WINOOSKI, Vt. — A woman who grew up in Shelburne, Massachusetts, has been named the 2025 Vermont Teacher of the Year by the Vermont Agency of Education.

“It feels really nice. It feels really humbling and it’s also a really nice recognition of all of the hard work that I’ve done and the work that I’m proud of,” award recipient Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver, who teaches English and history at Winooski High School, said in an interview. “But I keep saying, there are so many great teachers in the state of Vermont and it really is a team sport.”

MacLeod-Bluver was the recipient of an Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Vermont — where she serves as an instructional coach and part-time lecturer — last year and, as a result, was invited to apply for the 2025 Vermont Teacher of the Year. She said she found out she had been selected a couple of weeks before a schoolwide celebration on Sept. 30.

“Caitlin embodies the best of our Winooski schools and, by extension, the best of the state of Vermont,” Wilmer Chavarria, superintendent of Winooski School District, said in a statement. “I cannot think of anyone more deserving than her to be called Teacher of the Year.”

The Vermont Agency of Education has recognized outstanding Vermont teachers through the Vermont Teacher of the Year Award since 1964. As the 2025 honoree, a role that officially takes effect Jan. 1, MacLeod-Bluver will serve as an advocate for the teaching profession, education and students. She will also represent Vermont next spring for the National Teacher of the Year program, which includes events in Washington D.C.

MacLeod-Bluver, 35, has been teaching for 14 years, including six at Winooski High School. She aims to design curriculum that reflects her students’ diverse backgrounds through history lessons and English lessons featuring authors of color.

“I love everything about teaching,” she said, adding that she particularly enjoys working with teenagers, especially those who persevered through the pandemic. “They give me hope and inspiration every single day.”

Before Winooski, MacLeod-Bluver taught in Boston and Juneau, Alaska. She has a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and a master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

MacLeod-Bluver also has an advanced certificate in literacy and language from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions and an advanced certificate in leadership from the Perrone-Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership. She was a National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher fellow, a National Geographic Summer Institute fellow, and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration planet steward.

“Caitlin exemplifies exceptional talent and dedication in education,” Winooski High School Co-Principal Jean Berthiaume said in a statement. “Her genuine care for students, coupled with her profound knowledge of best practices and the critical importance of literacy, makes her a remarkable educator and a true asset to her community.”

MacLeod-Bluver mentioned she was inspired by some impactful teachers while attending Mohawk Trail Regional School in Buckland, “and I hold onto that.”

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.