Teacher of year finds joy, challenge in class

Last week, the award was presented at a school assembly where her class formed an honor guard wearing Wal-Mart's trademark yellow happy face around their necks.

Mrs. Hartmann, who describes herself as shy, was overwhelmed by the honor. "I was shocked, excited and honored," she said.

Qualities

The challenge in nominating her, according to Sister Presentation, is that Mrs. Hartmann isn't comfortable in the spotlight.

"She doesn't want attention," explained the principal. "We kept it a secret as long as we could."

Love for teaching

She particularly enjoys teaching religion. "I love teaching the second grade," she said. "I love teaching them about the Eucharist."

Another reason she enjoys teaching at St. Ambrose is that "every teacher is very dedicated. They are talented, and we all help each other out. We have fun together."

Always busy

"In the summers, I look for new ideas," she said. "I want to know how I should change to get better."

Her partner in her quest for new ideas is the other second grade teacher, who happens to be her daughter, Sarah Hartmann.

"We team-teach," Mrs. Hartmann said. "We're always brainstorming. Since she is recently out of college, she has fresh ideas. With the internet, we search for new ideas together."

Challenges

"The children are more worldly," she explained. "They've traveled, so a field trip to the post office isn't very exciting. We've brought museums and others into the school rather than taking field trips."

School is more challenging today than when Mrs. Hartmann first began her career. The higher standards require students to tackle concepts an earlier age. For many children, she said, this isn't a problem. "The kids are very bright," she said. "They want to be challenged."

(06-15-00) [[In-content Ad]]