Teaching Excellence Award for Culture of Growth
This award honors educators who foster adaptability, resilience, and a culture of growth in their courses and programs. Recipients demonstrate how they create environments that value curiosity, experimentation, and continuous learning that encourage students to approach challenges as opportunities and to persist through difficulty.
| Category | Exemplary Evidence (4 pts) | Strong Evidence (3 pts) | Some Evidence (2 pts) | Minimal Evidence (1 pt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teaching Philosophy and Reflection (20%) | Clearly centers adaptability, resilience, and curiosity; explains how challenges become learning opportunities; reflection ties changes to evidence of improved outcomes. | Emphasizes growth mindset with solid examples; reflection notes use of feedback to adjust. | General statements about growth with limited examples or outcome linkage. | Minimal discussion of adaptability or growth; reflection is descriptive only. |
| Teaching Materials and Practices (35%) | Materials normalize challenge and revision (iterative tasks, revision policies, reflective prompts); scaffolding supports persistence and problem-solving; intent is clearly explained. | Activities encourage exploration and feedback use; structure supports incremental improvement. | Some references to growth-oriented activities, but scaffolding or clarity is limited. | Materials are static or purely summative; little evidence of iterative learning. |
| Evidence of Student Impact (35%) | Strong, varied evidence shows gains in confidence, persistence, risk-taking, or problem-solving tied to growth-focused design. | Clear evidence of increased motivation or resilience linked to strategies. | Limited or indirect evidence of development; connections to practices are weak. | Minimal or unclear evidence of growth-related impact. |
| Innovation and Growth (10%) | Demonstrates sustained pedagogical innovation and self-reflection; shares practices or mentors peers; documents iterative course improvement. | Shows ongoing reflective adaptation based on student/peer feedback. | Some innovation or reflection, but scope or depth is limited. | Minimal evidence of reflection or professional growth. |
