Marquette Teacher of the Year

NAME: Jamie Stoermer
SCHOOL: Marquette Catholic School
GRADE(S): Grades 6-8
SUBJECT: Social Studies
LENGTH OF SERVICE: 19th year teaching, 12th year at Marquette

 
What made you decide to start teaching?

I was actually a Pre-Med major when I started at the University of Oklahoma.  While in school, I went to visit one of my best girl friends in Dallas for the weekend.  She had volunteered to teach a 2nd grade Sunday School class at her local parish.  I went along to help her that weekend, and when I heard their young voices reciting the "Our Father," something just hit me.  I went back to Norman and the feelings from my experience that weekend stuck with me.  I spent time in prayer and just felt that God's voice was calling me to the vocation of teaching.  

What kind of transformation have you seen in kids from the first day of school to the last day?

I love the opportunity of teaching my students for three years.  It truly allows us the
opportunity to cultivate our relationships with the students, and support them in their spiritual and academic growth.  The transformation for students through middle school is amazing!  And it is always such a blessing to send them off to high school and see them blossom into individual young adults who know their minds, hearts, and goals.  I am so blessed to continue to witness this growth and transformation once they're in high school.  My husband, Adam Stoermer, is one of the Youth Ministers at Christ the King.  The opportunities afforded through this vocation have allowed me to reconnect through Mission Trips and Small Groups with students even after they've graduated from Marquette.  I love that the connections we've made through the years are bigger and stronger than just 9 months teaching Geography!

Describe the importance of a prayer life in relation to teaching.

I am a teacher, but I am also a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a human.  Sometimes, as for all of us, life is overwhelming.  Without a strong prayer life, without a strong relationship with Jesus it would be difficult to give my all every day.  Prayer restores me and allows me to thrive so that I can give my best to my students.  It allows me to continue to move forward with renewed faith even on the hardest days and in tough situations.

Why do you enjoy teaching at a Catholic school?

Growing up I attended Catholic schools for much of my education, but my first teaching opportunities were in public schools.  And while there is much to be grateful for with the experiences I gained teaching in these schools, I was so excited for the opportunity to return to Tulsa and join the Marquette community.  I will never forget how freeing it was to know that I could openly speak about God and His works in my classroom.  I will never forget the joy and gratitude I felt while participating in the sacrament of the Eucharist with my students and as a part of my school day.  It is an amazing blessing to be able to live my faith fully everyday and in all aspects of my life.  I am always thankful for the gift of the opportunity to model my faith for my students.

How do you cultivate positive relationships with your students and create a sense of class community?

Marquette and Christ the King are an amazing community.  Not only am I blessed to teach in this community, I am blessed to raise my three girls in this community!  Before I even have the students in my class, I often know the students, their siblings, their parents.  I've had an opportunity to get to know the students and their interests and it allows that rapport to build before they enter my classroom.  Once we're in the classroom together, I try to establish routine and structure so that they feel comfortable with the academic expectations, and then from there foster a community where the students will engage and participate with each other and with our content.


CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO THE SFOA TUITION ASSISTANCE TRUST IN HONOR OF JAMIE STOERMER. DONATE HERE TODAY.