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GREENSBORO — When a student asked a classmate what a principal does, the girl replied: “She just runs the school and goes 'La dee da’ through the halls.”

Everyone laughed at the student’s answer in a special video for the ninth annual Celebrating Excellence in Education on Monday. But the many Guilford County Schools staff, teachers and administrators gathered at War Memorial Auditorium could tell her that principals do a bit more than walk aimlessly down school corridors.

That’s why they honored Cheri Keels, leader of Triangle Lake Montessori Elementary, as principal of the year. They also named Terri Roberts, Southwest Elementary K-5 advanced learners teacher, as teacher of the year.

“It’s such an honor,” Keels said. “But I say all the time, my reward is going in there every day to work with kids. I love it.”

Keels, who is in her third year as principal, said she is thankful to her family, friends and staff who have helped her achieve the honor.

She believes that she’s not just a principal but a “leader among leaders” who collaborate to provide a good education to children.

“I really believe in shared leadership because this job is impossible to do by yourself,” she said. “So, I want teachers to step up and become leaders and help me make decisions and give me feedback.”

Principal- and teacher-of-the-year finalists are nominated by each of the 120 county schools each winter. Then, the nominees submit a portfolio of work to a committee made up of central office staffers, principals and former winners. The committee interviews a select group of nominees and creates a list of five teachers and five principals.

Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green and his Cabinet then select the winners.

Keels and Roberts each won $1,500 and will have their names submitted to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction for state principal- and teacher-of-the-year honors to be announced next spring.

Roberts, a former journalist and health department employee, said she has an “addiction to the classroom.”

“Whatever I do, whatever my career is, it just really consumes me,” she said. “But teaching is more than that. It really gets into your heart. You can’t do it halfway. And it takes weekends and late hours at work but ... I love it.”

Roberts said the biggest reward of teaching is being able to inspire children to achieve something they thought was nearly impossible.

Some children come into the classroom at the beginning of the year hating to write.

“By the end of the year they say, 'I’ll send you an autographed copy of my first novel.’

“They get excited about it. And that’s what I get exited about — for them to get excited about learning.”

Contact Dioni L. Wise at 373-7090 or dioni.wise@news-record.com