TAMPA, Fla. — They call her "Mrs. Chick."
But at this point, you might as well also call her one of the greatest teachers in Tampa Bay history.
WATCH: Tampa music teacher Ernesta "'Mrs. Chick' Chicklowski gets 5th Grammy nomination
That's no hyperbole, either.
Ernesta Chicklowski has won local and state Teacher of the Year awards multiple times. That's no easy feat.
Although her energy is superheroic — constant smiles, constant movement — her teaching philosophy is simple:
"Kids are hounds for authenticity," she says. "They know when it's real or when it's fake."
But let's take it up a notch.
Mrs. Chick has also been nominated a dazzling five times for a Grammy Award — the Music Educator Award. She hasn't won yet, but she'll find out if the fifth time's the charm for music's biggest trophy this September.
"[Winning isn't] important to me, but it definitely feels good to be acknowledged that way in the professional music education community, and just knowing that I'm making an impact," she says.
Despite living with multiple sclerosis, this force of nature does not tire.
When she's not at school, she's at the Studio of South Tampa, teaching kids of all ages, at fun themed summer camps, and otherwise.
"I just like to keep things fresh," she says with a smile.
For more on the Mrs. Chick's Studio of South Tampa, go here.
For more Sean Daly stories, go here.
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