2014 Teacher of the Year
Peter L. Markes, 2014 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year
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Teaching Philosophy
“Community, Passion, and Relevance: CPR is in order to revive what is so good about education in Oklahoma. Our community, especially our parents, must be engaged for the reinforcing support necessary to educate a child. We must instill in the students the same passion for learning that we have as teachers, with hopes that the students will go home and ignite that same passion in their parents. Finally, we must help the students understand that what they are learning is relevant to both their current world and the world that we are all planning for in our future.”
Short Bio
Peter Markes is currently in his twelfth year as director of orchestras at Edmond North High School. In that time, the orchestra has received the state sweepstakes award nine consecutive years, with the medal of distinction the past five years. The Edmond North Orchestra was selected by the Oklahoma Music Educators Association as the 2008 and 2012 High School Honor Orchestra to perform at the state conference. Most recently, the orchestra was invited to perform at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago. In addition to his work in the Edmond Public Schools, Mr. Markes is the conductor for the Oklahoma Youth Philharmonic.
Mr. Markes is a graduate of Oklahoma City University where he earned his bachelor degree in music education with emphasis in violin and guitar. As a lifelong classically and folk trained violinist and hobby guitarist, he has had the chance to perform with musical partner, Kyle Dillingham in over twenty countries on five continents, and Mr. Markes can still be seen performing with Dillingham as part of the band, Horseshoe Road. The band was recently selected as one of ten performing ensembles to represent the U.S. State Department in the American Music Abroad program and toured Korea, Taiwan, Burma, and Russia for five weeks in the spring of 2013.
Mr. Markes was recently selected as the 2014 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. In 2009, he was selected by School Band and Orchestra magazine as one of the nation’s “50 Directors Who Make a Difference.” In 2007, he was selected as the Cheyenne Middle School Teacher of the Year and was also a finalist for the district Teacher of the Year. In the same year, he was awarded a Governor’s Commendation from Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, and he has been honored three times by former students as their Teacher of Honor at the Oklahoma Academic All-State Celebration of Excellence. Mr. Markes serves as president for the North Central Honor Orchestra, vice-president for the OK-ASTA chapter, has twice served as the Oklahoma Music Educators Association All-State Honor Orchestra chair, and has served on the OSSAA Music Advisory Board. His additional professional memberships include the National Education Association, the Oklahoma City Orchestra League, and the Pi Kappa Lambda honor music fraternity.
Mr. Markes resides in Oklahoma City with his wife, Kris, and their sons, Patrick and Vincent.
