Every year, ISU recognizes its most outstanding teachers through the Outstanding University Teacher Award program. The University Teaching Committee, an advisory body to the Provost that is comprised of former teaching award winners and other campus representatives, is responsible for administering the program, evaluating nominees, and selecting award winners.
This year, the UTC was assigned to re-evaluate application requirements in response to broad concerns about the quantity and relevance of materials requested from nominees. The UTC’s goals in this review were to:
UTC members spent spring 2006 exploring basic questions about what qualities and practices are exhibited by the best teachers and discussing the most effective ways to identify the most outstanding teachers. Emerging from those discussions was a view that the best teachers likely have a talent for teaching but in addition have methodically and consistently worked over time to enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities in the many different types of activities that comprise teaching.
Based on these efforts, the UTC developed a revised set of guidelines for nominations and for application portfolios. The revisions streamline and refocus the portfolios, which was a primary goal of the review. The changes reflect the UTC’s consensus on the importance of what we called “mindful teaching.” In the UTC’s view, mindful teaching encompasses persistent, focused, and purposeful dedication to striving for excellence over time. This includes: learning about and applying effective instructional practices across a wide range of teaching activities; evaluating the effectiveness of those practices; and reflecting on personal values and professional experiences to shape future teaching practices.
This focus guided the UTC’s revision of instructions for preparing application portfolios. To access the revised guidelines for each of the award categories, click on the links below.
