Harding Fine Arts Academy Elects Coach Lee Ann Sturm as Teacher of the Year
Harding Fine Arts Academy Foundation is pleased to announce it has selected its first Teacher of the Year, Coach Lee Ann Sturm. Coach Sturm has taught with Harding Fine Arts Academy for six years and currently teaches AP Government, AP US History, AP Human Geography, Honors Geometry and Government. They are also the girlās basketball coach and co-sponsor two student organizations: Spectrum and Black Student Association.
Harding Fine Arts Academy was founded in 2005 by community leader John L. Belt, but until this year it has never honored a teacher through this award. At the start of the spring semester, every teacher nominated someone they thought was deserving of this award. From the nominees, three finalists were selected and voted on again by their colleagues.
āThis school year has been an extraordinary for our teachers. They have worked incredibly hard and risen to the challenge.ā said Vice Principal Tara Houston who oversaw the nomination process. āBecause of this all of our teachers are deserving of this award, but I am pleased to be able to present this to Coach Sturm.ā
To learn more about Coach Sturm and their passion for teaching, read our email interview below. Be sure to congratulate them on social media and share this article!
The Foundation is funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations. Donations to the Teacher Resource Fund can be made in honor of Coach Sturm via online, by phone at (405) 702-6939, or by sending a check to 3333 N Shartel Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73118.
Interview with Coach Sturm
How long have you been a teacher? How long have you been teaching at Harding Fine Arts Academy?
6 years, all at HFAA
What subjects do you teach currently? Do you sponsor any clubs? Coach any teams?
I teach AP Government, AP US History, AP Human Geography, Honors Geometry and Government as well as coach Girls Basketball and co-sponsor two clubs: Spectrum and Black Student Association.
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, got a tour, and was immediately inspired. The mission and vision of the school is something you donāt ever hear about anywhere else. Too often, arts programs are the first 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 than Iāve ever heard of offered in schools, such as guitar and martial arts, 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 is 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.
What do you do differently in your classroom to engage your students?
The most important thing for me to do in my classroom every year is to create a safe environment where students know they can be themselves, ask questions when they need help, and be ok to fall short on assignments, as long as they learn from their shortcomings and be better next time. Building relationships is key to my classroom management, as is providing content that is both relevant and rigorous to their learning career. I always make sure students know I care about them in school and outside of school, too. I also work more on creating lessons that center on student learning through projects and activities, which is much more fun than lectures and tests.
How has your role as a teacher evolved over the years youāve 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. Itās wonderful hearing about those success stories your students have even when you donāt 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.
What advice would you share with people who are interested in becoming teachers?
If teaching is your calling, dive right in and trust yourself. You will find so much fulfillment not through test scores or meetings, but by the lasting relationships you will create with amazing people.
