BTHS Teacher Named Brick’s ‘Teacher of the Year’

Meredith Hudson

A digital photography teacher at Brick Township High School has been named the district’s Teacher of the Year, school officials announced Monday.

Meredith Hudson, who is also active in the youth arts community on a volunteer basis outside of school, was chosen for her dedication to her profession and style of teaching, officials said.

“She measures student success, not only by the finished piece, but more importantly, how they are able to engage with one another constructively and verbalize how they got to the final product during the creation process,” said Brick Township High School Principal, William Kleissler. “Ms. Hudson provides a safe environment where independence and creativity is fostered.”

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The foundation for her educational philosophy is built heavily upon the idea of critique and self-reflection, district officials said. For artists, the collaborative critique process helps them “cultivate the purpose of their hard work and strengthen their creative process.” This unique creativity and educational philosophy has resonated with Hudson.

Assistant Principals Dana Triantafillos and Erin Biancella both agreed that students who enter Hudson’s room are taught the value of patience and the importance of hard work, another factor in her being named Teacher of the Year. Her classroom is modeled around the collaborative-critique concept, and Hudson aims to provide students with the ability to see the purpose in what they are doing every day. 

In addition, this past school year, Hudson used her creative talents to work with students and staff to build the Brick Township High School Store in Cafeteria 3. She transformed the space to “embody the amazing spirit of the school itself,” officials said in the announcement. The outdated space was renovated into a bright, fully operational store “filled with excited teenagers [who] want to purchase gear to represent their school.”

Out of the classroom, Hudson contributes to the Brick Township community through her involvement with the Ocean County Teen Arts Program, coaching the Brick Township High School swim team, advising the Class of 2019 and the Art Club. She has also created a unique online collaborative space for art teachers called refrigeratorgood.com.