Norwich — Teaching not only runs in Killeen Dziavit’s family, it’s “a lifestyle” that dates back to the days of the one-room schoolhouse in the early 20th century.

Dziavit, a 19-year veteran teacher at Norwich Free Academy and now head of the English Department, was named Thursday as the 2021 NFA Teacher of the Year. She was announced as this year’s winner during a school year opening ceremony for staff Thursday, when colleagues in a prerecorded video praised her teaching, her work on curriculum during the difficult adjustment for the COVID-19 pandemic and for her unflustered approach to the unprecedented changes it brought.

Dziavit in turn praised her colleagues and credited a family legacy of teaching and learning for her success, starting with her grandmother, a 1934 NFA alum, who taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Connecticut to the several family members who now work at NFA.

Her grandmother had four daughters, all of whom became teachers. Those daughters had 11 children, and four of them became teachers. Now, Dziavit and two cousins teach at NFA, while her sister-in-law is an interventionist and an uncle is on the campus safety staff.

Dziavit, who grew up in Bozrah and graduated from NFA in 1997, said she has always loved English as a student and was drawn to teaching English, volunteering as a tutor. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with her bachelor’s degree in 2001 and master’s degree in 2002. She and her husband and their two children, ages 11 and 13, now live in Norwich.

She said she really enjoyed the Teacher of the Year nomination and application process, saying it gave her a chance to express her teaching philosophy and credit her family for instilling those values in her. But she said she was surprised when the award was announced, given the number of highly qualified staff at NFA.

“To have other people recognize that they appreciate you and see that you are working really hard, meant so much to me,” Dziavit said in the video. “I was just so thankful, because there are so many wonderful colleagues here, and to have them recognize me was just amazing.”

Fellow English teacher Debra Kendall, who taught Dziavit in eighth grade as a student teacher, called her an “unsung hero” who stood out in the classroom even at a young age.

NFA English teacher Chris Brown credited Dziavit’s calm demeanor and expertise for the success the school had in pivoting to online teaching and hybrid classes during the pandemic. “I never saw her struggle this year, not once,” he said in the video.

In her speech to her colleagues Thursday, Dziavit said prior to March 2020, most NFA teachers had never used things such as Google Classroom, but they had to find ways to stay connected to their students.

“It has been a long journey, but what has amazed me every step of the way is how much this group has taught me,” she said, “and how much this faculty and staff have stepped up to do what needs to be done for our students.”

c.bessette@theday.com