Announcement for the CLASS Awards in 2023
Announcement for the CLASS Awards in 2023
Submission deadline by Tuesday June 30, 2023
The CLASS Awards Committee is delighted to announce The Yao Memorial Award for Outstanding New Teacher and Outstanding Chinese Teacher Award for 2023. The committee will be accepting applications through June 30, 2023. The final selection of the award recipients for both of the CLASS awards will be announced at the annual CLASS Luncheon on Saturday, November 18, 2023, which is held in conjunction with the 2023 ACTFL Convention in Chicago, IL from November 17 through November 19, 2023.
We highly encourage qualified teachers to consider submitting applications according to the instructions below for both awards. CLASS accepts both self-nomination and/or a nomination made by a school administrator or colleague in the profession. All applicants will be honored and gain visibility for their school and/or district for their excellent efforts and support in promoting and advocating the teaching and the learning of Chinese language and culture in K-12 schools. Your dedication and commitment to teaching Chinese as a new teacher not only provides opportunities for your students and your professional growth, but also serves to create a more diverse, tolerant and empathetic environment for our schools and communities. CLASS cordially invites you to apply for this award as we celebrate and take pride in our teaching profession at the national level during the annual ACTFL Convention.
Please collect and submit all your application materials/documents in one package via email to classk12awards@gmail.com by June 30, 2023. The CLASS Awards committee will acknowledge the acceptance of your submission by July 5, 2023. Please note that any incomplete application missing documents will not be accepted. The award recipient(s) will be notified via e-mail by or before September 1, 2023. The award recipient is responsible for making their own travel arrangements to attend the CLASS sponsored sessions at the 2023 ACTFL Convention in Boston. ACTFL will post additional details as they become available, including if the convention is to be held virtually (in which case, the award recipient should prepare to accept the award virtually online).
The Yao Memorial Award for Outstanding New Teacher
姚道中优秀新教师奖
The Yao Memorial Award for Outstanding New Teacher recognizes an individual of the Chinese teaching profession who has been teaching in K-12 public or independent schools for less than 5 years and is currently in at least a half time position. This individual must demonstrate excellence and passion in teaching Chinese language and culture. All members of CLASS, with the exception of current CLASS officers and members of the elected Board of Directors, are eligible for the award. This award consists of a plaque in recognition of their excellence in
teaching, a one-year CLASS membership and a scholarship amount that is equivalent to the ACTFL Convention advance registration fee for 2023.
To apply, please submit the following materials/documents in one application package via email to classk12awards@gmail.com by June 30, 2023.
● A cover letter indicating the applicant’s personal information such as name, address, school name and address, principal’s name and email contact, and a proof of the applicant’s CLASS membership in the current year of the application. (You may print out a copy of your CLASS member card by logging into your personal account via the CLASS membership site.)
● An up to date curriculum vitae that indicates total years of service in the Chinese teaching field and employment history.
● A one-page professional statement detailing your teaching philosophy and inspirations.
● An unedited 10-15 minutes unedited video sample of a snapshot of your current classroom teaching. Any video that has been edited will not be accepted. The video should be from the current school year and be a lesson taught in person to students (not online).
Please also submit the following with your classroom teaching video:
● A lesson plan describing the lesson in your classroom teaching video. The lesson plan should include world language standards covered and assessments used.
● Your self-reflection/critique of the video sample.
● Two recommendation letters from colleagues with at least one of the letters from a mentor teacher or a supervisor about your professional growth to become a role-model for other new teachers in the K-12 Chinese teaching field.
Outstanding Chinese Teacher Award
全美优秀中文教师奖
The Outstanding Chinese Teacher Award recognizes an individual of the Chinese teaching profession who is currently in practice and has held a full-time position for at least 5 years. This individual has demonstrated excellence in teaching Chinese language and culture to students at K-12 schools in the United States. All members of CLASS, with the exception of current CLASS officers and members of the elected Board of Directors, are eligible for the award. This award consists of a plaque in recognition of their excellence in teaching and a one-year CLASS membership.
To apply please submit the following materials/documents in one application package via e-mail to classk12awards@gmail.com by June 30, 2023.
• A cover letter indicating the applicant’s personal information such as name, address, school name and address, principal’s name and email contact, and a proof of the applicant’s CLASS membership in the current year of the application. (You may print out a copy of your
CLASS member card by logging into your personal account via CLASS membership site.)
• An up to date curriculum vitae that indicates total years of service in the Chinese teaching field and employment history.
• A one-page professional statement detailing your teaching philosophy and inspirations.
● An unedited 10-15 minutes unedited video sample of a snapshot of your current classroom teaching. Video should be for an in person teaching lesson. Any video that has been edited will not be accepted.
Please also submit the following with your classroom teaching video:
● A lesson plan describing the lesson in your classroom teaching video. The lesson plan should include world language standards covered and assessments used.
● Your self-reflection/critique of the video sample.
• Two recommendation letters from colleagues or supervisors.
