Pryle
Courtesy of marilynpryle.com
CLARKS SUMMIT — Marilyn Pryle, a teacher at Abington Heights High School, has been included in the top 50 shortlist for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize, a Varkey Foundation initiative organized in collaboration with UNESCO.
Pryle was selected from over 5,000 nominations and applications from 89 countries around the world.
“I am deeply humbled to be in the top 50 shortlist for the Global Teacher Prize,” Pryle said in a news release. “I am honored to be named alongside so many inspirational educators from around the world. Thank you to the Varkey Foundation, GEMS Education, and UNESCO for recognizing the crucial role that teachers play in society. Every teacher plays a part in inspiring curiosity, fostering creativity, and empowering students to reach their fullest potential.”
Now in its ninth year, the $1 million Global Teacher Prize is the largest prize of its kind.
It was set up to recognize one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society. By unearthing thousands of stories of heroes who have transformed young people’s lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of millions of teachers all over the world. Since its launch, the Global Teacher Prize has received over 100,000 applications and nominations from around the globe.
Pryle’s teaching philosophy centers on fostering student voice, self-expression and critical thinking. Her innovative reading response technique, rooted in Louise Rosenblatt’s Reader Response Theory, empowers students to think independently, analyze deeply and engage authentically with texts. By categorizing their responses using themes like “eco-criticism” or “recognizing racial impact,” her students develop metacognitive and analytical skills essential for global citizenship. Pryle has shared this method through her eight books and numerous presentations at national and international conferences, influencing educators worldwide.
Her classroom is a microcosm of democratic learning, where students actively explore diverse cultures, religions and philosophies. Pryle’s curriculum incorporates foundational texts from Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism, alongside contemporary works like “Night” by Elie Wiesel and “I Am Malala.” This approach fosters cultural empathy and global awareness, which is especially vital in her suburban community, where diversity is limited and students often lack exposure to the broader world.
Her efforts extend beyond the classroom; she has led transformative international student trips to countries such as Germany, Greece and Peru, enabling students to experience firsthand the richness of other cultures and histories.
In 2017, Pryle founded the Scranton English Conversation Group to support the area’s growing refugee population. The program pairs adult refugees with volunteers to improve literacy, navigate essential services and build connections. High school students, inspired by Pryle’s example, volunteer with children during the sessions, often altering their career paths toward social work or international law. This initiative has empowered refugees to secure jobs, obtain driver’s licenses and access better health care while fostering empathy and activism among local youth.
Pryle’s contributions to the teaching profession extend to state and national levels. As Pennsylvania’s 2019 Teacher of the Year, she has served on the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Education Laboratory and worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to revamp curricula and teacher evaluation systems. A National Board-Certified Teacher, she advocates for equitable access to certification processes, emphasizing the need for highly qualified teachers in high-need schools.
GEMS Education claims to be the largest K-12 operator of private education in the world, which owns, operates, and manages schools globally, reaching an international student audience of over 130,000. It offers four world-class curricula and has 400,000 alumni. It believes in delivering a consistent, dynamic, high-quality education for every child — something in which teachers play a vital role.
The prize is open to working teachers who teach children who are in compulsory schooling or are between the ages of 5 and 18. Teachers who educate children age 4-plus in an Early Years government-recognised curriculum are also eligible, as are teachers working on a part-time basis, and teachers of online courses. Teachers must spend at least 10 hours per week teaching and plan to remain in the profession for the next five years. It is open to teachers in every kind of school and, subject to local laws, in every country in the world.
Teachers applying for the Global Teacher Prize are assessed on teaching practices, how they innovate to address local challenges, achieve demonstrable learning outcomes, impact the community beyond the classroom, help children become global citizens, improve the teaching profession, and gain recognition from external bodies.
Interested teachers were able to apply for the Global Teacher Prize at www.globalteacherprize.org before the December closing date.
The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy made up of prominent individuals, and will be announced at the World Governments Summit, taking place in Dubai Feb. 11-13.
