Monte Cassino Teacher of the Year

NAME: Joanne Pearson
SCHOOL: Monte Cassino Elementary School
GRADE(S): 1st thru 4th grade
SUBJECT: Music
LENGTH OF SERVICE: 43 YEARS: 37 years at Monte Cassino (plus 6 years at Ator ES in Owasso)

What is your favorite part about teaching?
I am so blessed to teach music to elementary school students. Their excitement and joy permeates the classroom, especially when they sing! When we perform onstage, we are creating memories that will last a lifetime for not only the students themselves but also their parents and grandparents. How wonderful is that!

Describe how you felt the first day you ever taught a class.

My first year to teach was back in 1978. I was fresh out of OU and teaching at Ator Elementary School in Owasso. I was so scared but lucky to have teachers and staff there to cheer me on. I believe sincerely that having the support of your peers is a key to success.

How do you connect your lesson plans to the real world?

Everything we do in music has a story. How was it written, who wrote it and why. One of my favorite subjects that I cover is the life and songs of Oklahoma’s own Woody Guthrie. His music was a reflection of the times that he lived, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the migration of those Dust Bowl refugees to California. He believed that we should help our fellow man and how better to lift up one another than with a song! Catholic social justice tells us the same; loving our neighbor in the best way we know how is vital to the strength of our community. Woody did that through his music!

How do you keep your students engaged and motivated?

It is so easy to keep students motivated in music! We sing, play drums, handbells, recorders, hear stories about musicians and the music they wrote; but most importantly, we ALWAYS find something to laugh about! To me, laughter is the key. If a child feels loved and can experience joy, they will feel that they are in a safe, non-judgmental environment. That is the atmosphere that I strive to create in my classroom.

What could parents do to help support you in your job?

I could not find a better parent support system than at Monte Cassino! Their attendance at our programs is a great affirmation for what we do. Years ago, I was fortunate to start working with one of our parents, Gail Algeo, a gifted ballerina and dance instructor. She came onboard to help me with my musical productions. Gail’s choreography is legendary among the MC students. To this day, our former students remember not only the words to the songs but the movements that she taught them years ago. What great memories for our students!

By the end of the current school year, Ms. Pearson will have been teaching 44 years, and plans to retire. 

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