A Nashville teacher won Tennessee's highest honor by being named Thursday as the state's 2017-18 teacher of the year.



Cicely Woodard, a West End Middle School eighth-grade mathematics teacher, was named the best Tennessee educator over eight other finalists from across the state.

► More:Nashville teacher named one of the best in Tennessee

Woodard has been teaching for 13 years, and the Tennessee Department of Education chose Woodard for her outstanding communication and leadership skills, according to a news release.

"I am fortunate enough to know Cicely and am incredibly proud that we now have an opportunity to honor her as our Tennessee Teacher of the Year," said Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen. "She is a remarkable teacher leader in her school and district, as well as throughout the state."

Woodard's top honors also came thanks to her expertise in helping students grasp challenging mathematics concepts and developing meaningful classroom assessments, the release said.

She is a veteran Metro Schools teacher, having taught at Rose Park Magnet Math and Science Middle and Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School. She also has served as an adjunct instructor at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, from which she holds a master’s degree.

As Tennessee's teacher of the year, Woodard will serve as an ambassador for teachers across the state and share her classroom insight with state leaders.

As well, she and the eight teacher of the year finalists will serve on the Teacher Advisory Council during the 2017-18 school year. The council is a working group of teachers that provide feedback to the state education department.

Reach Jason Gonzales at jagonzales@tennessean.com and on Twitter @ByJasonGonzales.