Spotlight on: Heather McCutcheon
March 2026 High School Teacher of the Month
The Student Council decides monthly student and teacher awards with a specific category each month. The category for March 2026 was “outstanding performance in the musical” for students and “master of their craft” for teachers.
The Senior Student of the Month awards go to two seniors per month who are nominated and voted on by Student Council members in grades 9-11.
The High School Teacher of the Month award goes to one teacher per month who is nominated and voted on by Student Council members in grades 9-12. All Teachers of the Month become eligible to become Teacher of the Year in June.
The March 2026 Senior Students of the Month are Russel Stapf and Rosie Nietes, and the March 2026 High School Teacher of the Month is Heather McCutcheon, who teaches fine and media arts for grades 8-12.
Below is a Q&A with Heather McCutcheon:
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Q. What sparked your interest in becoming a teacher, and what led you to your subject area?
A. I’ve always had a love for the arts, along with a passion for learning and sharing that enthusiasm with others. From a young age, these interests were very important to me, and I knew early on that I wanted to become an art teacher. After high school, I pursued my passion by attending college for arts and arts education. Since graduating in 2006, I have dedicated nearly 20 years to working as an arts educator.
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Q. What’s a go-to teaching move or strategy that consistently works well for you in the classroom?
A. One go-to teaching strategy that consistently works well for me in the classroom is using open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking and student engagement. I often ask students to explain their ideas, explore multiple solutions or reflect on their creative process.
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Q. How do you reinvent or refresh your lessons to keep students interested over time? (Also: What keeps you passionate about the arts and teaching?)
A. I am constantly learning from other art teachers, workshops, conferences and new ideas I discover online. I believe it’s important to try new approaches myself and to bring those fresh ideas into my work with students.
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Q. Can you share a moment in your career that made you feel especially proud to be a teacher?
A. I often feel proud when students experience an “aha” moment – whether it’s understanding a new technique, learning about an artist or grasping a style. One of the most memorable moments is seeing a student’s face light up when their clay project comes out of the kiln after a glaze firing and it’s finally finished. Those moments of discovery and achievement remind me why I love teaching.
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Q. What guidance would you offer someone entering the teaching profession today?
A. Focus on building strong relationships with your students and creating a supportive, inclusive classroom environment.
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Q. In one sentence, how would you sum up your approach to teaching and learning?
A. My approach to teaching and learning is centered on inspiring curiosity, fostering creativity and creating a supportive environment where students feel empowered to explore and grow.
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Q. What’s something about you – inside or outside the classroom – that students might not expect?
A. Something students might not expect about me is that I love going to camp at Hinckley Lake, where there’s no internet or cell service, and I enjoy disconnecting from technology to recharge and find inspiration in nature.