Susie Maynard was named Arkansas Elementary Art Teacher of the Year for 2023-24, but the White Hall School District instructor is quick to give credit to her coworkers.
“The only thing that sets me apart is that I have the best team,” Maynard said Tuesday. “That’s what makes me so good is the team. We have the best art team.”
The team puts together a district-wide art show every year at the White Hall Community Center featuring drawings, paintings, sculptures and more.
“We try to include every avenue of art,” Maynard said.
Maynard was acknowledged for her award at a WHSD board meeting. Arkansas Art Educators presented the honor to Maynard during the fall semester.
Maynard teaches kindergarten through fifth grades at Moody and Hardin elementaries. She has taught in the WHSD for at least 15 years and also spent a year in the Little Rock School District.
She values giving students a chance to problem-solve and think for themselves.
“I don’t feel like they have enough of that, and art is such a great avenue for them to make their own decisions, to make their mistakes and figure out, how do I solve this mistake?” she said. “How do I turn it into something really cool?”
Before approaching those questions, students do learn the basics from Maynard.
“We teach how to use the paintbrush, how to hold your pencil, how to draw different shapes and how to put it together, and then the student picks it up and carries it from there,” she said.
Other teachers nominated Maynard for the award and the AAE board decided on the winner, she said. Despite such a prestigious honor, she remains humble.
“I don’t think I stand out,” Maynard started, “but I …”
“Yes, she does,” Debbie Jones interjected. Jones is the assistant superintendent for curriculum. “There is creativity that she brings to the table, and it’s also opportunity for students to explore within their art.”
Maynard remarked: “She explains that best.”