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German Embassy Teacher of Excellence Award
In cooperation with the Goethe-Institut and the AATG, the German Embassy Washington has presented the Teacher of Excellence Award since 2008, highlighting the accomplishments of top-notch, up-and-coming German teachers in the United States.
Outstanding educators deserve recognition!
The prize, especially for early-career and up-and-coming educators at high schools and in higher education, includes a two-week professional development course in Germany, offered by the Goethe-Institut.
During their stay in Germany, award recipients experience the country anew, gaining fresh stimuli on teaching techniques, culture and society, and the German language. Award winners are additionally invited to receive their prize at the annual conference of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
The AATG, which administers the award, accepts nominations from its regional chapters as well as the Goethe-Instituts, DAAD, German Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), and the German Consulates General and Honorary Consuls in the US. In addition, school administrators and schools where German is offered, as well as colleges and universities, are encouraged to nominate outstanding educators for the Award.
Nominations must be received by the annual May 31 Deadline.
Selection criteria include evidence of:
- 1. Learner-centric teaching – use of student-oriented, open forms of instruction
- 2. Interaction in the context of teaching and learning – communicative instruction which is targeted at language production
- 3. Use of new media – audiovisual and electronic media to promote communication skills
- 4. Intercultural relationship to educational content – e.g. through exchange support or virtual contacts with students in Germany
- 5. Focus on language competency when measuring performance – promotion of modern test procedures – e.g. use of DSD and/or GI tests in addition to U.S. examinations
For further information about the award and to submit a nomination, please visit: German Embassy Teacher of Excellence Award
American Association of Teachers of German
With over 4,000 members, the American Association of Teachers of German is for teachers of German at all levels of instruction and all those interested in the teaching of German. Founded in 1926, AATG believes that bringing the language, literature, and cultures of the German speaking world to all Americans is a vital humanistic endeavor, which serves an essential national interest.
American Association of Teachers of German