NCSS Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year

NCSS Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year

  1. NCSS Membership
  2. NCSS Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year

Nominations for this award are currently closed.


NCSS honors excellence in the social studies classroom with its Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Level Teacher of the Year Awards. Recipients are awarded a sum of $2,500, a one-year comprehensive membership to NCSS, and are honored at a special event at the NCSS Annual Conference (up to $500 in travel and lodging support is provided). Eligibility, criteria and requirements for each award can be found below.

 

Submit an Application or Nomination

Elementary Teacher of the Year Award

Purposes of the Award

To recognize and honor one K-6 classroom teacher who has demonstrated exceptional ability as a social studies teacher, as measured by the announced criteria.

Eligibility

  • The candidate must have been a classroom teacher in grades K-6 at the time of nomination.
  • The candidate must teach social studies regularly.
  • The candidate must have been a member of NCSS for the two years prior to the year of nomination.

Criteria

The teacher shall have demonstrated exceptional ability in all of the following five areas:

  1. develop or use instructional materials creatively and effectively.
  2. incorporate innovative and verifiable, effective instructional strategies and techniques.
  3. utilize new scholarship from appropriate fields.
  4. foster the development and practice of citizen participation among students.
  5. show evidence of professional involvement such as sharing expertise in workshops, curriculum development committees, association and council activities, etc.

Application Requirements

Documentation shall include:

  • a narrative, consisting of no more than 500 words describing achievements in the five specified areas;
  • supporting documents;
  • letters of support;
  • evaluations, classroom observation, data and other supporting documents not to exceed an additional ten pages; and
  • a vita or professional resume prepared by the nominee.

Award

A sum of $2500 and a one-year complimentary membership in NCSS.

Middle Level Teacher of the Year Award

Purposes of the Award

To recognize and honor a classroom teacher from the middle level (5-8) who has demonstrated exceptional abilities as a social studies teacher.

Eligibility

  • The candidate must have been a classroom teacher in grades 5-8 at the time of nomination.
  • The candidate must teach social studies at least half-time.
  • The candidate must have been a member of NCSS for at least two years prior to the year of nomination.

Criteria

The teacher shall demonstrate exceptional ability in five of the following six areas:

  1. develop and/or use instructional materials creatively and effectively;
  2. incorporate innovative and/or verifiable effective instructional strategies and techniques;
  3. utilize new scholarship from history, the social sciences or other appropriate fields;
  4. foster a spirit of inquiry and the development of critical thinking skills among students, particularly in regard to community, national and international affairs and issues;
  5. foster the development and practice of citizen participation among students;
  6. show evidence of professional involvement such as sharing expertise in workshops, curriculum development committees, association and council activities, etc.

Application Requirements

Documentation shall include:

  • a narrative consisting of no more than 500 words describing achievements in five of the specified areas;
  • supporting documents, such as reproductions of newspaper articles;
  • letters of support;
  • evaluations, classroom observation data, and/or other supporting documents not to exceed an additional ten pages;
  • and a vita or professional resume prepared by the nominee.

Award

A sum of $2500 and a one-year complimentary membership in NCSS.

Secondary Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award

Purposes of the Award

To recognize one classroom teacher, grades 7-12, who have demonstrated exceptional abilities as social studies teachers

Eligibility

  • The candidate must have been a classroom teacher in grades 7-12 at the time of nomination.
  • The candidate must teach social studies at least half-time.
  • The candidate must have been a member of NCSS for the two years prior to the year of nomination.

Criteria

The teacher shall demonstrate exceptional ability in five of the following six areas:

  1. develop or use instructional materials creatively and effectively.
  2. incorporate innovative and verifiable effective instructional strategies and techniques.
  3. utilize new scholarship from history, the social sciences or other appropriate fields.
  4. foster a spirit of inquiry and the development of critical thinking skills among students, particularly in regard to community, national and international affairs and issues.
  5. foster the development and practice of citizen participation among students in school and community settings.
  6. show evidence of professional involvement such as sharing expertise in workshops, curriculum development committees, association activities, etc.

Application Requirements

Documentation shall include:

  • a narrative consisting of no more than 500 words describing achievements in five of the specified areas;
  • supporting documents such as reproductions of newspaper articles;
  • letters of support;
  • evaluations, classroom observation, data and other supporting documents not to exceed an additional ten pages; and
  • a vita or professional resume prepared by the nominee.

Award

A sum of $2500 and a one-year complimentary membership in NCSS.