Nancie Atwell, a teacher at The Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb, Maine, United States, has been named as the first ever winner of the one million dollar Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, awarded under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.According to the Varkey Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation established to improve the standards of education for underprivileged children, The Global Teacher Prize was established to, "recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession."Nancie Atwell was presented with the prize at the Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF) 2015 in Dubai, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, President Bill Clinton, Honorary Chairman of the Varkey Foundation and Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, in front of dignitaries, education ministers, international education experts and global business leaders.Commenting on the importance of the new global prize for teachers, President Bill Clinton, Honorary Chairman of the Varkey Foundation, said, “Attracting the best people to teaching, developing and supporting their skills, and holding them in high regard would lift learning levels all around the world.”Nancie was chosen from ten finalists by a global academy made up of prominent individuals including academy award winning actor Kevin Spacey.Nancie Atwell discovered a love of books while bedridden with rheumatic fever as a child and now teaches English as a writing-reading workshop.  In 1990, Nancie founded the Center for Teaching and Learning, a non-profit demonstration school created for the purpose of developing and disseminating effective classroom practices. A teacher since 1973, Nancie has written nine books, edited five collections, and delivered hundreds of keynote addresses and workshops about her teaching.On winning the award, Nancie Atwell commented, “I’m honored and proud to receive the Global Teacher Prize. I love my teaching life–the intellectual, social, and personal challenges of working with young people and the satisfaction of developing methods that transform their lives and give them perspective on the lives of others. I am grateful to the Varkey Foundation for shining a light on teaching as a powerful profession, one of fulfillment, creativity, and lasting worth.”Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey, who sits on the Global Teacher Prize Academy that chooses the final winner, said, “When I was starting out, I was inspired by an older, more experienced actor, who told me that he thought I ought to go into acting professionally. That’s the kind of mentoring and personal support that every young person needs to realize his or her potential.  “It’s the kind of encouragement and guidance that good teachers give to their pupils every day.  And that is why I support the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize. However much we achieve in life, we all began learning the basics from a teacher in a classroom.  Those that teach – devoting their talents and time to nurturing the talents of others – deserve to be respected and celebrated.”The top ten finalists were narrowed down from the top 50 shortlisted candidates, which were chosen from over 5,000 nominations and 1,300 final applications from 127 countries including the US, UK, Italy, Kenya, Uganda, India, Afghanistan, Australia, Argentina Mexico and Jordan, amongst others.