Educator Services Career Advancement
Educator Recognition Programs

2012 History Teacher of the Year

I am pleased to announce that nominations are open for the ninth annual national History Teacher of the Year program to honor outstanding teachers of American history across the country. The Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year will automatically be the state's candidate for the National History Teacher of the Year award. The award is sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the HISTORY Channel, and Preserve America.

Teachers of grades 7-12 are eligible for nomination and will be selected based on the following:

• At least three years of classroom experience;
• A demonstrated commitment to teaching American history;
• Evidence of creativity and innovation in the classroom; and
• Effective use of documents, artifacts, historic sites, oral histories, and other primary resources to engage students in American history.

Grade K-6 teachers of American history will be eligible for the 2013 History Teacher of the Year program.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will honor each statewide winner with an award of $1,000, a certificate of recognition, the opportunity to participate in a GLI summer institute, and the opportunity for the winner's school to become a GLI Affiliate School. The Institute will also present the winner's school with a collection of American history classroom resources, given in honor of the state winner, for use in the school library or resource center.

I encourage you to read and disseminate the enclosed nomination flyer    and to nominate outstanding secondary teachers of history in your district/school. To nominate a teacher and learn more about the award, visit www.gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy/ or contact the National History Teacher of the Year coordinator at nhtoy@gilderlehrman.org or 646-366-9666. You may also contact Deborah Walker at djwalker@doe.mass.edu for more information.

Deadline for nominations: Wednesday, February 1, 2012.