submission policy
Tachau Teacher of the Year Award
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 18, 2013
The Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau Teacher of the Year Award is given annually by the Organization of American Historians in recognition of the contributions made by precollegiate teachers to improve history education within the field of American history. The award, to be given for activities which enhance the intellectual development of other history teachers and/or students, memorializes the career of Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau, University of Louisville, for her pathbreaking efforts to build bridges between university and precollegiate history teachers.
The award will be presented at the 2013 OAH Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California, April 11–14.
Eligibility
Precollegiate teachers engaged at least half time in U.S. history teaching, whether in history or social studies, are eligible.
Criteria
Successful candidates shall demonstrate exceptional ability in one or more of the following kinds of activities:
- • Initiating or participating in projects which involve students in historical research, writing, or other means of representing their knowledge of history.
- • Initiating or participating in school, district, regional, state, or national projects which enhance the professional development of history teachers.
- • Initiating or participating in projects to build bridges between precollegiate and collegiate history or social studies teachers.
- • Working with museums, historical preservation societies, or other public history associations to enhance the place of public history in precollegiate schools.
- • Developing innovative history curricula which foster a spirit of inquiry and emphasize critical skills.
- • Publishing or otherwise publicly presenting scholarship that advances history education or historical knowledge.
Application Procedures
Submission of Application Packet
Applicants should submit one copy of each item listed below, in the order given, to each of the three committee members.
- A cover letter written by a colleague indicating why the teacher merits the award (no more than two pages).
- Two letters written by former or present students (no more than two pages each).
- Curriculum vitae (no more than three pages).
- Samples of written work. These submissions should include article reprints, reports by classroom observers, course outlines, research proposals, and/or other evidence of excellence in some or all of the areas mentioned in the “Criteria” section (no more than fifteen pages).
- A narrative describing the goals and effects of his/her work in the classroom and elsewhere for history education (no more than three pages).
- Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three professional references, including the writer of the cover letter, at least one of whom must be a colleague or supervisor (one page).
The final decision will be made by the Tachau Teacher of the Year Award Committee by February 1, 2013. The winner will be provided with details regarding the OAH Annual Meeting and awards presentation, where s/he will receive a $500 cash award and a plaque. The winner will also receive a one-year OAH membership and a complimentary registration for the annual meeting. If the winner is an OAH member, the award will include a one-year renewal of membership in the awardee's usual membership category.
One copy of each entry, clearly labeled “2013 Tachau Teacher of the Year Award Entry,” must be mailed directly to the committee members listed below. Each committee member must receive all applications by January 18, 2013.
Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau Teacher of the Year Award Committee
Lisa L. Ossian (Committee Chair)
511 59th Street
Des Moines, IA 50312
[Affiliation: Des Moines Area Community College]
Daniel Katz
National Labor College
Dean of Labor Studies/Interim Dean of Professional Studies/Professor of History
10000 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20903
Lowell E. Wenger
The Seven Hills School
5400 Red Bank Road
Cincinnati, OH 45227
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 18, 2013
