Mary Lord knows firsthand the impact that a great teacher can have.

She was a seventh grader at Brunswick Junior High School when she began to fall for the French language, a lifelong love affair she credits to her instructor, Mrs. Jedrilinic. A military wife, Jedrilinic only stayed in town for a couple of years. A half-century later, it’s Lord, 67, who’s doing the inspiring. 

Described by coworkers as “the heart and soul of Brunswick Junior High School,” Lord has become an institution, as admired by her colleagues as she is adored by her students. 

Language arts teacher Carrie Sullivan put it simply: “We all wish we could be Mary.”

Junior high is already a difficult time for many kids as they adjust to new bodies and social dynamics. Add in the pronunciation challenges of beginner French, and the situation could be ripe for embarrassment. 

But Lord excels in making students feel safe and comfortable. Unlike most teachers, who might only get a kid for one year, Lord has three years to build a bond, and she makes the most of that time. By regularly attending her students’ events and sports games, she knows that she can develop trust that will pay off in her own classroom, which she fills with games and song. (“C’est l’halloween” is the latest earworm that’s been stealthily working French vocabulary into the folds of her students’ brains.)

The kids don’t forget her when they move onto high school and beyond. Lord regularly receives shoutouts from former students, some of whom have gone on to become French teachers or who have invited Lord to visit them in Paris. 

“I have that opportunity to open up a different part of the world for them,” Lord said. “When they take advantage of that and actually venture out and you visit, it’s just amazing for me.”

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