Fraser teacher named ‘Michigan Art Educator of the Year’

FRASER — Fraser Public Schools is celebrating Fraser High School art teacher Roger Drabant, who has been recognized as the Michigan Art Education Association High School Division Art Teacher of the Year and the Michigan Art Educator of the Year.

Each year, the association recognizes art teachers from the Elementary, Middle and High School divisions, as well as an overall Art Educator of the Year. To be considered for the award, a teacher must be a member of the MAEA and be nominated by a fellow member.

“I am honored that I was selected to represent the Michigan Art Education Association as this year’s High School Division Art Teacher of the Year, considering those who were also nominated,” said Drabant. “I know how hard teachers in general work, including art teachers especially, since they have to deal with a lot of budget issues and others not always seeing the importance of art or the value of art. I credit the company I keep for being named and singled out.”

There are over 700 art teachers in Michigan who are members of the organization. Drabant is the Region 6 co-liaison, the K-12 show chair and the ethnicity, diversity and inclusion co-chair. He has presented at every state conference for the past 10 years and has served on several conference committees, including co-chairing the 2019 conference in Port Huron.

“This recognition is well deserved,” Fraser Superintendent Dr. Carrie Wozniak said in an email. “Mr. Drabant encourages our students to continually improve their art and find new ways to express themselves through different mediums. He works tirelessly to celebrate our students’ successes and seek out avenues to showcase our student artists.”

The committee also looks at involvement at the national level through the National Art Education Association, regional and national awards earned by students, and letters of support. This year, there were a dozen nominations from the High School Division.

“I have been teaching for 28 years. I teach the foundations classes, sculpture classes and photography classes,” said Drabant. “I have taught every class in the last 28 years, but those are the three I teach right now. It’s a great experience even after all of these years. … I have served in a variety of roles, including department chair. I am still active with the department. I believe they have a hand in this award, because this is not a solo accomplishment.”

Once the three division-level teachers of the year are selected, the committee brings in past state Art Educator of the Year awardees to vet the three finalists and help select the one teacher who will represent the state organization at the national-level conference as the MAEA Art Educator of the Year. This year’s conference will take place in San Antonio in April.

“The awards ceremony at the state level is in Grand Rapids in November, and that is where I will be receiving my award,” Drabant said. “In April, I will be down at the national convention in San Antonio. I am in contention for Art Educator of the Year for the whole country there along with the selectees from every other state.”

He said his key for being a good art teacher was pushing his students to do their best and expand their horizons while allowing them to work on the projects they were passionate about.

“I think the biggest thing I strive to do is give students their own personal voice,” said Drabant. “Not all art needs to be pretty, but it all needs to be poignant and relevant to the person creating it. I very seldom give an assignment where I tell them exactly what they need to do. I want them to do their own personal creating.”

He credited his wife, Paige, for helping him be the educator he always wanted to be. He also wanted to give credit to MAEA for helping support art teachers like him.

“She (Paige) is and always will be my rock and my sounding board. She pushes me as hard as I push my students,” Drabant said. “And (the MAEA) is an amazing organization that has helped me through a number of periods of my life and career. They are a great support system.

“This is a huge honor and privilege, and I look forward to accepting the award at the annual fall conference in November,” he added. “To be considered for any state-level award is an honor; to be selected for both the High School Division Art Teacher of the Year and the Michigan Art Educator of the Year is humbling, to say the least.”