Among the projects, organizational pockets and long tables with many chairs, the smell of cookies wafts in the air. It’s cooking day in room 1107. For a few students, this is home. This is tender love and care.

Special education teacher Breanne Holbrook was named 2019 Canyon High School Teacher of the Year.

“I did my student teaching here,” Holbrook said. “I did some in the resource science and some in the vocational program. The very next year, I became a paraprofessional and worked under Mr. Fordham for a year as a one-on-one aide for a student. Mr. Fordham retired and I took his position, and I’ve been there ever since.”

Faculty was given an opportunity to nominate a staff member. Nominees with three or more votes were named finalists. Five finalists were named before Holbrook was announced the winner. Holbrook is now eligible for district teacher of the year, where she will have to fill out several forms and participate in interviews.

“I am considered a TLC teacher,” Holbrook said. “Overall, our job is to teach academics based on the kid’s skill level and integrate life skills. We do vocational skills, and we teach them as much as they need to know to be independent as possible for the time they are here.”

Holbrook said her goal both personally and professionally is to help the world realize her students are a part of it, and they need to be included.

“I’ve always strived in the special ed world to educate not only my kids but the people around us about acceptance and inclusion and to always see what our kids can do as opposed to what they can’t do,” Holbrook said. “That’s one thing I love about this campus–they do that. I’ve been told in the past our program is different because we push our kids to be more and do more and want more.”

To further her goal, Holbrook co-created Eagles Included, which involves regular students in the world of special education.

“Eagles Inclusion is not a buddy program per se,” Holbrook said. “We teach the general ed kids to come in and include our kids as true peers, not helpers. We teach them how to be equal, in hopes that Eagles Inc. kids will go amongst the general population and educate their peers on what that is and what that looks like.”

As a candidate for teacher of the year, Holbrook wrote about the highlights of her job as a special education teacher.

“I said my favorite part about teaching is what I learn from my students on a daily basis,” Holbrook said. “They are a community of pure love, acceptance, forgiveness and humility. I feel blessed every day that I get to spend in their presence. My kids are unique to the point that they’ll love you no matter what. They will show up the next day after they’ve had a bad day, and they’re ready to start all over again.”

Holbrook said she strives to be more like her students.

“They are so happy in the simplest, purest things in life,” Holbrook said. “I want to not hold on to so many things and dwell. We try to take a step back and think and be like them. How awesome would it be to wake up new every day and forgive everybody?”

Holbrook said overall, being teacher of the year is a great honor.

“We live in a small part of this giant campus, and to be recognized is amazing,” Holbrook said. “I’m still at a loss for words. There are people here who have been recognized state and nationally and to be recognized among all of those people is hard to explain. I want to make sure people know everything we do down here can’t be done by one person–it’s everybody.”