Amber Carrow

Amber Carrow

School: Chemawa Middle School
District: Riverside Unified School District
County: Riverside County
Region: Southern California
Grade: Middle School
Subject: History
Award Year: 2010

I have a simple teaching philosophy; reach the student first, and then you can teach the subject. — Amber Carrow

Ms. Carrow has been a teacher for six years, all of which have been spent at Chemawa Middle School, where Principal Sean Curtin says she has “created a positive and exciting learning environment in her classroom.”

“I am challenged by my teacher-student relationships and I recognized that I will always be adjusting, re-thinking, and striving to attain their respect. I work very hard to take my class from ordinary to extraordinary. I attempt to bring history to life through a variety of teaching skills and hands-on learning techniques. As a World History teacher, I am able to teach students about diverse cultural achievements, religions, governments, geography, and arts from around the globe,” Ms. Carrow wrote.

Ms. Carrow not only teaches about the world, she travels around it as well. This past year, she was awarded a Teacher Fellowship Grant from the Earthwatch Foundation to conduct scientific research in Nova Scotia related to the effects of climate change. She was in daily contact with her students via the Web. “They truly were transported through this experience,” she said, “and it has sparked their desire to participate in affecting positive world climate change from their school.”

Amber Carrow earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies from Pitzer College in Claremont and a Master of Arts in Education from the Claremont Graduate University. She is a Riverside Unified School District Middle School Teacher of the Year as well as the Chemawa Middle School Teacher of the Year.