Broken Arrow Public Schools teacher Lesa Dickson selected as State Teacher of the Year finalist
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe Oklahoma State Department of Education named Broken Arrow High School English teacher Lesa Dickson as one of 12 finalists in the search for the 2021 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.
“Lesa is an incredibly innovative and contagiously energetic teacher,” Broken Arrow High School Principal Crystal Barber said. “She engages her students with rigorous and relevant content and is intentional about building relationships with her students.”
After an intensive evaluation and interview process, Dickson was named Broken Arrow Public Schools’ 2020 District Teacher of the Year in April. Then, the State Department of Education’s regional selection committees reviewed Teacher of the Year portfolios for those selected across the state and selected 12 finalists with two finalists from each region.
Dickson has been with Broken Arrow Public Schools for 28 years and currently teaches AP English and Comp I and Comp II for students who want to gain college credit.
“My number one goal is to educate my students, to provide them with the necessary skills to become confident, intelligent, productive citizens and to appreciate the value of learning,” Dickson said. “Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. I have no doubt that all students can learn, but it is the ability to motivate students that separates the mediocre teacher from the outstanding teacher.”
Dickson will represent Broken Arrow Public Schools at the 2021 Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year ceremony this February.
“There is no better representative for public education in Oklahoma than our very own Ms. Dickson,” Broken Arrow Superintendent Dr. Janet Vinson said. “Her intelligence and passion for teaching is contagious to those around her. She truly understands that students learn in different ways and at different rates, yet she remains successful in reaching each and every individual who walks into her classroom. She provides a bridge for every student to have access to college credit and really encourages those that they can and will succeed in college level courses. She supports them every step of the way, and we are incredibly lucky that she is part of our Broken Arrow family.”