Beyond the Classroom: Teacher of the Year

Lee Ann Sturm was selected as Harding Fine Arts Academy’s first Teacher of the Year! Coach Sturm has taught at the Academy for six years and currently teaches AP Government, AP US History, AP Human Geography, Honors Geometry and Government as well as being the girls’ basketball coach and co-sponsor for Spectrum and Black Student Association.

At the start of the spring semester, every teacher nominated a colleague they felt was deserving of this award. From the nominees, three finalists were selected and voted on again by their fellow faculty. Read more about Coach Sturm in our interview.

What inspired you to choose teaching as a career? What made you want to teach at Harding?

I always knew teaching was my calling ever since I was a kid in school and had some of the best teachers, elementary through high school. I always wanted to do something to give back to them as a way to say thanks for making my experiences in school great and for shaping me into who I am today. I heard about HFAA through a friend who taught here, received a tour, and was immediately inspired. The mission and vision of the school are things that you don’t hear about elsewhere. Too often, arts programs are the first program cut because of budget shortfalls. But the arts helped shape me growing up and was one of the most important parts of my education journey. So, to hear of a school that was committed to incorporating that into core classes, building up amazing visual and performing arts programs, and offering so many different electives to students – I knew it was something special.

What is your favorite aspect of teaching at Harding?

The students are amazing! We have an incredible group of young leaders that care so much about each other and the communities they are in. We have a student body that i s accepting to all, regardless of background or identities. With my basketball teams over the years, I have been able to see girls walk into the gym for the first time with little to no experience and turn into some of the best teammates and most coachable members of the group. Being able to share my passions and experiences with students in the classroom and in the gym is something of which I am very grateful.

How has your role as a teacher evolved over the years you’ve been in the classroom?

I have been able to make mistakes without fear of retribution, both from admin and my students. I have grown a lot in settling into my teaching styles and evolved my teaching philosophy to always be centered around student needs and outcomes. If I know an assignment, activity, or program would positively benefit our students, I will work to make it happen. Recently, I have worked more on developing new teaching techniques, especially with projected-based and activity-based learning, as well as diving deeper in the Oklahoma A+ Essentials. Being a teacher means being a lifelong learner, so being able to adapt to new content materials and new teaching strategies is important.

What has been your best moment teaching?

I recently had a former student reach out to me saying how thankful they were to be in my Geometry class years ago and how math had never been their best subject but really took a lot away from my class. It’s wonderful hearing about those success stories your students have even when you don’t always see them or know what stuck with them. Just getting to hear from past students and to know you made even a small enough impact means everything to me.