CONWAY — Sherry Holder of Conway said it was “very humbling” to be one of two Arkansas winners of the National History Day Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award, but it was “a shock” to be a national winner.
She’s also $10,000 richer.
Holder, who teaches Pre-AP history at Conway Junior High School, received a $500 award for the state honor, which was given to one high-school teacher and one middle-school teacher in all 50 states.
Two national awards were announced June 18 during the National History Day convention at the University of Maryland at College Park. Holder won for the junior division, and she said a teacher from the District of Columbia won the senior division.
“Going from a state to nationals with teacher nominations from all over the United States is like going from a wading pool into an ocean,” Holder said. “I was thoroughly shocked, but absolutely delighted; everybody was so nice about it.
“This was just a real surprise. Right after I received the award, our delegation starting texting administrators. I started getting a flood of texts from everybody back here. That was the best part of the whole thing, I think.”
“Our district and our students are blessed to have teachers like Sherry Holder,” Conway School District Superintendent Greg Murry said. “It is good that those at the national level have now recognized what we all have known for a long time — that Sherry is a great teacher who is making a difference in the lives of her students.”
Holder has participated in National History Day since 2000 and has had students win state and national honors. She said about a dozen Conway students competed this year at the national convention, and one student made it to the final round, which is impressive, she said.
Holder said the junior division competed a week ago on Monday, and she watched as many of the presentations as possible.
When the students aren’t presenting History Day projects, “we’re out touring, like crazy, to make sure the kids see as much as they can,” she said.
Holder taught in Ohio and West Virginia before moving with her husband, Barry, to Arkansas in 1987. She taught in the Conway County School District for a couple of years before being hired in the Conway School District in 1990.
Holder taught at Carl Stuart Middle School and has been at the junior high school the past three years, where she is chairwoman of the history department.
Conway Junior High School Principal Todd Edwards called Holder the “epitome of a great teacher. She is passionate about students and curriculum.” He said she
engages students in learning and instills in them an appreciation for history.
Holder said her father, World War II veteran Glendon Farmer of Conway, inspired her love of history.
She said there is paperwork to take care of before she has the $10,000 check in hand, but she plans to “invest it.”
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.