Sherry Esch, an FCHS English teacher who is recognized by many students for her sense of humor, personality, and dedication towards teaching, has brought her passion for teaching to its 21st year.
Born and raised in Suffolk, Virginia, Esch said that Fluvanna was not her first place of occupation. She taught one one year in Chesapeake, one year in Orange, and for the remaining 19 years, she has been a Fluco. She said she never had a doubt that she wanted to have a career in education.
“I always knew that I wanted to do something in the world of education. I first thought that it would be working with curriculum writing. Over the years I have realized that I am truly my happiest in the classroom,” she said.
Esch attended Longwood College, now Longwood University, and received her undergraduate degree in English Education, then attended the University of Virginia to get a master’s degree in English Curriculum. Although she knew she wanted a career in education, teaching was not her first job environment.
“All throughout college, and the first few years I was a teacher, I worked with food service and catering through Longwood and UVA. I loved the people I met and the fast pace of the shifts,” she said, noting that working in food service is not easy. “[It’s] a hard, sometimes dirty job, with long hours,” she explained.
Although she enjoyed the constant, fast-paced work environment, Esch knew that she did not want to do that type of work for the rest of her life. “Similar to teaching, food service allowed me to meet and work with many different people. I actually continued to work with catering for the first three years I was a teacher,” she said.
Now, Esch enjoys making sure her students enjoy her class by cracking jokes and occasionally telling a story in relation to the work they are doing.
“I love that teaching gives me the chance to get excited about the small things every single day. I am so thankful for the students who let my class be fun, who let themselves learn. That is where I find my joy as a teacher,” she said.
When Esch is not teaching, she loves to spend her free time outside, especially with her family. “I am 110% a homebody and love to work in our yard or our home. I love to bake, read, and write letters,” she said.
Along with spending time with family, she enjoys spending time with her pets, including Huck (a beagle), cats Mama Cat and Skittles, and their ducks and chickens. “The birds count as pets, too, with the amount of love and attention they receive,” said Esch.
One unusual fact about Esch is that she was able to complete her student teaching in Arnhem, Netherlands, spending six weeks there. “I felt very fortunate that the Netherlands was an option,” she said.
Being in the Netherlands allowed her to explore some surrounding countries and realize many things. “Being able to student teach there made me aware that even though we all approach education with different backgrounds, what we learn in different countries has a lot in common,” she explained.
What is her biggest dream? “Every time that I wish on a star, my wish has always been the same: I’ve always wished for love and happiness. Now that wish has changed so that my wish, my dream, for my own children is to find happiness,” she said.
