Purpose
The purpose of the NACTA Master’s Student Teaching Award is to recognize and reward Master’s level graduate students who excel as teachers in the agricultural disciplines and who are involved in classroom instruction. The NACTA Master’s Student Teaching Award is a criterion-based award and is reviewed by a committee of NACTA members. Criteria included in the evaluation are the graduate student's teaching philosophy, a description of the candidate's specific teaching involvement statement of support from the supervising faculty, evaluations on the student’s instruction, a self-evaluation, and involvement in teaching outside the classroom.

Recipients receive a certificate at the NACTA Conference.

DOWNLOAD AWARD TEMPLATE HERE

Eligibility

• Applicants must hold a current Graduate Student Membership in NACTA at time of application.
  Applicants who are not paid NACTA members by close of award applications will be ineligible to
  receive the award and will not have their applications reviewed. Applicant may not have
  previously received the NACTA Master’s Student Teaching Award.
• Nominee must have completed 1 semester or 2 quarters of classroom instruction (including
  lecture, laboratory, and discussion sections).
• Must be a current Master’s student in good academic standing or MS graduate a
  semester/quarter before application.
• This is a merit based award (unlimited recipients) that recognizes individuals that score at least
  an 80% in the review process.
• Award recipients are expected to attend the NACTA Conference in order to receive their award.
  There is no funding for travel associated with this award.

Criteria for Applications
Application materials should be compiled and submitted by a supporting faculty mentor or University designee. The packet should be typed, single spaced as appropriate. Please utilize the template provided:

1. Cover Page
2. Nomination Letter
3. Teaching Philosophy
4. Candidate’s Involvement in Classroom Instruction
5. Self Evaluation of Instruction
6. Evidence of Teaching Excellence
7. Involvement in Teaching Outside the Classroom
8. Faculty Mentor Evaluation of Instruction
9. 3 Student Evaluations of Instruction
10. Nominee’s Resume  

Special Instructions
Awardees are expected to be present at the NACTA Annual Conference to receive their award. A consent of nomination implies that the nominee has an intention and, if selected for an award, will attend the conference. 

Submission Information
For each nominee, upload one single PDF file that includes all nomination materials (all documents, letters of support, teaching evaluations and other relevant documents) on the electronic submission form by 11:59 PM on January 15.

We will only accept one PDF file for each nomination and will not combine your materials into one file if you upload multiple files for each nominee. Evaluations of all nominees will be conducted electronically by previous NACTA recipient members.

Supplemental materials will be submitted separately from the nomination packet.

Recognition
Recipient(s) will be recognized at the Annual NACTA Conference.

Deadline for Submission
All nomination materials must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on January 15. If you have questions or difficulties with submitting your nomination, please reach out to us via support@nactateachers.org.