Most of us can remember at least one teacher throughout our lives who shared the drive of making information click for students. It almost always becomes this contagious energy that fills a classroom. But where does this come from, and how do people turn into this?

Sherrie Fenner’s path to becoming a teacher was forged in the halls as a student at Northwestern Lehigh, Lehigh Carbon Community College and Kutztown University. When asked how she knew education was her path, her eyes light up as she thinks back to her times as a student. It was a time in her life when she could bring the energy of competition to a field that celebrated problem-solving through collaboration.

A lifelong member of the Northwestern Lehigh community, Fenner was born and raised in the district she would later serve as both a teacher and educational leader.

She also taught mathematics at Catasauqua High School, Northwestern Lehigh Middle School and Northwestern Lehigh High School, remotely to anyone who needed help at all hours of the day. In addition, she was a professor at LCCC.

Her nearly 30-year career in education was based in the Valley but, at times, spanned school districts around the world. She taught English in Romania one summer, so if you ever meet a Romanian with a Pennsylvania Dutch accent, now you know why.

To almost serve as a culmination of her life as a mother and mathematics teacher, she coauthored a textbook with her daughter (a medical doctor), aptly titled “Medical Math Dosing for Health Professionals.”

In between teaching, she also found joy as a director of curriculum at both Stroudsburg and Palmerton school districts, as well as a federal grant writer. Yes, this lady actually enjoyed reviewing grants for federal programs.

But above all, she cared deeply for each student who walked into her classroom. She made it a point early in her career to understand each student learned differently. She believed teaching was never about finding one correct way to explain something. Instead, it was about finding the way that finally made it click for each student.

For Fenner, the most rewarding moments came long after students left her classroom.

“One of the best parts of teaching is seeing students later in life and hearing that they still remember something I taught them,” she said.

She recalls recently meeting a former student who still remembers her method for teaching division. Another former student still completes daily cryptograms after learning them in her classroom years ago.

Some of Fenner’s favorite memories date back to her first Algebra II class, a group largely made up of football players with big personalities and even bigger energy. Rather than sending disruptive students to the principal’s office, Fenner would sometimes have them do push-ups instead. It became part of the class culture and created lasting bonds with students who later invited her to their graduation parties.

Beyond the classroom, she also served her community as an EMT at local ambulance stations, reflecting a lifelong desire to help others.

Those closest to her say one lesson from her teaching philosophy became a running family joke: Never use the word “obviously” while teaching. Fenner believes one careless phrase can discourage a student from asking questions, a philosophy that reflects the empathy behind her teaching style. However, that doesn’t stop her family from using it as a running joke by repeating it with dramatic eye rolls whenever they hear it used in conversation — obviously!

As retirement begins, she said she looks forward to traveling, spending more time with her grandchildren and finding new hobbies, although those who know her best suspect she will never fully step away from teaching or helping others learn.

Asked what she hopes students remember most, her answer reflects the approach that defines her entire career: “I hope they remember me as a fair teacher who cared about their learning.”

For generations of students across the Lehigh Valley and beyond, that is exactly how she will be remembered.