Maine DOE Team member Nicole Madore is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Nicole in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

As the Early Childhood Specialist, I assist districts in the operation of their high-quality early child programs in Pre-K-grade 3. I work to offer professional learning opportunities, resources and technical assistance to the field. I am also a part of the Early Learning Team at the department where I work with my team to continue our own professional education and offer expertise to the field.

What do you like best about your job?

The best part of my job is interacting with teachers! I love being a thought partner with them as well as their “go-to” for anything and everything early childhood. They’re walking the walk and I love hearing directly from them about their experiences…good and bad! We all learn from listening to those in the field doing the work every day and applying to the experience of others.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I wanted to work with young children from an early age. I thought I wanted to be a 3^rd grade classroom teacher after having a wonderful experience in my own life, but after a few years of that I decided to move to a different role, one where I could interact with more teachers, students and their families. I never stop learning about child development and best practices in the classroom setting, so getting to learn and share that with others is very rewarding.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I’m not going to lie, I love a random lazy weekend! Otherwise, my husband and I stay busy with our two children. If we’re not driving to dance rehearsal or basket/base/football practice, then we’re probably at home planning our next getaway to the lakes in Western Maine. We live for Maine spring and summer and enjoy boating, fishing and more recently have begun hiking up mountains with our dog, Echo. Really any excuse to unplug and reset.