The sophomore world literature students discuss an excerpt from “The Bhagavad Gita,” a Hindu scripture.
A light snow falls outside the classroom’s large windows. The heater hums on the cold day, and teacher Marilyn Pryle listens to students' thoughts on the passage.
From Abington Heights High School in Lackawanna County, Pryle wants students to develop a wider understanding of the world. Now, Pryle has received global recognition for her efforts.
Pryle is one of 50 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize, the Varkey Foundation announced this week. The initiative, organized in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has a prize of $1 million. She will travel to Dubai next month for the awards ceremony and to meet the rest of the finalists.

“I'm so happy to be in the top 50,” said Pryle, who has taught at the South Abington Twp. school for 15 years. “I am so utterly moved and humbled to be in this group … Some of these people are teaching without desks and without chairs. They're creating schools in the backyards of their homes. People are out there, really believing in education as the thing that changes your life, and they're making it happen with no resources whatsoever. That is where the spotlight belongs, right? I'm just so moved by that.”
Since its launch nine years ago, the Global Teacher Prize has received more than 100,000 applications and nominations from around the globe. Pryle is one of only five finalists from the United States for this year.
“This recognition is a testament to Pryle’s unwavering dedication, innovative teaching and profound impact on students' lives, said Christopher Shaffer, Abington Heights superintendent.
“Marilyn embodies the very best of education, inspiring curiosity, resilience and a love for learning in and beyond the classroom,” he said. “Being among the top educators globally is not just a personal achievement but a reflection of the focus and excellence she brings to our entire school community.”

The 2019 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year taught English at an all-boys school in Kathmandu, Nepal, after she graduated from the University of Scranton. She later taught outside Boston before coming to Abington Heights. She has written books for educators on critical reading and how to empower students to think independently.
As part of the selection process, Pryle had to answer how she would spend the prize money. In 2017, she founded the Scranton English Conversation Group to support the area’s growing refugee population. The program pairs adult refugees with volunteers to improve literacy and navigate essential services. High school students volunteer with children during the sessions. With $1 million, Pryle would love to strengthen resources available for the region’s refugee community, and perhaps find a permanent home for the program.
Back in her classroom, Pryle starts sixth period with 10 minutes of silent reading. The students form their own “book clubs” and take notes to help discuss and review the books later. She wants them to be the center of the learning process by thinking critically and expressing themselves.
Regardless of the possible prize, Pryle feels like she’s already won.
“I marvel at how it all fits together, because I do feel like this curriculum of world literature is helping these students become more global. I see it in real time. It's widening their perspectives,” she said. “That's just so gratifying for me, and then to be able to go to Dubai and meet these other teachers, it's just amazing.”