By Kelsey Mevs, Class of ’26 — Staff Writer

A kind, passionate, committed teacher, Ms. Bernadette Murphy is leaving Sharon High after 22 years. Aside from her role as a teacher, she had also served diligently as the President of the Teacher’s Union for over six years. 

Now at the end of her career, she thinks fondly of her first years in education, acknowledging that she “got a lot of help from veteran teachers.”

She repays the favor by aiding her fellow teachers in the Teachers Union. A president whom many depended on, particularly during the pandemic years, she “doesn’t suffer fools kindly,” according to her friend and colleague Ms. Courtnay Malcolm. 

She has done wonders in giving a voice to educators, especially in the midst of COVID-19. While the school was adjusting to the new pandemic, she fought for immunocompromised teachers who were unable to risk their health to teach in-person.  Her work protected the safety of educators and ensured the school was a safe space for all.

For Ms. Murphy,  Sharon High School never gets old. She reports, “I like coming to school.”

She tries to create the same love for SHS in her students as well. To guarantee that her class stays relevant, her curriculum connects with real life, and she prides herself in the fact that everyone is heard in her classroom.

This same principle is applied to the Teachers Union. As a leader, she makes certain that the three groups facilitating the school–the School Committee, the Teachers Union, and the Sharon Administration– are working together as best they can. Her goal is that checks and balances ensure that no one group holds too much power.

The collaboration and support within faculty at Sharon High is one thing she’ll miss after she’s left. In her opinion, teachers sharing materials and information, as well as just helping each other out, is one of the greatest things the school has to offer.

“I didn’t do my job alone. I couldn’t have done it as well as I was able to without my fellow teachers, counselors, and administrators who supported me in the classroom,” she recognizes.

In her last full week, she’s working hard to maintain her same high standards and work ethic. Ms. Malcolm praises, “She’s fulfilling her commitments as a teacher up till the very end.”

Once school’s out, Ms. Murphy plans on taking film courses, playing basketball, and unwinding. “I won’t be doing nothing,” she says, “But I will relax more than I do now.”