First- and second-grade multiage teacher Ruth Ann Sweazy uses music, dance, drama and role-playing activities to motivate her students at Spencer County Elementary School in Taylorsville. National Board Certified, Sweazy implements writing across the curriculum and addresses multiple intelligences among her students. She hosts Family Literacy Nights, makes frequent visits to students' homes, and works closely with the director of the school's Family Resource Center to alleviate obstacles to learning. Sweazy has worked in close collaboration with professors from the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky to improve instruction in her classroom. An expert in literacy, she is on her school's literacy team and has presented at numerous conferences and professional development workshops, such as the State Reading Conference and the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition (KAAC). In 2007, Sweazy was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), and received the National Education Association's Teaching Excellence Award for Kentucky.
