Teacher Spotlight Sponsored by COUNTRY Financial

The OSSAA & COUNTRY Financial are teaming up to recognize the efforts of educators and coaches/advisors who go beyond the call of duty to positively impact the lives of Oklahoma high school students inside and outside of the classroom.

Abby Piha, as Special Education Teacher at Oologah High School, is October’s honoree…

Current teaching role & some history of your teaching career.
I started my teaching career in Garden City, KS in 2011 after graduating from Kansas State University. This is my 15th year teaching and my 6th year at Oologah as a middle school special education teacher. I teach 6th, 7th and 8th grade ELA. Prior to coming to Oologah, I taught English at the Owasso 8th Grade Center for 3 years.
What is the most rewarding part of being a teacher at your school?
I love getting to have a front row seat to watching kids do things they didn’t think they could, and supporting them in those achievements. The Oologah community is a place where students become an extension of your family because we see each other at everything, attend church together, and grow up
together.
What are some ways you continue to motivate your classroom and students?
I try my best to instill the value of pride in their individual progress. It’s not about grades or stickers, but about being the best they can be that day. Hopefully, that’s a little bit better than we were yesterday. And on days when they just don’t have much to give, it’s okay to step back and be human, take a breather and recharge so that we can take steps forward the next day.
Share your best teaching story or memory.
A couple of years ago, I was sitting at my desk while the kids were working. The classroom phone rang, so I leaned back in my chair to answer it. Suddenly, I was doing a full backflip onto the floor – feet in the air, pen and phone flying, and I’m sure some kind of noise out of my mouth. The back of my chair had come completely unscrewed. The room stayed silent for a few seconds, and then I heard a kid say, “Mrs. Piha..uummm… are you okay?” — I burst out laughing and told the kids it was okay, they could laugh too and we all ended up in stitches reliving the moment. One kiddo wrote me a letter at the end of the school year saying, although it was a favorite moment from my class, he hoped I was able to get a new chair for next year!
Who is a mentor that has made a lasting impact on your education or teaching career and why?
I had the pleasure of teaching with Amy Allen, current English teacher at Owasso High School, while we were both at the 8th grade center. Even after more than two decades in teaching, she still comes to work with the zest and energy of a first year teacher. That showed me that if you are here because it’s your passion, you are intentional about your relationships with kids and families, and you block out the political noise as much as you can, that teaching is something that will continue to be both fulfilling and enjoyable for an entire career.
Give an example of how you have best felt supported in your education career.
My current principal, Kelli Dixon, is a very present and intentional listener. When you feel heard and seen like I do as a professional, you have the courage to put your full heart into the kids everyday.
Are you also currently coaching a sport or activity? Yes
High School Coaching (school, sport/activity, level and how long you’ve been there, overall years).
Head High School Volleyball Coach (6 years) and Assistant HS Girls Basketball Coach (2 years)
What is the most rewarding part of being a coach?
The girls become part of our family. My kids look up to and love them. Their parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles are part of the village – and they look out for me and my family the same way I do for them. School ball is so special in that way – you get to be part of a launching pad for so many future professionals, wives, mothers, leaders, etc. There is nothing like it.
Favorite game, meet, memory or moment from coaching so far?
Every year has some really special moments that turn out to be some of my favorites, most of them have to do with something away from the court or the gym. One memory that sticks out in my mind is from my second year as head coach at Garden City High School in Kansas, in 2015. The moment we punched our ticket to state was incredible – The volleyball program had not been to stay in 20 years, and I happen to have a view not only of my team but also the amazing crowd that had traveled three hours to see us play. I could tell in that moment that it meant just as much to them as it did to me and to the girls. That’s an experience and a feeling that I hope everyone gets to live at some point, the moment when something you’ve worked so hard for finally happens and you get to keep doing the thing that you love for just a little bit longer. I tend to think back on that moment at the beginning of most seasons, and say a little prayer that this next team in front of me will get to have some of those same moments together.
What are some ways you continue to motivate your team and build your program?
We try to be very intentional about involving the young people at Oologah – introducing them to volleyball and having fun with us is a big part of that.
During preseason every year, the high school team does a book study. I try to choose a book that will not only have lessons that could apply directly to the season in front of us, but also lessons that will carry them through challenging times as they head out into the world after high school. A lot of times these books are where our season theme comes from. I’m also big into teammates recognizing teammates. It’s about more than just complementing each other, it’s about recognizing each individual’s contribution and respecting the work that they do for our team every day, no matter what that looks like.
What is or was your team’s mindset/motto heading into this year’s season?
This year our volleyball theme is “Own the Work” – we read the book “Chop Wood, Carry Water” at the beginning of the season — and we are focusing on enjoying the process towards mastery, and letting the little wins lead us toward much bigger victories.

Jenny Allen-Price, as Special Education and English Teacher for Purcell High School, is September’s honoree…

Current teaching role & some history of your teaching career.

Special Education and English Teacher and Transitions Coordinator at Purcell High School. Also served as a paraprofessional at Whittier Middle School in Norman, Ok.

What is the most rewarding part of being a teacher at your school?

I really enjoy building relationships with students and watching them grow academically, socially, and in some instances emotionally. A close second is watching students have that lightbulb moment after watching them struggle with a concept. Coupled with my relationship with them as a foundation, the trust that they have in me that they will get to the solution eventually is very sacred to me, and it’s awesome to watch the ah-ha happen in real time.

What are some ways you continue to motivate your classroom and students?

I use my relationships with my students to motivate them. I take pieces of their life, what’s happening in them, or things they want to do later in their lives, and I make an assignment or lesson relatable. Then it’s not just a lesson or an assignment, it’s a connection to life, which makes it mean more and engages students. The more connections they find between a lesson or assignment and their lives the more motivated they are to get it done. And when that fails, they rely on the fact that I wouldn’t steer them wrong, and there’s a good reason that I have them doing the lesson.

Share your best teaching story or memory.

My best teaching memory happened during my first year of teaching. I was a 7th-grade ELA teacher, and we were working on a nonfiction unit about Phineas Gage, discussing the brain. I reached out to the high school biology department for anything related to brains for a hands-on idea I had. The science teacher loaned me a pull-apart brain model and three pig brains. One of the assignments was to have the students do a debate over the different types of brain injuries, but to make it more engaging, I turned the classroom into a convention. I made name tags for each student and told them that everyone there would be referred to as Dr. and their last name. Students were using the text to make arguments and were engaged in several different discussions. The students really enjoyed it, and at the end of the year, many listed it as one of their favorite activities of the year. Several students took selfies with the pig brains, and so did I. It was a great day.

Who is a mentor that has made a lasting impact on your education or teaching career and why?

My biggest mentor has been Claudia Swisher. She was my freshman English teacher in high school, and she has been in my corner throughout my entire adult life. She was one of the main reasons that I stuck with teaching through my rough first year when I doubted myself and my teaching ability. She was a Teacher of the Year many times, a National Teacher of the Year, and for many years she was an NBCT. As an educator, I try to model my teaching after her. She made me feel like I was more than just a student in her classroom, like I mattered to her- which I did. High school was difficult for me, and her class was one of the few that I did well in. I know the impact she had on her students, as many of us have gone on tobecome educators, administrators, politicians, and other people-centered occupations. I try to be theSwisher for my students that she was for me and my peers, both past and present.

Give an example of how you have best felt supported in your education career.

I have been the best supported by my current admin team. They have all made themselves available to staff and teachers to come to them for anything. I am a person who tends to ask a lot of questions because I like to know why and understand context which helps me connect to concepts better. Anytime I stop by their offices they take the time to answer my questions. During my post-observations they give great constructive feedback and ways that I can improve. My future plans are to move into an administrative role and they’ve each shared advice on how I can prepare myself and my perspective towards being more admin-minded. They’ve all been helpful in my professional growth especially in the past two years as I’ve added the additional role of Transition Coordinator to my list.

Donna Deason, a science teacher for Grove Public Schools, was August’s honoree…

Current teaching role & some history of your teaching career.
I currently teach eighth-grade general science and eighth-grade Honors Science. I am starting my 31st year teaching science. I was a graduate of Northeastern State University, where I received an outstanding education and the tools needed for my long and rewarding journey. I have led my students to 19 consecutive years of winning the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair grand champions. Letting the students perform scientific research independently is one of the best gifts I can give my students. I work very diligently trying to research and implement new techniques and strategies to use in the classroom.
What is the most rewarding part of being a teacher at your school?
The most rewarding part of teaching is definitely the student’s laughter and smiles that they bring into the classroom each and every day. I feel I have traveled all around the world through my student’s stories of their vacations. Some of the students have rough home situations, and if I can give them a smile, encouragement, and hope, it feels good. The feeling that “I” am making a difference in some small way is rewarding enough. After 30 years, I can still say I love my job!
What are some ways you continue to motivate your classroom and students?
I work very hard to keep my classroom fun and exciting. Some students are very hard to motivate, and some just don’t like the “rainbows and lollipop” environment, but most of them come around and learn to have a good time while learning new skills. I use a variety of teaching methods to complete a standard. Some are lectures followed by an activity. The students love to get up and move around so we have learning stations to reinforce many standards. Labs are a “rule of them” in my classroom, which the kids
love.
Share your best teaching story or memory.
After 30 years of teaching, I have many stories but a few will never leave. I had a young male about ten years ago. He was very gifted, and wore his feelings on his sleeve. He was also an extremely gifted clarinet player. I remember he came in after school one day in tears because an extracurricular instructor had scolded him for missing that class due to he was at Senior Citizen’s building testing older folks for his science research project. I calmed him down, and then took to our principal to “tell his story”. Everything did eventually work out, and he calmed down. That year he won first at the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair, and first in a competition from the extracurricular activity class competition. He excelled in every aspect of his life. I followed him through college and watched him excel in every activity from leadership to band. He sent me a message one day, out of the blue, of how he tried to model me in every single thing he accomplished in his college days. He said he always said to himself, “What would Mrs. Deason do”? I think this was one of the nicest comments anyone ever gave me. He is now in a graduate program in Minnesota. The moral of this story is that we, as teachers, do make a difference.
Who is a mentor that has made a lasting impact on your education or teaching career and why?
The principal who hired me, Mr. Vic Clouse, is the person who has made the biggest impact on my teaching career. Mr. Clouse was a “down-to-earth” principal who understood teachers having diverse personalities and styles. He would ask every Monday morning, “Anybody need anything?” He meant it. He was very supportive of teachers raising small children and told us to always put family first. He had been a former science teacher in his earlier years, so he was always supportive of our local science fair and
competitive science team. I think what Mr. Clouse taught me was to be fair, consistent, and work hard. My career could have had a different outcome had I not had encouragement in the beginning. Give an example of how you have best felt supported in your education career.
My current principal, Mrs. Mindy Collins, has been the most generous principal I have ever had. She always has the resources to purchase the newest equipment needed to perform the labs and activities in the classroom. Not only is she generous with monetary items, she has always supported our needs if we need in other ways, like needing to put our families first. There is no making us feel guilty, or counting off on evaluations for being absent. She supports a learning environment for all students, and will go out of her way to help teachers achieve this.
Are you also currently coaching a sport or activity? Yes
High School Coaching (school, sport/activity, level, and how long you’ve been there, overall years).
30 years
What is the most rewarding part of being a coach?
I coach a competitive scientific research team. Mentoring students has many advantages, such as getting to know them outside the classroom, watching them shine, or just watching them strive to do their very best. It is awesome to watch them win but just as rewarding to watch them congratulate their teammates for winning. I love building relationships that will last a lifetime. I have many students email me from college thanking me for teaching them scientific research. It makes my heart melt!!
Favorite game, meet, memory or moment from coaching so far?
When our small school took students to the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair in 2002, our students won many of the categories, but little did I know they would recognize a Grand Champion. When they called our little schools name, we all went nuts with pride!! After this team set the example, every year they excelled for 19 years straight. It certainly makes you proud of the students and their hard
work for being recognized.
What are some ways you continue to motivate your team and build your program?
I motivate my academic team by modeling, encouraging, and praising. Kids will respond to a positive environment. My student’s goal is usually to attend the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair held in Stillwater, OK. They are able to stay overnight, tour the college, and meet new students from all over the state. Students learn very quickly the enjoyment to walk across stage and receive awards.
What is or was your team’s mindset/motto heading into this year’s season?
The science research team always has the mindset to practice and do your best. That’s all you can ask. The more they put into their projects, the payback was greater. The students generally have very good positive attitudes and are a joy to teach and compete.