The Virginia Department of Education, in cooperation with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, announces the annual National History Teacher of the Year Award. This award honors exceptional teachers of American history across the country. One finalist from each state, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense schools, and the U.S. territories is selected annually. From these finalists, a national winner is recognized as the National History Teacher of the Year.
Any elementary or secondary school teacher (grades K-12) who teaches American history, including local and state history, as their primary subject within the framework of their school program and has demonstrated excellence according to the criteria governing the award is eligible for nomination. Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- At least three years of classroom experience in teaching American history;
- A demonstrated commitment to teaching American history;
- Evidence of creativity and innovation in the classroom; and
- Effective use of primary sources to engage students with American history.
Other notes about eligibility:
- Past state and national winners are not eligible;
- Self-nominations are not accepted; and
- Nominees must be planning to teach for at least one year following the award year.
All nominations must be submitted on the Gilder Lehrman website. Nominators must include contact information for the nominee and a short statement indicating why the nominee is an outstanding teacher of American history. Nominations can be made by a student, parent, colleague, department head, principal, or superintendent. The deadline for all nominations is Tuesday, March 31, 2020.
