An award pursued by many, but only received by one, the Millbrook High School Teacher of the 2017-2018 school year is Mrs. Dail Midgette. Mrs. Midgette works in the mathematics department, teaching classes such as AP Calculus and Calculus AB/BC. She was given this award, and a great parking spot, on November 1, and she will maintain this recognition throughout the school year.

 The Teacher of the Year award is an annual tradition at Millbrook. Every year, teachers go through the process and are ultimately voted on by their peers. Finally, Principal King would surprise the winner in their classroom, and that is exactly what happened for Mrs. Midgette. On winning the award, Mrs. Midgette said,  “It was very emotional: I love Ms. King a lot, and seeing her come in and realizing what it was for, it made the award extra special to me.”

 Mrs. Midgette was inspired by her mother to begin teaching, who she spent countless nights watching grade papers and write lesson plans. As Mrs. Midgette grew older, she realized that she was gifted in explaining difficult concepts to others, a reason why she teaches some of the hardest classes available. When it comes to what subject she wanted to teach, Mrs. Midgette explained, “Math was my favorite subject, so when I decided to become a teacher, it was my first choice.” Before joining the Millbrook staff, Mrs. Midgette was a teacher at Wakefield High School. However, she was unsatisfied and decided to come to Millbrook, where she joined her close friend, Principal Dana King.

 For the past seven years, Mrs. Midgette has been a popular, and effective, teacher at Millbrook. Those who have taken her class before believe she is one of the best teachers ever. Senior Laura Buddenbaum, who took AP Calculus AB/BC last year, exclaimed, “She is engaging in class and comes up with creative techniques to make learning fun. Her sarcasm is just icing on the cake!” Recently, there has been a massive uptick in students taking Calculus AB/BC, going from nine students in 2010, to 121 in 2017. This is something Mrs. Midgette is extremely proud of, saying, “That’s what continues to inspire me everyday; so many students being brave enough to take the course, even though they know it’s going to be a lot of hard work.”

 Mrs. Midgette is a model teacher and someone who personifies Millbrook pride. She is absolutely deserving of being named the Millbrook Teacher of the Year- and that great parking spot!