Millie Butler of Hemingford High School has been named Nspire Today!’s Teacher of the Week, sponsored by TC & More in Scottsbluff.
Butler is the grades K-12 art teacher in Hemingford, and she’s also the sophomore class sponsor.
The person who nominated Butler for TC & More’s Teacher of the Week honor said, “She’s a great teacher. She’s very supportive of everyone. She’s very positive. She’s makes her class a lot of fun.”
Butler is in her sixth year of teaching overall. She taught for two years in Utah before teaching for two years in New Mexico.
She took about a 13-year break from teaching to raise kids. She returned to teaching a couple years ago at Hemingford.
Butler said she loves teaching art.
“I’m very passionate about it,” she said. “It was not my original plan. Originally, I wanted to go into music education, but I wanted to integrate all the subjects. I decided in my first year of college that that was not as easy to do in a music classroom setting. So, I changed my major to elementary education and graduated with that degree [in 2002 from BYU]. In my first two years, I taught elementary education [in Utah]. When we moved to New Mexico, I was hired completely by surprise to teach art at the middle school level. Other than painting with my grandfather at his studio, I had never stepped foot in an art room in high school. But I quickly learned that I love everything that has to do with visual arts. It kind of stems back to a humanities class I took at BYU, where the teacher really intrigued me with art history. So, I found a big passion for not just teaching students the process of art but also helping them see the meaning behind the art and understanding the cultures and the background of the artists so they have a deeper understanding of why it is we create art and how powerful it can be in communicating across cultures.”
Butler said one of the biggest things she stresses to her students is “to persist because sometimes art can be hard.”
She continued, “I want them to recognize that art is a process and even though they may start with a picture in mind, it’s not so much about ending up with that exact product at the end. It’s more about the learning process and developing the skills and finding joy and growth throughout the journey of creating.”
Butler and her husband, Jake, have five children: Caroline, 14; Clayton, 12; Connor, 10; Cooper, 7; and Craig, 5.
Outside of teaching, Millie said she enjoys spending time with her family on their ranch, and she also enjoys experiencing other cultures.
“I like trying out new recipes and visiting museums,” said Miller, who ran a dance studio in Hemingford called “Hemingford Happy Feet Dance Studio” before she resumed teaching.
Millie said she loves the Hemingford community.
“I love how close-knit the community is,” she said. “I love how much they have embraced me as a transplant to the area. I love their support for the arts in all forms and the kindness of the people. I’ve really found a home here. This is where I plan to live out the rest of my life because Hemingford is truly home for me.”
For being named Nspire Today!’s Teacher of the Week, sponsored by TC & More, Butler will receive a $10 gift certificate to TC & More, which is located at 1621 Broadway Ave. in downtown Scottsbluff. Gift certificates may be picked up at TC & More.
TC & More, which is the only business in western Nebraska that sells educational materials, offers a wide selection of classroom decor for area teachers. In addition, TC & More offers home decor, gifts, purses, toys, and so much more. TC & More, which encourages people to “Like” its Facebook page, also provides free gift wrapping and a 10 percent discount for seniors and military personnel.
If you would like to nominate an area teacher for Nspire Today!’s Teacher of the Week honor, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, teachers honored as the Teacher of the Week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865.
