April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.

Teacher of year finds joy, challenge in class


By MAUREEN MCGUINNESS- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Susan Hartmann had a good reason to put on a happy face recently: Wal-Mart in Latham Farms named the second grade teacher at St. Ambrose School in Latham its Teacher of the Year.

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

St. Ambrose principal Sister Mary Presentation McGraw, PBVM, nominated her for the award. "She's very dedicated," the principal said. "She's very fair. She keeps parents informed and does her best."

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

Mrs. Hartmann has been a teacher for 16 years, all but one spent at St. Ambrose. "I wouldn't want to teach anywhere else," she said.

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

While many people think that teachers have an easy schedule since the school day ends in the afternoon, Mrs. Hartmann pointed out that teachers continue to work after the final bell has rung. Teachers must plan their lessons and correct papers. Mrs. Hartmann also spends a lot of time looking for new ideas to keep her lessons fresh.

"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 new learning standards established by the state as well as more sophisticated children have made teaching more demanding, the teacher of the year said.

"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."

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