The National History Teacher of the Year Award, which recognizes accomplished K-12 American history teachers and is sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY, and Preserve America, is now accepting nominations. According to the website, the national winner will receive $10,000 at an awards ceremony later this year. State winners will receive $1,000, a collection of classroom resources, and the opportunity to participate in a Gilder Lehrman Institute summer seminar.
Nominated teachers should have at least three years of classroom teaching experience; use creativity and imagination in their instruction; and make effective use of documents, artifacts, and other primary resources in their classes. Last year’s winner, high school teacher Joshua Bill, had his students analyze primary sources, lead class discussions in American history, and prepare for the Chicago Metro History Fair by conducting extensive historical research.
Nominations for K-6 teachers are open until Feb. 1, and the winners will be announced in the fall. Middle and high school teachers will be honored in 2014, according to the institute.
(As an aside, if you’re interested in learning about some more award-worthy teachers, check out the 2012 Award for Excellence in Culturally Responsive Teaching, which Education Week Teacher is co-sponsoring with The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project. Tune in to the awards ceremony, which we’ll be livestreaming on our website on Jan. 25. Or watch these videos about the five winners, all of whom have excelled in teaching students from diverse, racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.)