Dawson County Middle School's Media Specialist Kim Dutton is in the school's library and media center each day to help students reach their goals.

"I like helping students. I tell students all the time that my goal is to help you reach yours," she said. "I want to help them learn what they want to learn."

That's why Dutton is Dawson County Middle School's teacher of the year for 2014-15.

A 15-year educator, this is Dutton's fourth year in Dawson County.

"Most of my teaching career was as a middle school English teacher," she said. "I left education for 10 years when my children were small, so when I decided to go back to work, I wanted to do something that would allow me to continue with my love of teaching but also pursue new loves with technology. The media center is the perfect marriage of those."

By working as the media specialist, Dutton said that she gets to work in all of the fields of education she enjoys.

"I can still teach and I get to do all of the things that with literature and books and then add media to that," she said. "The library is no longer four walls. Students are surrounded by information 24/7. My goal is to help them become better users of that information."

And it's because of this outside-reaching view that Dawson County Middle School Principal Mark Merges said the decision was an easy one.

Kim is one of those teachers that is always going above and beyond to support our students and teachers," he said. "She is very technologically savvy and uses her knowledge to help students with current trends to be successful in all aspects of school - especially reading, "

Dutton said that she helps students search out "the best information that they can find in the most efficient manner possible."

"I help students to find the information that they need to be able to do more and take it to the next level," she said. "I can show them where to get the information, but also show them how to use the tools to present it in a new and exciting way that is applicable to their generation."