The name Mrs. Whitman is synonymous around the halls of Ipswich High School with the terms kindness, positivity, and enthusiasm. Mrs. Sherrie Whitman has been a teacher at Ipswich High School for 25 years. She currently teaches Algebra 1 and Geometry. However, during her many years at Ipswich she has taught almost every subject in the area of mathematics. No matter what she is teaching she always leaves a positive impact on her students. 

Mrs. Whitman graduated from Wakefield High School and then transitioned into Merrimack College. She received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics, with a minor in secondary education. She did not stop there! After Merrimack she went on to receive two master’s at Salem State. The first one in education and the second in pure mathematics. “I always wanted to be on this career path,” she said.  

One of Mrs. Whitman’s biggest values is her family. Outside of school she spends most of her time with her family, keeping themselves busy with sports. Her freshman daughter Ava is a competitive cheerleader on two competition teams at East Celebrity Elite and on Masco Varsity Cheer. Her son James is a senior on Mascos Varsity Hockey team and has played hockey his whole life. She spends a lot of time driving her daughter to cheer practices and sometimes even flying to competitions, or cheering in the stands at her sons hockey games! Now that James is able to drive, Mrs. Whitman says it makes it a lot easier for her. She still enjoys her weekends being busy with her family and all of the sporting events that come along with it. 

Part of what makes her such a good teacher is how she builds rapport with her students and co-workers. When asked how she builds such strong relationships she went on to say, “I connect easily with students because I genuinely enjoy their company and  have a sincere interest in their lives.” Her love for working with kids is one she has had since she was back in high school. She loved to babysit the neighborhood kids and was a camp counselor at her local YMCA for many summers. Mrs. Whitman’s two teenagers, James and Ava also play a big role in her ability to connect with her high school students. “There are a lot of similarities between my own kids and my students so it makes it really easy to have meaningful conversations with my students about their lives.” she says. Her value for strong relationships doesn’t limit to just her students. Some of her classes are Co-taught. She previously worked with Mr. Bergeron the past few years, but he accepted a good job opportunity elsewhere.  Ms. Weagle stepped in strongly this year to fill in his shoes as an amazing, supportive liaison and co-teacher. When I asked Ms. Weagle  how Mrs. Whitman helped make her transition from TA to co- teacher smoother, she goes on to say “Mrs. Whitman has been a great resource and friend during my transition from TA to co-teacher. Whether she is a listening ear or giving me guidance on something I’m experiencing, she has been so helpful.” 

The  enjoyment she gets out of teaching always starts and ends with the kids. She says, “To see students grow intellectually and emotionally throughout their journey in high school is incredible and I am grateful Ipswich has graciously accepted me as one of their educators several decades ago.” She goes on to say, “I have amazing memories that will last me a long time. I can only hope that I helped build student’s confidence to be successful in life, and created many positive memories of their times at IHS.” Our school is lucky to be filled with great teachers such as Mrs. Whitman, who care so much about their students and makes learning so much more enjoyable!