Teacher of the Year AwardS

Click here to view the full Awards Ceremony program.

Teachers who wish to be candidates for these awards must follow the procedures outlined below.

To be considered, the nominee must meet the following requirements:

1. Membership in the national AATSP for a least five consecutive years.
2. Provide evidence of teaching Spanish or Portuguese for at least five consecutive years at any level of instruction.
3. Your application materials should include:
   • Completed AATSP Awards Application Form.
   • A current curriculum vitae or resume (no longer than 10 pages in length).
   • At least two, but no more than five, letters of recommendation which may include letters from administrators, colleagues, students, or other significant references. Letters of recommendation should be written by those who have first-hand knowledge of the candidate's teaching abilities. Letters should provide evidence of outstanding teaching from a variety of sources such as direct classroom observation; students evaluations; teaching portfolios including videos; review of course syllabi and print and online teaching materials.
   • A personal statement. The candidate should provide evidence of professional excellence in teaching Spanish or Portuguese in a two-or three-page statement which presents the candidate's teaching philosophy and involvement in related activities and professional organizations. In this position statement, the candidate may comment on any of the following topics:

• How are students inspired to want to speak Spanish or Portuguese and to develop proficiency in the other language skills? 
• How are creativity and ingenuity used in planning classroom activities that help to challenge students? 
• What type of activities are used to develop critical thinking and higher order thinking skills? 
• How is a sense of global understanding developed in the students?
• To what extent has the candidate demonstrated leadership and participation?
• In what way has the candidate shared knowledge or information with colleagues? 
• How does the candidate's personal philosophy and experience reflect the AATSP's values on diversity, equity, and inclusion: sharing a passion for multilingual education; fostering diversity, inclusion, access, and equity; empowering transformational advocacy and outreach; promoting global and local impact through research and scholarships; and cultivating relationships and professional development opportunities? 

Individuals who have received this award previously are not eligible to receive the award again and should not apply. Current members of the AATSP Board of Directors as well as directors, coordinators and editors of AATSP programs and publications are not eligible to compete for this award. 

On January 1, 2025, the AATSP will begin accepting applications for the 2025 Teacher of the Year Awards. 

1. Nominations may be submitted by any AATSP member in good standing including self-nominations. 
2. The letter of nomination or recommendation should include the following information:

• In what capacity the nominator has known the person nominated
  
• How the excellence of the nominee has been assessed
  
• The rationale for proposing the candidate as a most deserving person for the award
  

3. All nomination materials must be submitted in electronic format and sent via e-mail. 

E-mail all materials to:

E-mail address: awards@aatsp.org
Subject Line: Name of Nominee and the Award applying for
Example: Antonia Aguila Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award - Elementary Level

Deadline: March 15, 2025

Award Presentation:

• The 2024 Teacher of the Year Awards will be presented at the 106th AATSP Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon.
• The winners of the Teacher of the Year Awards are expected to be in attendance to accept the award.