Perry High School art teacher named Houston County Teacher of the Year

PERRY — Perry High School Visual Arts Instructor Brianna Walker was named Houston County School District’s 2026-2027 Teacher of the Year. 

Walker felt completely shocked after being announced Teacher of the Year.

“To be able to be named district teacher of the year is such a high honor,” she said in an interview. “I’m looking forward to representing Perry High School and the Houston County School District.” 

Walker feels the interview board saw how much passion she has for teaching art as well as a need for an art teacher to be in the limelight. She said fine arts is growing in Georgia and is looking forward to being “a voice for all the fine arts in Houston County”. 

Walker’s fellow art teachers across the district were supportive and overall excited that one of them has been recognized. Now that she’s won, she said she’ll have the opportunity to share the importance of art education. 

“I get to tell people about what happens [in the classroom] and how it’s going to affect the state of Georgia,” she said. 

Walker teaches all levels of art in grades nine through twelve and is in her tenth year of teaching. She was born and raised in Warner Robins and is a product of the Houston County School system. She attended Miller Elementary, Warner Robins Middle and Warner Robins High School. 

Walker’s goals of becoming a teacher became more clear after high school. 

“I received such an amazing education from this school district that when I decided to become a teacher, I knew this is where I wanted to work,” she said. 

Walker followed the path to teaching and graduated with Bachelors in Middle Grades Education from Middle Georgia State University. She initially wanted to become a sixth-grade language arts teacher, but she said something was missing. That missing piece was art. 

“I have always loved art, so I went and got certified to teach art,” she said. “I took some college classes then I landed my job here in Perry.” 

Walker said she has had students venture off in the art space by going to Savannah College of Art and Design. 

Walker said art allows someone to express themselves visually and loves the ability to get her students to think deeper. 

“[Art] gives my students a place, gets them in the building, gets them excited to come to [school] and gives them a purpose,” she said. 

Walker believes teaching high school is more fulfilling for her because she builds relationships with students throughout their time in high school. She said she loves to help those students take the next step, such as getting ready for college and preparing them to get a job. 

“I always tell [my students] you’re a baby bird going to fly [out of] the nest soon, and I like being a part of that journey with them,” she said. 

It’s also not surprising that in her free time, Walker is a practicing artist and loves to crochet. She also loves to compete and has won over 100 awards at the Georgia National Fair. 

Walker has also studied abroad twice in Edinburgh, Scotland. She said her time overseas really impacted her way of teaching, and she fell in love with the artwork there. 

Overall, Walker loves to encourage her students, hoping they can achieve a “light bulb moment”. 

“I love seeing when a student gets a topic or understands what I’m telling them,” she said. Seeing them smile when they come [into my classroom] is why I come to work every day.”