Colorado History Day Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award

Nominate Your Teacher! DEADLINE: April 2, 2012

Each year, History Day in Colorado recognizes an outstanding teacher for innovative history teaching within and outside the classroom. This award-winning teacher will be nominated by the state History Day in Colorado office to receive the national teacher of the year award.

This year, our state award has a monetary award as provided by Patricia Behring. Our state office will elect one junior division teacher and one senior division teacher. Each will receive $500 and will be nominated for the national teacher of the year award through NHD!

We know we have many deserving teachers! Please submit, even if you have won previous teacher of the year awards...This year you might even get our own economic stimulus package!

Details of the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award

The Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award recognizes outstanding NHD teachers.  Two state winners, one at both the junior level and senior levels, will be selected from each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Schools, International Schools-Asia and the U.S. territories. The winners of the national awards will be selected from among the state awardees. Each state winner will be awarded $500.00 and the national winners will receive $10,000.

Selection Criteria:

• A minimum of five years classroom experience with National History Day and preference is given to a teacher working with an “at risk” population, defined as a student population that has a low graduation rate
• A documented commitment to student-led historical research
• Evidence of creativity in the classroom that exceeds expected participation in NHD

Eligibility

Any full time NHD classroom teacher grades 6-12

Supporting materials

1. Nominee’s resume

2. A letter of introduction to the nominee’s classroom written by the nominee:

• Detailing the value of NHD for the specific student demographics
• Describing the curriculum and how students excel academically because of the historical research

3. A recommendation from an immediate supervisor or a district or state coordinator or a parent 

All state winners are finalists for the national prizes.  The nomination packet will then be submitted for the state winners to the national office.  The national winners of the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award, at the junior and senior levels, will each receive a $10,000 cash award.

To be eligible, a teacher must be a current participant in the National History Day program.

Click here for the application!

To nominate a teacher, mail the following information, in one envelope, to the Colorado History Day office or submit electronically to colorado.history.day@ucdenver.edu . We must receive the nomination by April 21, 2010.
Mail to:     

Colorado History Day
University of Colorado Denver
Campus Box 182
PO Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364

PROCEDURE

1. The State Office will select the Colorado History Day Teacher of the Year from the nominations submitted.
2. The Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Awards Ceremony at the Colorado History Day state competition on May 1, 2010.
3. The State Office will nominate the Colorado History Day Teacher of the year for the PBS Teacher of Merit award.  This national award comes with a $5,000 cash prize.  The eight finalists at the national level receive a PBS video library For more information on this award, click on this link to the National History Day web site: PBS Teacher of Merit Award
4. The Colorado Teacher of the Year will be recognized in the National History Day contest program.  The winner of the PBS Teacher of Merit Award will be announced at the national awards ceremony. 

QUESTIONS?

Please Contact Us in the state office.