Teacher Feature: Chelsea Leming

By Barbara P. Jacoby

While Indian Knoll ES teacher Chelsea Leming is known to inspire her students every day, she also inspired the Cherokee County School District (CCSD) Teacher of the Year program judges with her great care for those students.

The judges, who selected her as CCSD’s Teacher of the Year for 2021, praised her education, knowledge, experience, and, most importantly, her incredible enthusiasm for teaching and dedication to encouraging every child in her classroom.

“The No. 1 way I encourage my students to be excited about learning is being genuinely excited about my teaching and their learning. Excitement is contagious, and students are certainly impacted by their teacher’s level of enthusiasm,” said Leming, who teaches 5th grade English language arts and social studies.

As CCSD’s Teacher of the Year, Leming advances to the Georgia Teacher of the Year recognition program.

“I tell my students my goal is for them to look forward to coming to my class every day, and although we will work hard, and I have high expectations for them, we will have as much fun as possible while doing so,” said Leming.

After beginning her career in 2009 as an 8th grade teacher at E.T. Booth MS, Leming helped open Indian Knoll ES, where she also has taught as part of the Early Intervention Program for students who need more academic support.

Teaching wasn’t the path that Leming envisioned for herself as a high school student. That changed while in college, as she watched her older brother battle cancer.

“Undecided, undeclared, and basically unsure about everything, I surveyed my life and saw how my own teachers had drastically molded and changed me for the better,” Leming said. “I saw the enormous influence educators have, as they are given the daily opportunity to impact humans in their most formative years. Realizing that a better way to spend a life is in the worthy cause of elevating others, I changed my major to middle grades education and never looked back.”

Today, Leming is a role model teacher, known for blending music, technology, and real-world relevance into her lessons. This school year, she achieved Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert status and, as a member of the school’s Digital Transformation Team, helped it earn the 2021-22 Microsoft Showcase School designation. She also cosponsors the school’s Jr. Beta Club service organization and volunteers at her church, Mt. Zion Baptist, as a Sunday School teacher and children’s drama and music department leader.

What can parents do to help their child be as successful as possible at school?

“Parents help their student to be successful at school when they make learning a priority in the home,” Leming said. “Passion, drive, and grit are difficult to teach, but can be transferred to young people when modeled by those they look up to most. When parents view our entire #CCSDfam as the valuable member of their child’s education that they truly are, the student benefits. We can all go further and achieve more together as a team.”