Amy Smart, Big Sky High School’s choir teacher, was recently recognized as teacher of the month.
Smart brings years of experience and energy into her classroom. She has been in the teaching industry since 1999, but just started working at Big Sky this past year. Singing has always been a part of Smart’s life, from her high school experience in Minnesota, to college. She knew early on she wanted it to become a part of her daily routine.
Before she worked at Big Sky, she worked with our now theater teacher Melissa Briner at one of our local middle schools here, CS Porter, helping her through the start of her career. Smart believes musical theater and choir have the same effect as team sports because they involve a lot of teamwork and encouragement from students.
“It’s fun, but also pads their GPA and could help students for their future,” Smart said.
Smart’s teaching style mainly focuses on flexibility and connection. She adapts to her students’ needs and makes sure to create an environment where they feel comfortable. She emphasizes that choir can be intimidating at first for new students and even older students which is why creating a supportive environment is one of her top priorities.
According to some of her students and seeing the atmosphere of the most recent musical theater production, Grease, Smart’s classroom stands out because of the positive atmosphere she creates through humor, encouragement, and strong relationships. She helps students feel more confident and willing to participate.
“Singing is an uncomfortable thing, especially in front of other people,” Smart said. “Most students don’t start off super confident in themselves, you have to gain confidence.”
One of Smart’s favorite things about teaching now is simply laughing and making jokes while building closer connections and relationships with the students. For her, teaching music isn’t just about performances, it’s about creating a space where students can grow and express themselves in a way that makes them feel happy.
Big Sky’s assistant principal and activities director Jack Young, sends out a Google Form to all of the staff at Big Sky, and their votes then determine who the teacher of the month is. Smart’s impact on the school’s community and her students is ultimately what earned her the role of teacher of the month.
