By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The “Coaches in the Classroom” feature is a weekly series that is designed to spotlight and celebrate coaches throughout Portage County, who spend their days in the classroom leading today’s student-athletes to be tomorrow’s leaders.

Today’s spotlight is on Windham High School’s Lauryn Gintert, who is in her 13th year at the district as an art teacher. She also serves as the Bombers’ volleyball head coach.

• School district: Windham.
• How long have you been employed?: 13 years.
• Classes taught and/or position held?: I am the entire art department for Windham. I teach K-4, 7th and 8th and a variety of high school art classes, including watercolor, makerspace, digital art, ceramics, drawing, painting, illustration and animation, art as a career, mixed media, AP and independent studies.
• What made you want to become an educator?: I enjoyed a variety of different art forms when I was younger and struggled to pick just one field. Art education allowed me an opportunity to explore all of them, as well as share that knowledge with others. I also really enjoyed working with young kids, who respond more enthusiastically to art rather than traditional classrooms. Giving them a place to feel comfortable and seeing the growth of their motivation, even in other classes, is one of the most rewarding elements of my job.
• What is your favorite part of your job?: This year’s graduating class were Kindergartners during my first year at Windham. Getting to see and potentially contribute to their progress as artists, students and athletes from small children to seniors is the absolute pinnacle of being an educator.
• What have you learned about being an educator that you didn’t know before you started?: Many things will happen in your days that have nothing to do with teaching art and you will not anticipate them. The only course of action in those situations is to just dive in and do your best because there is no singular right answer for most things.
• Which teachers influenced you to go into education?: Mrs. Joyce Mudrack, my high school art teacher; Sheri Platt, my high school gym teacher; and Mrs. Pam Iarussi, my high school Government teacher.
• How do you apply some of your coaching into the classroom?: I maintain high expectations for both teaching and coaching. Whether it is on the court or in the classroom, I do not accept less than 100 percent effort when you are on my watch. If we are going to do something, we are going to do it to our full capabilities.
• How do you apply some of your classroom into your coaching?: We might just have the most over-decorated locker room, the best shirt designs and an array of other artistic touches everywhere you look.
• Funniest thing that has ever happened to you in a classroom?: It is probably when we were painting murals around the district, and I thought I could just throw the gallons of paint in the back of my SUV — only later to find that they had tipped over and poured out, covering my entire car.
• Mentors in your building who have helped you along the way?: Amanda Brundage, our STEM teacher. We occasionally team teach and she is always my go-to when I need assistance with a project, advice or if I swallow a bee.