An Edgecomb teacher and founder of the nonprofit Center for Teaching and Learning is among 50 finalists for the “ Nobel Prize of Teaching,” the Varkey GEMS Foundation Global Teacher Prize, which includes a $ 1 million award.

A teacher since 1973, Nancie Atwell spent her classroom hours observing what worked with students and writing about those methods. She published her first book, “In the Middle,” in 1987. It has sold more than 500,000 copies to date. Atwell went on to publish eight more books.

With the royalties from “ In the Middle,” Atwell founded the Center for Teaching and Learning, a K-8 school in Edgecomb, in 1990. Faculty at the school develop effective teaching methods and share them with educators who come from around the world to observe the classrooms.

“ It’s really the best of both worlds, having my feet firmly planted in the classroom and having a really wonderful relationship with student writers and readers, in terms of stretching them and watching them become really remarkable writers,” Atwell said.

Students at the Center for Teaching and Learning — about 80 each year — study standard subjects such as English, science, math and history, but Atwell, who teaches English, said the curriculum is research-based and “doesn’t come out of a box.”

“ These really are the best methods and approaches for teaching children,” she said. “The whole purpose of this school is to give other teachers a place to see extraordinary teaching in action, to see innovation in action, and then to have a chance to go off and experience it.

“These kids are so savvy when they leave here — they’re articulate, write like a dream, are strong readers, fantastic mathematicians. … It’s really impressive and inspiring,” she said.

The award recognizes qualities such as achievement in and out of the classroom, innovative and effective instructional practices, improving access to quality teaching and education and contributing to public debates on teaching, among others.

Ethan Rittershaus, a former student of Atwell’s, is a lawyer in Boston working with low-income families. On Thursday, he praised Atwell’s focus on reading and writing.

“ I think that had an impact — a large one — on where I ended up,” he said. “Nancy doesn’t censor her students as far as what they should or should not be reading. You could read what you wanted, there was no judgment.”

“Nancie doesn’t censor her students as far as what they should or should not be reading,” he said. “You could read whatever you wanted — there was no judgment. One friend of mine who was not really into reading loved Michael Crichton and “ Jurassic Park.” That would have been pooh-poohed in a lot of other places, but for Nancie, it was just reading. It was freedom.”

Atwell, already the winner of two major research awards, was chosen as a finalist from among 5,000 nominations from 127 countries. She expects to hear in February whether she has made the next cut. In March, a final group of 10 will travel to Dubai to attend the Global Teacher Prize Academy, where a winner will be named.

On Friday, a journalist for BBC will visit the school to film Atwell in the classroom and interview her colleagues and students.

If she wins, Atwell said the money would return to the Center for Teaching and Learning to provide more scholarships for students and to buy books.

“ That would be enormously helpful to us in terms of maintaining and upgrading the building, buying the books we need here,” she said. “But the big thing is tuition assistance — to make sure we can continue to keep this rich mix of children who really do represent what’s possible for everybody’s kids.”

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