Felicitations of the highest order go to Smithtown art teacher, Tim Needles. The Smithtown High School East Art educator has been selected as the recipient of the National Art Education Association’s 2016 AET Outstanding Teaching Award. Art education colleague, Rebecca Mir of the Guggenheim Museum nominated Tim Needles for this prestigious award. After rigorous vetting, Needles was chosen for the prestigious honor for his contributions to the field, such as merging art and technology through Digital Media.
About the Award
This award honors an art educator/teacher who applies exceptional instructional applications in K-12 classrooms, museum education, higher education, or alternative settings. An outstanding art educator/teacher honored is also recognized by students, colleagues and/or supervisors as someone who consistently inspires and mentors students in a cooperative, collegial, collaborative and nurturing manner or who has made a special effort to apply innovative pedagogy and technology integration into art teaching.
Mr. Needles will receive his award in March during the NAEA National Conference in Chicago. The innovative work he has contributed to the art and digital media classes in Smithtown Central School District will be showcased at the conference.