Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
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Nominate an exceptional teacher for this blog!
There are so many talented educators out there that, by myself, I cannot possibly find out about them all. How about some help?
Do you know a remarkable teacher? Someone everyone looks up to: students, parents, colleagues, and administrators alike? Someone who serves as a model for the profession? A true Chalkboard Champion? This teacher could be someone currently in the classroom, someone who is already retired, or even someone from history that you admire.
You can nominate that educator to be the subject of a blog post on this web site. Simply use the contact form on this website to send me the name and email information for the teacher you would like to nominate. Please be sure to include where this teacher works or worked, and what it is about this teacher that is so remarkable. Include their contact information so I can get in touch with him or her for an interview. I’ll do the rest!
Hope to hear from you soon!
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Florida educator Connie Lane Lewis earns honors from DKG
Florida educator Connie Lane Lewis has been named a Key Women Educator by the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Photo credit: DKG Alpha Kappa Chapter
It is always my pleasure to write about an outstanding educator who has made significant contributions to her learning community. Today, I write about Connie Lane Lewis, an outstanding teacher from Tallahassee, Florida. She has been named a Key Women Educator by the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International (DKG).
DKG ia a prestigious professional organization that promotes the professional success of women educators. The organization works to improve professional preparation, to recognize women’s work in the teaching profession, and to fund scholarships for teachers who need support to improve their professional skills.
Connie Lane Lewis worked much of her career as a professional educator at Florida University High School (FSUS), a laboratory school sponsored by Florida State University located in Tallahassee. The school is often referred to as Florida High, although the facility actually serves students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. She taught there from 1971 to 2004.
At FSUS Connie taught dance, archery, rhythmic exercise, gymnastics, tumbling, and computer science to students at both the elementary and secondary levels. In addition, she served as the high school’s coach for track and field and cheerleading. Furthermore, she served as a choreographer for middle school and high school musicals at FSUS. In addition to her work in the classroom, Connie served as the Membership Chair for the Florida State Association for Health, Physical Education, and Dance. She retired in 2004 after 35 years of teaching.
In addition to the recognition she has earned from DKG, Connie earned a Florida State Service Award in 1980. She was named District Teacher of the Year at FSUS in 1988. She also earned a Florida Retrofit for Technology Grant in the amount of $200,000, and she was named a finalist for an Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award in 2001.
Even in retirement, Connie is very active. Currently she serves as the Communication Chair and Webmaster of DKG’s Alpha Kappa Chapter. In addition to DKG, Connie belongs to the Beta Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa and serves as the organization’s newsletter editor.
Connie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She earned her Master’s degree in Physical Education and Dance from Florida State University. She also earned a Certificate in Computer Science.
To learn more about the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, click on this link: DKG.
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NYC dance teacher Veronica Cheeseboro garners Big Apple Award
High school dance teacher Veronica Cheeseboro has garnered a 20024-2025 Big Apple Award from the New York City Department of Education. Photo credit: The Riverdale Press
I always get excited when I can share the story of an exceptional teacher who has earned accolades for her work with young people in our nation’s public schools. Today I share the story of Veronica Cheeseboro, a high school performing arts teacher from New York City. She has garnered a 2024-2025 Big Apple Award from New York City Department of Education.
Veronica teaches dance at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. She has led the dance program there for six years. During those years, Veronica has worked diligently to partner her dance program with Ailey Arts in Education, Merce Cunningham Trust, and Ballet Hispanico Community Arts Partnership. In addition, Veronica serves as the coach for the school’s Step Team and she advises the campus Dance Club.
In her classroom, Veronica includes curriculum covering wellness for freshmen students. The curriculum covers injury prevention and ways to stretch. Her sophomores learn about nutrition, and her juniors and seniors learn anatomy through a study of kinesiology, learning how the body moves as well as the function of muscles, bones, and ligaments as they support dance moves.
Veronica has also fulfilled a variety of leadership roles within the dance community. She’s facilitated multiple city-wide professional development workshops in hip hop dance for Rutgers University, Broadway Dance Center, and the Office of Arts & Special Projects sponsored by the NYC Department of Education.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Veronica is an active dancer and choreographer. She has performed as a member of NYC-based Contemporary Dance Company: Modarts Dance Collective as a professional dancer for the past four years.
Veronica earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Dance at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, in 2016. She attended the prestigious school on an academic scholarship. She earned her Master’s degree in Dance Education with a K-12 certification from Rutgers University in 2018.
To learn more about Veronica Cheeseboro, click on the following link to visit her website.
