ABOUT THIS AWARD
Cynthia M. Barry established this award in 2011 to recognize teacher leadership in schools located in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean.

This award was renamed the Geoffrey J. Comber Touchstones Teacher of the Year, in honor of Touchstones’ co-founder and unfailing champion of teachers, Geoffrey J. Comber, who passed away in late 2019.

Past winners include Colin Hogan of Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City, NJ; Suzan Powell of the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women; Rick Vanosdall of Middle Tennessee State University; JJ Crommer & Antoxon Iturbe; Larry Harris of Elkton High School in Cecil County, MD; Shanelle Muse of Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City, NJ; Steve Davidson of Douglas MacArthur High School in San Antonio, TX; Myke Healy of Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada; Garreth Heidt of Perkiomen Valley Middle School East in Collegeville, PA; and Debbie Wilkins of Salisbury Elem. School in Salisbury, MD.

In 2020, we honored Touchstones Teachers Everywhere as our Teachers(s) of the Year in recognition of their commitment to education in the face of a global pandemic's challenges. 

The winner of the award a cash prize of $250. An award ceremony is pending, based on health and travel will receive paid round-trip transportation to Annapolis, Maryland, paid accommodations at a local hotel, and a cash prize of $250.

If you have any questions about the award or the nomination process, please contact the Touchstones Discussion Project at schoolprograms@touchstones.org or (410) 604-3309.

ABOUT THE NOMINATION PROCESS: Educators may nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague or supervisor for this award. Please indicate below if you are nominating yourself or someone else.

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* 1. Please indicate if you are nominating yourself or someone else. Then provide your name, the name of the nominee, your telephone number, email, and school or business address. If you are providing a home address, please also tell us where you teach or the school with which you are affiliated.

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* 2. What class(es) or course(s) does the nominee teach and with students at what grade level(s)?

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* 3. If you are nominating yourself, please provide the name and email and phone number of a supervisor or colleague who supports your nomination for this award. If you are nominating someone else, please describe your relationship to the nominee.

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* 4. For how many months/years has the nominee led Touchstones discussions with his or her students? Which volumes have been used and approximately how many students total have been in thoseTouchstones classes over time?

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* 5. In a short paragraph, please describe how Touchstones has been a part of the positive changes in the nominee's students' discussions and collaborative activities within the school setting. You may also want to comment on the nominee's own dedication, commitment, and creativity in leading Touchstones discussions.

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* 6. How does the nominee encourage student participation and the asking of questions, speaking thoughtfully, listening actively, and enacting higher-level thinking skills and problem solving during Touchstones classes? How does the nominee encourage the broader application of those skills by students in their other classes and in their interactions overall? Please feel free to include one or two specific examples or stories.

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* 7. In what way does the nominee exemplify the Touchstones ideal of a collaborator and leader within your school or the larger community or serve as a model of civic engagement for others?

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* 8. What would you most like to share with other educators about Touchstones?

Thank you for completing this survey and for your nomination for the Geoffrey J. Comber Touchstones Teacher of the Year Award in 2022. The nomination period will close on September 7, and the award will be announced soon after. The winner of the award will receive a cash prize of $250. An award ceremony is pending based on health and travel advisories.
If you have any questions about the award or the nomination process, please contact Touchstones at schoolprograms@touchstones.org or (410) 604-3309.

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