Collingswood Native Named Burlington County Teacher of the Year

Sarah Sherman, an English teacher at Rancocas Valley Regional High School, is Burlington County’s 2022-23 Teacher of the Year. The honor comes as no surprise to the students, parents and staff who nominated Sherman as the RVRHS 2021-22 Teacher of the Year. That district-level recognition put her in the running for the county title.

RVRHS Principal Joseph Martin instantly recognized Sherman’s passion for teaching when he assumed his leadership role in 2015 – around the same time Sherman joined RV. He notes, “her energy and pace have only intensified.”

In his county nomination of Sherman, Martin wrote how students appreciate her efforts to offer support and guidance at seemingly “all hours of the day.” Many student nominations also highlighted how Sherman goes above and beyond for students, with senior Joshua Oludoyi remarking how she is “always ready and willing to do more,” despite having two young kids of her own.

In just the past two years, Sherman took on two additional responsibilities – revitalizing and overseeing the school newspaper, The Holly Spirit, and advising a newly formed Black Student Union. According to Martin, she emerged as the leader the district needed during a time that was traumatic and disruptive for the RV community. He says Sherman was not deterred by the global pandemic and periods of political and social unrest. Instead, she felt compelled to further her support of students.

Martin credits the relaunch of The Holly Spirit with “facilitating student voice and extracurricular engagement for so many of our students with diverse backgrounds.” For many RV students, those connections offset some of the drawbacks of remote and hybrid learning.

Under Sherman’s guidance, The Holly Spirit quickly established an online presence and earned a third-place ranking by the Garden State Scholastic Press Association. “Even more rewarding than those awards is how our school newspaper was actually read by staff, students and community members during every week of a very unusual school year,” adds former RVRHS Director of Curriculum and Instruction William Connolly.

Sherman’s own love of journalism coincidentally developed in high school as a contributor to The A-Blast of Annandale (Vir.) High School. At RV, she aims to make The Holly Spirit “a haven where students’ passions from different walks of life are celebrated.” She says students can analyze topics from fantasy novels to football matchups. She also works closely with the News team to prioritize “objectivity and the truth,” as well as the Opinions team to “learn the value of listening to opposing views at a time when social media creates echo chambers.”

In each of her English classes, Sherman teaches many of these same lessons through the study of literature, which requires an examination of the context in which it exists. She says it is important for students to discuss history and identity with their peers who bring different perspectives to the conversation. “In my classroom, I try to promote opportunities for students to investigate their own preconceived notions about the world around them and listen to other students, even those who may challenge them – and me.”

Among her goals as an educator is to prepare students to enter the world and make it a better, kinder place. She says, “Teaching should encourage students to face the world not as a series of hurdles, but as a series of experiences and relationships waiting to unfold.”

Connolly is among Sherman’s colleagues who recognize and appreciate such meaningful goals: “While focused on making sure that her students develop the reading and writing skills they will need for their futures, Mrs. Sherman is earnest in supporting her students’ growth as citizens and human beings.”

Students saw Sherman as a natural choice to help start a Black Student Union last year. They looked to her for assistance to foster important initiatives and opportunities for the enrichment and support of Black students at RV. And, since its launch, the BSU has aimed to broaden participation in conversations and activities that promote understanding, acceptance and equality.

Among the BSU’s greatest contributions to the RV community so far was the Juneteenth celebration, which brought more than 600 attendees together at RV for a truly inclusive event. Beyond recognizing the new federal holiday, Sherman says the BSU’s Juneteenth event exceeded expectations by welcoming all community members for a celebration of “what it means to be an American.” This, she notes, was in line with the organization’s focus to promote tolerance, empathy and open minds – many of those same competencies she fosters in her English classroom.

RVRHS Superintendent Christopher Heilig, Ed.D., says Sherman is an exemplary educator who shares the district’s mission to empower each student with the “knowledge and skills to be a contributing member of the community by providing meaningful curricular and extracurricular experiences.” He notes, “She is the model RV teacher, someone who reflects our core values and shares our priorities to support students’ academic growth, extracurricular and civic involvement and appreciation of individual and cultural diversity.”

Sherman has taught English at RV, grades 9-12, for the past seven years. In the summer, she worked for Teach for America as a lesson plan assistant for new teachers. She has taught expository writing to freshmen college students as a member of the Rutgers University - New Brunswick adjunct faculty.

Sherman holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Mary Washington, a Master of Arts in English and cultural studies from the University of Virginia and a Master of Education in secondary English education from George Washington University.

She resides in Collingswood with her husband, Jacob Schwing, a teacher at Hillside Elementary School (Mt. Laurel), and her two sons, Jacob and Walt.

As Burlington County Teacher of the Year, Sherman is now eligible for New Jersey State Teacher of the Year, which is typically announced in the fall. These honors are all awarded through the Governor’s Educator of the Year program, overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education.