Society for the Teaching of Psychology: Division 2 of the American Psychological Association

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Wayne Weiten Teaching Excellence Award

Eligibility Criteria

The Wayne Weiten Teaching Excellence Award recognizes teaching excellence for individuals currently teaching at 2-year colleges. Applicants must be members of STP and may joint STP at any time.

Award Criteria

Broadly defined, instructional effectiveness serves as the core of the selection criteria used in selecting the Wayne Weiten Teaching Excellence Award winner. As such, demonstration of effective teaching heads the list, particularly at the 2-year college level where capable teaching is widely viewed as the major job responsibility. However, because activities outside the classroom are often associated with facilitating teaching performance, bolstering student learning, and advancing psychology as an applied science, the selection guidelines acknowledge the importance of both service excellence and the scholarship of teaching and learning in line with the model of the well-rounded teacher-scholar.

1.     Effective teaching. This criterion involves the development of effective teaching methods, courses, and/or teaching materials that exemplify outstanding performance as a classroom educator. Documentation may include, but is not limited to:
a)    innovative methods, materials, course syllabi, and evidence of successful utilization of each
b)    outstanding student evaluations (submit summaries of no more than the last 5 years; please do not include raw teaching evaluation information; please type up any handwritten comments)
c)     providing evaluative observations by supervisors and colleagues
d)    demonstrating innovation teaching and/or assessment methods
e)    presenting evidence of prior teaching awards or other forms of recognition
2.     Service. This criterion pertains to local, regional, and/or national service, both curricular and co- curricular, intended to increase student interest and involvement in psychology, raise community awareness of psychology as an applied science, and/or use the principles of psychology to improve the human condition. Documentation may include, but is not limited to:
a)    encouraging students to major in psychology at a 4-year college or university
b)    mentoring faculty colleagues
c)     sponsoring or advising a student or community organization
d)    participating in community outreach projects or civic activities that heighten community awareness of the discipline of psychology and/or apply psychological principles to problem resolution
e)    engaging in collaborative service efforts with psychology teachers at the high school, 2-year college, and/or 4-year college/university level 
f)     serving on local, regional, and/or national committees and task forces
3.     Scholarship of teaching and learning. This criterion concerns professional identity as a teacher of psychology, including professional activity on or away from campus. Documentation may include, but is not limited to:
a)     publishing or co-publishing books, book chapters, journal articles, monographs, and/or newsletter articles on teaching or teaching-related topics
b)    serving as editor or reviewer for a scholarly publication
c)     participating in and/or presenting at conferences, symposia, seminars, or workshops relevant to the teaching of psychology
d)    organizing and coordinating teaching meetings, training sessions, workshops, or conferences supervising and stimulating student research, including work that leads to publication, conference presentations, and/or poster-session displays
e)     participating actively in organizations that indicate professional identification as a psychology teacher
f)     securing research or curriculum development grants
g)    pursuing additional graduate-level training that enhances instructional effectiveness 
Submission Information


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