Erin Margaret Thaler, the Thaler by which this Family is named, is a teacher to the core. After her Bat Mitzvah in 1987, she officially began her teaching career as an assistant at Beth Israel's Hebrew School, a job she held until she graduated high school. Through her years at Emory University, Ms. Thaler taught Hebrew and coordinated Shul-ins at The Temple Religious School in Atlanta. After student teaching at Pinckneyville Middle School in Gwinnett County and Campbell High School in Cobb County, Ms. Thaler received certification as a secondary English teacher and commenced working at Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia.

The vast majority of Family members are former students from Sprayberry, where Ms. Thaler taught for four years. She left the school to acquire her doctorate from the University of Kansas. Missing the classroom and high school students, Ms. Thaler was able to work with St. Mary College's Latino Summer Science Academy and then University of Kansas' Math and Science Center.

Ms. Thaler is currently a doctoral candidate in Teaching & Leadership at the University of Kansas. She plans to complete her degree while teaching at Osborne High School in Marietta, Georgia. She has found Osborne students to be incredibly welcoming and loving, eager to become official members of the family.