There are teachers who make every effort to impart their knowledge towards the impressionable youth of Flower Mound every day. Then there are the select few that strive even farther, ensuring that their students excel father forward onto a brighter future.
Flower Mound High School’s own Dottie Chegwidden was recently awarded the distinguished Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award. She had been nominated by the principal, Sonya Lail, and assistant principal, Jan Murphy.
“I was surprised and humbled and grateful,” Chegwidden said. “Mrs. Lail read the letter from Austin in her office to me and found me to be speechless – not easy to do.”
Mrs. Chegwidden was presented the award by members of the school administration and a representative from the office of Congressman Michael C. Burgess. It took place in the library with a small ceremony on November 28th.
Humanities Texas, based in the state’s capital and part of the National Endowment for the Arts program, presents awards recognizing and encouraging excellence in teaching the humanities. Each year, 11 teachers are selected to receive a $5,000 cash award, with an additional $500 for their respective schools.
“I filled out and submitted a lengthy application with essays,” Chegwidden said. “The representative from Austin said there were 300 applicants, from elementary to secondary levels throughout the state.”
The 38-year teaching veteran points out that even though the award praises those who teach their students well, it’s the real feeling of students succeeding in the classroom .
“I am passionate about the subject matter and the rigorous curriculum to motivate and interest students to become sophisticated and mature in their reading, thinking, and writing skills and abilities and talents,” Chegwidden said. “Experience has taught me that students must be engaged and see the relevance, connection to their own lives in what they do in a class.”
Yet after receiving it, Chegwidden was back to her usual routine of expressing the excellence in her students. Although her life may or may not have changed, Chegwidden knows that she can still help others.
“I went back to class and taught Transcendentalism and the reason to strive to be a unique individual that strives to develop talents that will not only help them with the ‘castle in the air’ goals but also to help them be open-minded and contributing citizens in their own creative ways,” Chegwidden said.
FMHS is proud to have Mrs. Chegwidden receive such an award and hopes that other teachers can obtain their own teaching goals.
