Marietta Middle School’s LeeAnn Hicks grew up and graduated from high school in
Yukon. She attended college at Oklahoma City University and University of Central
Oklahoma, earning her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from UCO.
During her childhood, Hicks’s parents had a vacation home in Falconhead, and when
they eventually retired there, Hicks followed them to Love County.
She married a Love County boy, James Hicks, and settled into life here. That life has
included a lengthy career in education, the last five of which have been spent teaching
middle school at Marietta – specifically sixth grade language arts.
“Middle school is a good fit for me,” explained Hicks. “I started my career in elementary,
so I understand the big change from elementary to middle school. I feel like I’m good at
taking kids who are new to middle school and helping them learn how to be organized
and keep up with things necessary for eight class changes.
“I love their innocent personalities, how they can be silly and not even care about other
people’s opinions and expectations. They’re just themselves, and if they’re comfortable
with you, they will work for you.”
Middle school is a tough age, and teaching the middle grades isn’t for everyone.
“My students are the best thing about my job!” said Hicks. “I love seeing them get
excited about learning new things, and even more when they see or read something
outside school and make a connection with something that we’ve already learned.
Hicks understands that the transition to middle school is a difficult one not only for
students, but for parents, as well.
“The middle school years are all about becoming independent, and a big part of that is
having a template that repeats weekly so kids and parents know when we’re doing
things, promoting organization,” Hicks said. “I always give my cell phone number out
and I tell parents and kids that I’d rather them call than worry about something. Just like
organization, advocating for yourself is a life skill that everyone needs to learn.”
Hicks also utilizes other messaging apps that help kids and parents make the leap to
middle school.
Like most good teachers, Hicks is concerned not only with what her students are
learning at school, but also about other areas of their lives.
“It worries me because our students are just exhausted. They’re tired when they get
here and tired when they go home,” she said. “I think it’s because they don’t get enough
rest. Maybe it’s because their lives are overscheduled with family, church, and school
activities. But I feel like cell phones are part of it, too, because if they spend too much
time with their electronics, they’re not sleeping like they should.”
Hicks does a weekly check-in every Monday where she asks students specific
questions. Recently, she asked students, “What best describes you today?” and 94
percent answered “tired.” The weekly check-in questions vary, but many are geared
toward keeping a watch on students’ physical and mental health, something that Hicks
knows influences their education.
“LeeAnn Hicks is an incredible sixth grade teacher, one who embodies what it means to
be a true professional, not just in her teaching methods, but in her dedication to her
students’ success and well-being,” said Hicks’s principal, Carrie Tucker. “The impact
she has on her students is immeasurable, and it’s clear she goes above and beyond to
create a positive and engaging learning environment.”
Hicks enjoys teaching in middle school and says she feels blessed to be where she is.
She and her husband James, who is the Chief of Police in Lone Grove, have four grown
children and two grandchildren. When they’re not working, they love spending time with
family.