• Honor places in list of 10 national finalists

Over three decades of teaching backed by educational degrees, honors and specific studies all designed around improving student achievement has brought a top honor to Star Valley High School history teacher Sharolyn Stauffer.

Stauffer was named Wyoming History Teacher of the Year from the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History for 2026-27.

As teacher of the year, Stuaffer is one of ten finalists for National History Teacher of the Year.

Stauffer’s work with student engagement in the classroom brought the attention of the institiute as they sought an educator that made a diferrence.

“I think that maybe what set me apart a little bit is that I have done a lot of things professionally, but also, what I really try to do in my classroom is really get kids to engage with primary sources and to be historians and learn how to think like historians, not just learn about history.”

The primary sources proved to be a key to for student engagment.

“Primary sources are sources from the time period, and when students engage with those, along with secondary texts that are written after the fact, then they can do things like analyze, they can interpret, they can think about bias, they can think about different perspectives. They can also think about historiography, how history is actually told, the different ways that it’s told across time.”

She continued,  “Those are the kinds of things that I like to focus on, especially with my advanced students. And I’m lucky at Star Valley High School that I get to teach concurrent credit for college.”

Concurrent credit programs are taught by SVHS teachers in History, Government, Financial Literacy, Advanced Health Statistics, Biology, English, Precalcuus and Automotive.

Referencing the advanced programs, Stauffer explained, “I teach a U.S. history class that is two semesters through the year, and students can earn six credits that way. Then I also teach U.S. government for college credit. “ She teaches students from freshman to seniors.

Further emphsizing her approach with primary sources she explained, “students learn how to think about context, they learn how to think about the main points of an argument. They think about bias, they think about interpretation, and then also historical significance.

She encourages the students to ask, “What is it that we learn from this particular source that helps us understand this event in history that maybe nothing else could?”

Reflecting on her 33 years career, Stauffer concluded, “I think what’s really fun, teaching is really engaging with students and seeing them grow, and I really can. I can see them grow from the first day that they come into my class.”

That growth is not limited to an improved knowledge of history. “As they are assessed formatively across the year, I can really see that they are learning better writing skills, better analysis skills, and, you know, thinking more critically, and hopefully preparing them for college and other things that they do in their life.”

With an emphasis Stuaffer added, “And also to be better citizens, I really think that teaching history is so much fun, because we can think about people, and the choices that people made, and those kinds of things.”

Stauffer hasn’t limited her teaching experience to the classroom.

Complete with a added Masters of Arts in Humanities and History, along with a James Madison Memorial Fellowships that included studying the Foundations of American Constitutionalism at Georgetown University, she launched a series of travels all related to her profession.

“I have earned many fellowships throughout my career and I’ve been able to travel across the world for some of these fellowships, and then bring back a lot of the learning and engage with students, “she explained. “That way, I bring back different kinds of sources, different perspectives, even photographs, and little things that help me understand the past, better, and hopefully help me to engage with students in fun ways and help them to think differently than maybe I would have if I hadn’t had these experiences.”

With an extensive education, career and travels there are no immediate plans to change.. “I actually really love my career, and I’m really happy that I’m here.”

Educational experience/travels:

Lead for America 250 celebration SVHS

Smithsonian “Dialogue in Democracy” Fellow. Eurasia Teaching Fellowship, Harvard and University of Pittsburg.

Central Asia Silk Road Cultural Tour.

Israel and Jordan conflict tour.

National Humanities Center Council.

Qatar Foundation International Teaching cohart, Teacher for Global Classrooms, Morrocco.

Liberty Fund Colloquiea seminars.

Transatlantic OUtreach Program.

iEARN partidipant, Middle East, North Africa.

Endownment for Humanities, Ottomoan Culture/Turkey.

Enrichment program with Washington D.C. trip for students.

Teaching American History Grant — Teaching American History grant, Wyoming Teacher of Year.

Colonial Williamnsburg Summer Teacher Instititue scholarship.

School Accreditation/chair, district assessmantcommittee, Naitonal History Day coordiantor, Lincoln Bicentennial

Admunct instructor Western Wyoming Community College, Grand Canyon Unviesity and Adult Basic Educaiton instructor for Western Wyoming College.

Teacher at Star Valley Middle School and North Layton Jr. High.