Name of the Organization : Ministry of Education, Youth & Sports – Belize Board of Teacher Education
Type of Facility : Outstanding Teachers & School Leaders of the Year Award Program 2014-15
Country : Belize
Deadline : December 12, 2014
Official Website : http://www.moe.gov.bz/index.php
Outstanding Teachers & School Leaders of the Year Award Program :
Do you know a teacher or school leader who is dedicated, inspiring, and making a difference?
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The Belize Board of Teacher Education and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the Association of General Managers of Primary Schools, the Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize, the National Committee for Technical and Vocational Education Training, and the Belize National Teachers’ Union wish to recognize outstanding teachers and school leaders at the various levels of the school system to honor and demonstrate appreciation for their commitment and excellence in education.
What are the Nomination Procedures and the Format for Nomination :
Recognizing Outstanding Teachers and School Leaders of the Year in Belize is especially significant because it engages all members of the school community in acknowledging commitment and excellence in education. Initially, a teacher and/or school leader may be recommended for nomination by ANY person within the school or community but the completed formal nomination should involve a collaborative decision making process indicating the support of all those groups concerned with the quality of education within the school.
Who can nominate a Teacher or a School Leader for the 2014-2015 Award :
A PRIMARY NOMINATOR complimented/supported by two endorsers. Primary Nominations for a teacher and/or school leader for the 2014-2015 Award must come from within the school where the teacher/school leader works, i.e., a student, auxiliary staff, another teacher or another school leader. An individual may nominate only ONE teacher and/or ONE school leader in a particular area or category for the Award. Teachers and school leaders may not nominate themselves.
Any nomination has to be further endorsed by both :
** First Endorser : Local Manager, General Manager, or Member of a Board of Management/Governors
** Second Endorser : Parent/Guardian, Church Leader, Community Leader, Member of the School Committee/Parent Teachers’ Association or Member of the Business Community
Who is Eligible for the Outstanding Teacher and School Leader of the Year Award :
** Any full-time Pre-primary, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Special Education and Technical/Vocational Teacher is eligible for nomination for the 2014-2015 Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award.
** A Teacher nominee must be an active teacher during the 2014-2015 academic year and have a minimum of five (5) years classroom experience in the area/level for which s/he is being nominated. Other school personnel such as principals, counselors, librarians, bursars or secretaries are NOT eligible for this Award (unless they are full-time teachers).
** Any full-time School Leader (i.e. head teacher, principal, vice-principal, dean, assistant dean, and department chair or school manager) from the following two categories is eligible for nomination for the 2014-2015 Outstanding School Leader of the Year Award.
** Category 1 – Pre-primary & Primary (pre-schools, primary schools and special education centers)
** Category 2 – Secondary & Post-secondary (secondary and technical/vocational schools, junior colleges and universities)
** A School leader nominee must be an active School Leader during the 2014-2015 academic year and have served a minimum of five (5) years in leadership, administration and/or management in the category for which s/he is being nominated. Other school personnel such as teachers, counselors, librarians, bursars or secretaries are NOT eligible for this award (unless they are serving in a full-time leadership, administrative and/or management capacity).
Download Form: https://www.statusin.org/uploads/5178-2014-2015%20Nomination%20Packet%20revised.pdf
The Nomination Packet should include the following :
1. A Data Sheet about the nominee and the signed Nominee Consent Form [page 3] endorsing the nomination and consenting to publicity; (to be completed by the Nominee)
2. A completed Nomination Form [pages 4 and 5 (for a Teacher nominee) OR pages 6 and 7 (for a School Leader nominee)]; (to be done by the Primary Nominator)
3. Two (2) completed Character Reference Forms [pages 8 AND 9]; (one (1) from an individual within the school, i.e. the principal, another teacher or school leader, a student or the school manager and one (1) from a member of the local school community, i.e. a parent, a sponsor, a community/municipal leader, member of the business community, etc.)
What are the Criteria for Selecting the 2014-2015 Teacher & School Leader of the Year :
The 2014-2015 Outstanding Teacher & School Leader of the Year Award Program will recognize one pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary, special education and technical/vocational teacher and one Category I (Pre-primary and Primary) and one Category II (Secondary and Post-secondary) School Leader.
A national selection committee will review the nominations for each area/level and category from each district and select the award recipients. Nominees must be : Criteria and Procedures for Selecting the 2014 – 2015 Outstanding Teachers & School Leaders of the Year
A Teacher who :
** Is an active teacher during the 2014-2015 academic year and has at least five (5) years teaching experience in the area for which s/he is being nominated;
** Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of content/subject matter and the ability to share it effectively (being dynamic and creative) with students;
** Understands the individual needs of students, encourages their talents and helps to build their confidence and self esteem;
** Possesses the ability to motivate and inspire learning in students of all backgrounds, abilities and competencies;
** Has participated in and/or demonstrated leadership in professional development activities and where possible, has fostered cooperative relationships with colleagues;
** Has made positive contributions to the community (may include membership in any community organization, among other things);
** Has the respect and admiration of students, parents, teachers, the school administration and other members of the local school community.
A School Leader who :
** Is an active school leader during the 2014-2015 academic year and has at least five (5) years experience in leadership, administration and/or management in the category for which s/he is being nominated;
** Is knowledgeable about curriculum and instructional practices and maintains high expectations for student improvement;
** Is knowledgeable about evaluation practices and uses school-based data to assess results, refine goals and develop plans for school improvement;
** Fosters strong interpersonal relationships and supports on-going, relevant and appropriate professional learning opportunities for colleagues;
** Demonstrates effective communication skills and establishes collaborative partnerships to ensure parental and community support in school affairs;
** Nurtures safe, healthy and welcoming learning environments for students and colleagues;
** Has the respect and admiration of students, teachers, parents and other members of the school community.
Timeline for the Selection Process :
1. Nomination packets for the Outstanding Teacher and School Leader of the Year Award program may be collected from the District Education Centers beginning Monday, October 6, 2014.
2. Nomination packets are due at the respective District Education Centers no later than Friday, December 12, 2014 at 4 p.m. Nominations received thereafter will NOT be considered.
3. From Monday, January 12, 2015 – Friday, February 13, 2015 the District Screening Committee (comprised of the relevant members from the respective Regional Councils) will evaluate the nomination packets and select ONE Teacher finalist for each area/level (pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary, special education and technical/vocational) and ONE School Leader finalist for each category (Category I : pre-primary & primary; Category II: secondary & post-secondary) from the pool of nominations received. This selection MUST be substantiated with a visit to the potential finalists during this period.
4. The District Screening Committee will submit the names of the six (6) Teacher finalists (one from each area/level) and the names of the two (2) School Leader finalists (one from each category), complete with the entire Nomination packets to the National Selection Committee via the office of the Teacher Education and Development Services during the period Monday, February 16 – Friday, February 27, 2015.
5. From Monday, March 2, 2015 – Friday, April 17, 2015, the National Selection Committee (comprised of representatives from MoE, the Assoc. of GMs, BAPSS, ATLIB, NCTVET and BNTU) will review the finalists’ Nomination packets and will select an Outstanding Teacher of the Year for each area/level of the school system and an Outstanding School Leader of the Year for each identified category. During this period, the National Selection Committee will also coordinate an on-site visit to each Outstanding Teacher and School Leader of the Year. As part of this visit, interviews will be conducted with colleagues, administrators, parents, students, etc.
How will the Outstanding Teachers & School Leaders of the Year by Recognized :
Nominees who are selected as outstanding Teachers or School Leaders from each district (the finalists for each area or category) will be awarded with a Certificate of Recognition and a Plaque at an Award Ceremony to be held on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
At this same Awards Ceremony, the Outstanding Teacher & School Leader of Year for each area or category of the school system will receive a $1000.00 Cash Award1 for recognition of their commitment and excellence in education.
The 2014-2015 Outstanding Teachers & School Leaders of the Year will also be asked to participate in various educational activities throughout the 2015-2016 academic year, including but not limited to, making guest appearances on media shows, facilitating professional development opportunities for teachers, and conducting interviews with other education personnel.