Paula Cautrell, a teacher at Sunrise Elementary School has been named the Washington State History Day 2009 Teacher of Merit. Sunrise is a Northshore District school located in Redmond.

Cautrell received a plaque at the State History Day contest on April 25. The Washington State Historical Society will pay for her trip to the National History Day (NHD) competition at the University of Maryland, June 14-18. She will also receive the Washington State Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching History at a luncheon in June.

Cautrell has coached students in NHD contests for 12 years — seven years here and five in Southern California.

She called the experience “rewarding on many levels.”

From an instructor’s standpoint, Cautrell noted, “History Day provides a meaningful framework for our state’s essential learning requirements. As students develop skills and confidence, their enthusiasm for, and ownership of the learning process grows. Throughout, students actively seek out information and feedback. Few other learning tasks promote such investment in achievement.”

Sunrise has sent many delegates to NHD. This year, they include sixth grader Emily Hamlin and Leigh Douglas, a Sunrise grad and Inglemoor High School student, both of whom were coached by Cautrell.

“The role of collaborator and coach is one I cherish,” said Cautrell.

She said she learns alongside her students and is fortunate to have Patti Kalinski, another Sunrise teacher, as a partner in NHD coaching.

“Patti wholeheartedly supports this project,” Cautrell noted. “She offers another level of support to students, through her interest in their work, insightful questions and apt feedback.”

But Cautrell believes the spotlight should really be focused on students who’ve thrived in NHD competition.

“Whether it is the student who overcame extreme stage fight to perform in front of a large audience or those who have connected with their heritage for the first time — learning from family members who lived through historic times — the results are profound,” she said.

“It is not unusual for students to secure interviews with authors, senators, family members of historic figures and sometimes the historic figures themselves. History Day takes students beyond their desks and makes learning relevant and personal. All are points of celebration.”

For more information about National History Day, visit a href=”http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/”<www.nationalhistoryday.org.