As a middle school art teacher, Haley Brown suspected nothing unusual about an assembly focused on respectful behavior. Indeed, as she entered the school theater and then got her students settled, she had no idea that district officials, family members, members of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, and other supporters of education were sneaking backstage, getting ready to surprise her.
But as soon as the assembly started it quickly gave way to an entirely different performance. Everyone emerged from backstage and began cheering. Brown, completely taken aback, learned that she had been named the district’s Middle School Teacher of the Year, recognized for the impact she has on her students and the school.
That Brown devotes so much time and energy to helping others is unsurprising. Her father is a retired firefighter, and her mother still teaches and has for over 30 years. When Brown thinks of her journey to Pine View School, she credits her parents for helping set her course toward public education.
“When you grow up in a household that is very service-to-the-public oriented,” Brown said, “it definitely guides your thought process to ask, ‘What can I do to… help my community more?’”
As a child, Brown spent hours in a classroom while her mom prepared lessons, graded papers, and organized. And though Brown didn’t initially plan to teach, “It makes sense that I chose an option for service.”
Brown’s initial plan was to act. She loves theater and while studying it at Florida State University fell in love with set design. After spending five months in London as an undergraduate, she formed a plan: she would move to New York to pursue a career on Broadway.
That plan changed, though, when she attended a week-long conference in New York City with one of her professors. She realized that the Big Apple was not for her.
Brown grew up in Charlotte County and loves Southwest Florida. The allure of a steady job that provided an invaluable service to the community led her to pursue a master’s degree in art education. After earning her degree and completing her internship, she found her dream job.
Brown primarily teaches middle school art but also a class of high school theater. While middle school can be quite a challenge, Brown loves to work with students at such a pivotal point in their lives.
Teaching art provides her with a unique opportunity to help her students grow socially and as risk-takers. As Brown said, “The arts are a space that provides the ability to collaborate in a way that many classes are less equipped for.”
At this middle point between childhood and adolescence, Brown’s students work, talk, brainstorm, provide and take feedback, and help each other. She models and teaches skills that will last long after they graduate.
She also teaches them to be responsible while taking risks. She especially loves teaching paper cutting. The hitch: it involves using X-ACTO knives, not the safest item for middle schoolers. But that’s just what appeals to Brown. She sees the unit as an opportunity to explore the history of an art form while teaching her students how to responsibly use a tool that can produce amazing art—or slice a finger.
Fearing that many kids today aren’t learning risk analysis for themselves, Brown is inspired by educational models that provide students with more freedom and more opportunities to create. “Giving them a bit of space allows them to grow,” said Brown, who laments the loss of classes such as wood and metal shop.
As her students develop their skills and comfort with the knives, by the time they reach eighth grade many can create more intricate patterns and produce three-dimensional art. Her kids who love to build things shine during paper-cutting units.
Now in her fifth year at Pine View, Brown knows she made the right choice when she pursued a career in education. The self-proclaimed cat mom is teaching subjects that she believes make young people “more empathetic” and more willing to take risks and even fail in a high-achieving environment.
Beginning this year, she is also serving as the school’s creative director, one of many ways she supports Pine View outside of her teaching. Like her parents, who have devoted their lives to the service of others, Brown is helping build a stronger, more creative, and more caring community.
About the Education Foundation of Sarasota County
The Education Foundation sponsors the Ignite Education Teacher of the Year Award Celebration in partnership with Sarasota County Schools. For 35 years, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County (EdFoundationSRQ.org) has supported students and teachers because education transforms lives. As a champion for life readiness, the Education Foundation provides personalized, comprehensive resources and relationships so that students can find their purpose and progress intentionally through their K – 12 schooling. Its mission is to enhance the potential of students, promote excellence in teaching, and inspire innovation in education, guided by strategic philanthropy.
This year’s Ignite Education Teacher of the Year Award Celebration will be held at the Venice Community Center on December 13, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Learn more about the events and find tickets here: edfoundationsrq.org/ignite/.
