Miller named BHS teacher of year

BROOKINGS — Scott Miller arrives at Brookings High School long before the first bell rings in the morning.

His reason?

“I’m old, and I get up early,” he says.
But it’s more than that.

“If your door is open, kids magically show up,” he said. “A lot of kids will come in and work, but some come in because they want to have a conversation. If you’re accessible and they know you’re going to be there, they’ll come in and talk, ask questions. As long as you’re accessible and not judgmental, kids will open up and tell you what’s bothering them.”

Miller is also well-known for starting his sociology classes with the same phrase — “What’s new and interesting in the world?” From there, the discussion could go anywhere.

And, often, students taught themselves sociology without being aware that’s what they were doing.
His amiable, curious approach to teaching is part of what earned Miller the 2026 Brookings Teacher of the Year Award.

“Mr. Miller has been a phenomenal teacher and advocate for students at Brookings High School for a long time,” says BHS Principal Zach Thomas. “One of the most impressive things about Scott is that his passion for working with students has never faded. He has a unique ability to build strong relationships with students while also holding them to high expectations.”

Miller says the award is “awesome,” but just as rewarding was the nomination by his BHS colleague Jason Sebern. “He’s an incredible teacher at the high school. When I found out [he nominated me], that made me even happier than when I got the award.”

Miller started teaching in Brookings in 1990 at the alternative high school, where he taught social sciences and math. In 1993, he started teaching economics and sociology at the high school. As student populations fluctuated over the years, he expanded into what he calls “a fun range of subjects.” He now teaches personal finance and AP microeconomics.

Throughout his career, Miller also coached football, wrestling and track — including serving as an assistant coach for varsity football for 30 years and head varsity wrestling coach for 16 years. He spent nine years as the throwing coach for track.

Miller says jokingly that one of his “most impressive” coaching-related accomplishments is teaching driver’s education for 25 summers.

He credits his high school freshman English teacher with inspiring him to become a teacher. “My English and math teachers in high school were incredible; they had a way of hooking you on their subjects,” he says.

After high school, Miller attended USD in Vermilion, S.D., majoring in history education and math. He remembers his student teaching experience in Vermilion as a strong “on the spot” teaching initiation, and he loved it. “It’s an easy profession 90 percent of the time because you can get kids to buy-in to the subject and be curious about it,” he says.

Inspiring the “buy-in” is one of Miller’s main classroom goals. “If you can make kids curious, you can teach them just about anything,” he explains. “I enjoy teaching sociology the most because it’s easy to get kids curious about things going on in the world. You’ve got to get them to want to know a little bit more, to want to learn. Get them to think, ‘How is this going to affect me?’ Show them relevance, and they are going to buy in and learn.”

The main change Miller has seen throughout his career in education is the increased use of technology. His concern is the education system may not require enough critical thinking among students.

“They don’t have to think due to their ability to look things up with technology. I enjoy teaching kids how to do mathematical equations in their head and on paper, and it seems like once they get it down, it builds their confidence,” he says. “We shouldn’t take away their need to think by relying too much on technology.”

He adds that it is important to help students understand that they don’t always need entertainment; it’s good to just spend time thinking. “You learn a lot by being bored in the classroom,” he says.

Even after a long career, Miller is not ready to move on — despite becoming a grandfather just a few weeks ago. “I’m not one of those people who can’t wait to retire. As long as I continue to enjoy it, I’ll keep teaching.”