have been as a literacy teacher where she worked to bring children’s reading levels up as high as possible. But before that, she taught grades three or four for many years.

Her first position was in Farwell School where she taught fourth grade.

“I had the daughter of my fourth-grade teacher. She was a sweetheart who loved school,” Houle said, “I was excited but apprehensive at first. There were teachers there that I had had. But I was with them and was accepted.”

She was also accepted when she and her then new husband, Leo, moved to the Dixfield area.

Here, she began her long former SAD 21 and now, RSU 10 career at Dixfield Elementary School. The school became the central office for the newly merged school district, and Houle, along with other teachers, moved into the new Dirigo Elementary School in Peru.

“Everyone was accepting and helpful and warm. There were just 10 rooms. It was a wonderful place to work. It was always a family-type atmosphere,” she said.

Over the years, she has taught entire families including the children of former students.

“They come back to open house and say, ‘Mrs. Houle, you’re still here,’” she said.

Houle, 63, thought long and hard about retiring.

“My stomach gets jumpy and I’m apprehensive, but I don’t want to miss the things my four grandchildren do, karate, dance. … I want to be there for Grandparents Day,” she said, “I know this is the right thing to do. I know it in my bones.”

“I love kids and hopefully over the years I’ve influenced them in a good way,” she said.

She considers herself very lucky to have Kathy Richard as principal of DES.

“She loves kids as we all do,” Houle said.

She and her husband, who is also a retired teacher from Dirigo High School, plan to do more kayaking, and take day trips on their motorcycle. She has been active as a Girl Scout leader and in her church.

She also will likely volunteer or substitute in the schools.

Houle graduated from St. Joseph’s College in Windham. She and her husband have two adult children and four grandchildren.

“The kids here are awesome. They are some of the most wonderful kids in the world,” she said.

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