Cherie Garrett

AATSP Teacher of the Year
Secondary School (9-12) Level

The AATSP Outstanding Teacher of the Year for Secondary Level is Cherie Garret who teaches Spanish in the Dallastown Area School District. Cherie has 29 years of experience in the field of education and, in addition to teaching, she is currently the Chair of the World Languages department in her school. She has been an excellent educator and dedicated mentor, and she is admired by her fellow colleagues and students. Her colleague Danielle Pomraning expressed that “Cherie showed me what true teaching is by modeling and exhibiting all aspects of this ever growing and changing field.” Also, Courtney Herman, a former student and now colleague, stated that “she is one hundred and ten percent committed to offering her students an authentic language learning experience every single day.” Cherie’s dedication to the profession is commendable as she has positively influenced the lives of her colleagues and students.

Cherie is a natural leader and an advocate for World Languages as her commitment has had a big impact in the implementation of the World Language Program at the middle school level. Her district superintendent, Dr. Joshua Doll, noted that “Mrs. Garrett has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the promotion of world languages, serves as a leader among her peers, and is strongly committed to professional development across the Dallastown Area School District.”

In addition, Cherie is a skilled presenter and facilitator. She has presented sessions on Cooperative Learning, Brain Based Learning, and Kinesthetic Learning in her school district and has also given engaging presentations at national conferences such as PSMLA, NECTFL, and ACTFL.

Personal Acceptance Statement

I am extremely honored to receive the 9-12 AATSP Teacher of the Year Award. I have been fortunate throughout my teaching career to have the support of administrators and language organizations to keep abreast of the latest methodologies, to implement new initiatives and to maintain innovative world language programs. Winning this award would not have been possible without the inspiration I have received from my colleagues, administrators and especially my students, for whom I have derived the strength to challenge myself and to develop new programs for their betterment. I sincerely thank the members of Dallastown Area School District, PSMLA, NECTFL and AATSP for helping me reach a stage where I can proudly hold up this award as a mark of my achievement in my personal mission of promoting linguistic and cultural proficiency. 

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