Cynthia Gaub, the state’s Art Educator of the Year, connects with students for class. Here, Gaub (standing) chats with a student in her classroom in October.
courtesy Everett School District
EVERETT — For North Middle School art teacher Cynthia Gaub, being recognized for your hard work in your career is something she has always strived for.
This year, Gaub was named the Washington Art Educator of the Year due to her contributions in education within fine arts.
“I think the reason why I won is due to my leadership roles within the state and national association, including being on the board of
directors and presenting at conferences,” Gaub said in a one-on-one interview.
When asked about her teaching style, Gaub said that “I have a Pedagogy teaching style, which is where students are given more freedom and choice to create their art.”
When observing Gaub’s class, you can see this teaching style being implemented. She allows students to talk amongst themselves during work time, while also keeping them engaged with
presentations and video tutorials on different art techniques. Every student is encouraged to ask for advice and feedback on art projects during class.
While observing her classroom, the students are captivated during Gaub’s lecture on various art styles, and her way of explaining the material seemed to capture the students’ attention.
Her focus while teaching is to give each student the support and guidance they need to be successful in the classroom, she said.
Gaub has also implemented a reward system for her students where they earn tickets through hard work and are allowed to put them in a raffle for prizes on Fridays.
Gaub began her career teaching in the Edmonds School District for a few years, where she taught drama, art and English classes. Gaub began teaching at North Middle School where she has taught for the past 18 years.
Gaub isn’t new to these kinds of accolades: previously she has also won the Washington State Middle School award and in 2019 was named the Pacific Region Middle School Art Educator of the Year by the National Art Education Association.
The Washington Art Education Association uses criteria to honor outstanding art educators and art supporters in the state. One of these is having a proven track record of accomplished teaching.
