By Renae Elsaesser, Staff Writer
At the beginning of the school year, River Hill welcomed Mrs.Sharbaugh into their school community and she was greeted with open arms. Now, over halfway through the school year, she is becoming more comfortable in her new environment.
After teaching at Bonnie Branch Middle School for 20 years, Mrs. Sharbaugh wanted a change. Now, she teaches River Hill High School students in the Independent Research class and Intern-Mentor program. In these courses, students chose an area of interest to extensively research throughout the year. Students write research papers, form professional relationships, collect data, and create a final product to create change.
“I wanted to challenge myself – have no regrets – before retirement. I have always been interested in teaching high school and now that I’m here, there is no going back,” Mrs. Sharbaugh shares.
After years of teaching GT research at River Hill, Mrs. Sasser, Mrs. Sharbaugh’s predecessor, retired from her position. She finished the 2020-2021 school year off strong and said her goodbyes to the school staff and students. After spending endless amounts of time and effort into perfecting the research program, Mrs. Sasser was dedicated to keep the class running smoothly.
Once Mrs. Sharbaugh was hired as the new GT research teacher, Mrs. Sasser served as a mentor and helped Mrs. Sharbaugh adjust to the high school program. Mrs. Sharbaugh explains how Mrs. Sasser “continuously inspires me with her wisdom, humor, and years of experience, generously giving her time whenever needed.”
Mrs. Sharbaugh’s transition into teaching GT research at the high school level required a lot of time and dedication. “I put in many, many hours outside of the school day to master the high school research program and make sure I am serving my students well, but I know the hard work outside of school will pay off next school year when I’m in more of a groove,” Mrs. Sharbaugh exclaims.
Mrs. Sharbaugh credits the part-time Independent Research teacher, Ms. Bakhru, for her assistance, remarking that “collaborating with her to plan instruction has been essential in keeping our program going strong!”
Tisha Patel, a senior who has been a part of the research program for three years, is pleased to have Mrs. Sharbaugh as her teacher. “Mrs. Sharbaugh is the type of teacher who truly cares about her students. She listens to her students and always provides them with help whenever they need guidance,” she claims.
Similarly, Mrs. Sharbaugh is amazed by the capabilities of her students, and so far she has had a great experience at River Hill.
“My experience at River Hill is exceeding any expectations I had before setting foot in the building. The students are extraordinarily talented, and I am learning so much from them,” Mrs. Sharbaugh says.
Alyssa Cuyun, a first year student in the IR/IM program, explained, “I am very happy with how my mentorship is going and the many advantages the class offers. The workload and expectations of the class have thoroughly prepared me for rigorous courses on a collegiate level.”
Mrs. Sharbaugh also feels welcomed by the River Hill staff, proclaiming, “Whenever I have needed help, whether it is figuring out where the laminating machine is or how to best help my seniors as they navigated college apps, not one staff member has even hesitated to take the time to talk with me. I am so thankful to be part of the RHHS family.”
The pandemic influenced the structure of the class; there were limited opportunities at times due to the necessary precautions.
“My goal for next school year is to improve the quality of the “big moments” for our researchers: presentations, as many in-person internships as possible, maybe a field trip to a university library, etc. Our research students work so hard, and providing them with meaningful outlets to share their work is essential,” Mrs. Sharbaugh shares.
Students feel that the future of the GT research program is in good hands with Mrs. Sharbaugh.
As Tisha says,“Mrs. Sharbaugh is the type of teacher who is not afraid to let you fail to help you succeed another day.”