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Stillwater’s Kevin Zamborsky – Teacher of the Month Presented by Simmons Bank

 

 

Kevin Zamborsky started his teaching career in Virginia before making his way to Oklahoma. Since coming to Oklahoma, Zamborsky has taught in the Stillwater Public School system. 

“I have been the Director of Bands in Stillwater for 15 years,” said Zamborsjy. “I teach the Stillwater High School Pioneer Marching Band and Wind Ensemble, and at Stillwater Middle School I teach the 7th grade brass and beginning high brass classes. I also teach AP Music Theory and Music Composition and Arranging at the high school.”

Serving as band director, Zamborsky has the opportunity to work with musician at every level. 

“As a band director, I have the great fortune of working with our band students over the course of seven years. The most rewarding aspect of teaching for me is seeing these young men and women grow and develop into outstanding adults. I know that most of my students will not go on to pursue a career in music, so for me, band just creates the opportunity to help guide these students to being better people. I love visiting with our alumni and hearing how they are doing as adults,” Zamborsky said. 

As an educator, Zamborsky wants to inspire his students in the same manner he was inspired by his former band directors. 

“I was greatly influenced by three amazing band directors. My high school director, John Baker (Parkway West High School in St. Louis) created great opportunities for our band program and helped me understand how powerful music can be. At Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, I had the privilege of learning from John Paynter, who is a legend in the band directing world. He was only the second Director of Bands in the history of Northwestern University and taught there for almost 50 years. He was a great example of perseverance and developing strong personal relationships with students and their families. Also, at Northwestern and later in graduate school at Ithaca College, Dr. Stephen Peterson helped keep me on the path to being an educator at a time when I was doubting myself. He saw something in me that I couldn’t at the time, and for that I’ll always be grateful,” said Zamborsky. 

Band Directors, like other teachers, face challenges in and out of the classroom. Zamborsky works to overcome these challenges with help from other educators and parents. 

“I think the biggest issue is all of the responsibilities that need to be covered outside of the classroom. Fund raising and financial aspects, meetings, unfunded requirements from the state, and other activities like these are what drive teachers out of the profession. People do not become teachers because they want to attend meetings, they become teachers because they want to work with their students and help them. These extra activities take time away from our ability to interact with our students,” said Zamborsky. “I work with an amazing team of teachers, and we support each other in all aspects of our jobs as well as in our lives outside of work. I can’t say enough about the great people I work with. Additionally, I have a fantastic group of band parents who are always ready and willing to help out with anything we need to keep the band program moving forward.”

In his free time Zamborsky enjoys spending time with family. 

“I am a big fan of Star Wars and LEGO, so I have a collection of LEGO Star Wars sets that I enjoy building and rebuilding from time to time. I also enjoy watching movies, playing games, and working on puzzles with my family.” 

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