Local History and Math Teacher Wins the 2015 National Teacher of Year Award

Setting where is the ceremony taking place?  Albuquerque transplant Sharon Mariko Ehrhart wins the 2015 National Teacher of the Year award.  Ms. Ehrhart has taught for the last five years at Jimmy Carter Middle School here in Albuquerque.  She has a B.A. in History from the University of California, Riverside and M.A. in History from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.  Ms. Ehrhart, started her early work in education, working in museum education departments across the country.  She worked at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN, the University Museum in Las Cruces, NM and History San Jose in San Jose, CA.  Working with museum and education she felt she could reach others She credits her parents for fostering her interest in history when they took her family on a six week car trip across the country and during that time she experienced exposure the nation’s history though historic places and the nation’s natural beauty through visiting many National Parks and their undying support of her dreams.  Ms. Ehrhart’s dream became to share her view of history with the world.   

Ms. Ehrhart also teaches math (basic to pre-algebra).  She told me while grow up that she struggled in her math classes and that she work with the concepts until she knew it forwards and backwards.  Her parents would sit it her every night and go over the concepts that she was struggling with.  She said, “Her parents worked with constantly to help strengthened her basic skills because they knew without a foundation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) she would continue to struggle in her classes.  She wants to help students with their math skills the ways she was.  It is all about knowing the basics and being able to apply them correctly.”  The following quotes are from her students, parents of students, and fellow teachers and administration.

Students: Jimmy tells me, “I enjoy that she takes us museums related to New Mexico that we are learning in class.  She really takes the time to listen us.”  Another student, Chris said “I really enjoy the hands on activities in her math class.

Parents:  Samantha mother tells me, “My daughter comes home excited about what she has learned in class and always talking about a new fact that she learned in class.  I enjoy going on the field trips especially to the museum about New Mexico history.  The field trips allow the student to experience history outside the classroom.  Ms. Ehrhart brings history alive for her students.”  Jimmy father says “My son responds well to hands on activities she uses with her math assignments.  He responds well to those types of activities because he is able to see the picture. 

Fellow Teachers/administrators:  The principle at Jimmy Carter Middle addressed how Ms. Erhart’s studies during her schooling influence her teaching by the way she makes connections between the past and present, but also what is going on at the same time in other parts of the world.  She attempts to be a democratic as possible with her principle and classroom management.  She does a great job of getting her parents involved in her classroom, which keeps open line of communication between the teacher, students, and parents.  A fellow teacher of Ms. Ehrhart said, “I like her how she is able to integrates the museum experience into her classroom.”  

She says “without the support of her parents she would not have done as well as she did in school.”   Here is her shout of to her parents, “Thank you mom and dad for everything.”  As you can see from the above comments that Ms. Ehrhart is well liked by her students and their parents and is well respected by her fellow educators and administrators.  She says, “it is important to know history because it helps to gain an understanding into current political and economic issues and hopefully will help prevent actions like Japanese American Internment and Black codes from happening again.”  Another important point she is to understand the basic for math, so students have a foundation for the future.  I hope we have Ms. Ehrhart working the Albuquerque School District or elsewhere in New Mexico for years to come.  When Ms. Ehrhart retires told me when she retires from teaching that she hopes to apply her teaching skills to working in museums especially museum education to create programs that are set to their state’s curriculum standards and benchmarks.