Michael Oates Teacher of Promise (TOP) Award

The IWLA Michael Oates “Teacher of Promise” Award may be conferred annually on students in teacher-training programs who have shown exceptional promise and potential to become outstanding world language educators. 

Selection Criteria: Demonstration of interest in world language education and potential for excellence in teaching.

Award: Recognition at the annual Iowa World Language Association Conference, an honorary plaque, paid registration fee for the following year’s IWLA Conference, and a $100 stipend to be spent on educational materials (invoices must be submitted to the association treasurer for confirmation and payment).

Up to three winners may be named each year.

Procedure: Cooperating teachers, university methods professors, mentors, or other supervisors may nominate candidates using this form. Upon receipt of this nomination, the IWLA Awards Committee will notify all candidates who must then submit a résumé/CV, a short essay (written in English), and proof of successful completion of a student teaching experience.

http://www.iwla.net/awards

Rubric used to Evaluate Nominees

Michael Oates is a name synonymous with the teaching of language, culture, linguistics, and pedagogy for thousands of students and teachers across Iowa, the nation, and around the world. Dr. Oates was a long-time professor of French at the University of Northern Iowa. He was very active in our then-named Iowa Foreign Language Association, serving in many leadership roles. In 1989, he was awarded both the IFLA teacher of the year and ACTFL’s Nelson Brooks Award for Excellence in Teaching Culture from ACTFL. IWLA is what it is today, in large part due to his legacy of service and teaching excellence is an example for us all. He co-authored several books and served the world language profession with distinction. Dr. Oates passed away in 2009, and the IWLA Board established the award in his name in 2012.