Gayle Brown, department chair for visual arts, has been awarded Smoky Hill High School’s Teacher of the Year award for the 2013-2014 school year along with Adrian Holguin from the math department.

“I’m really overwhelmed,” Brown said. “I’m humbled because I’ve been embarrassed in a good way. I’ve been singled out.”

Brown and Holguin were nominated through a downloadable form found on the school’s website. Any teacher who met the award criteria of being a classroom instructor with 5 years of experience in CCSD who hasn’t received the award before is eligible for the award.

“I’m really lucky to have the students that I do,” Brown said. “They’re in tune with what is going on with Smoky, and I think that had a big part in how I got teacher of the year- they were aware, and they voted for me.”

Brown’s connection to teaching her students goes beyond the visual arts; she also tries to teach her students how to express themselves and become better in social situations as well.

“I love my kids,” Brown said. “At the end of the day I just hope I helped my students become caring individuals.”