A normal week of work for Jolyn DeGeorge includes filing a lot of paperwork, extensive planning for the near future and collaborating with colleagues. Her favorite part, however, is spending time directly with students.
DeGeorge is a special education teacher for Swampscott Public Schools’ Discovery Learning Center, a program geared toward students between kindergarten and fourth grade with autism. Earlier this month, she was named the 2026 Teacher of the Year by the Swampscott Education Association.
“Honestly, I was very shocked,” said DeGeorge. “I just never expected to be chosen, I think because I work with such a small population of the students – There are so many great teachers in Swampscott.”
DeGeorge said along with the initial feeling of shock, she is very humbled and grateful to receive the award.
Despite working with a small population of students, the impact DeGeorge has made on her students, colleagues and the district is large. She is described by colleagues as someone who works miracles, according to a Swampscott Education Association Facebook post.
“While miracles may sound extraordinary, what she demonstrates every single day is the extraordinary power of an educator who believes deeply in every child,” read the post.
The 2026-2027 school year is DeGeorge’s ninth year working for the school district, and she said being with the students is what most keeps her coming back year-after-year.
“Along with the kids, I love my colleagues,” said DeGeorge. “When I was thinking about what to write when I accepted the award, I could only think about who to thank. I work alongside so many people that work so hard, which makes my job easier and better.”
DeGeorge said within the Discovery Learning Center, there is a big team including teachers, tutors, speech therapists and behavioral specialists that all share a common goal of helping each and every student.
She said it’s great to get the acknowledgment that comes with the award, but it means much more to see that the program is being recognized.
“Every student has their own goals we are working on,” said DeGeorge. “But I just want them to feel proud of themselves, feel accepted and feel like they belong in the classroom. I want to help them experience things they love.”
