On Friday night, while nursing a headache and impatiently flipping through channels on the TV, I happened upon an awards ceremony that I never knew existed - the American Teacher Awards! This formal star-studded event is brought to us by the folks at Disney, complete with evening gowns, acceptance speeches, and tears of joy.

I soon felt riveted to the TV screen as my headache melted into the background. I couldn't believe that 33 of my colleagues around the country were being honored in such a glamorous and legitimate way! Of course, we don't teach for the recognition, but it's nice to see Oscar-caliber effort go into thanking teachers for their important hard work.

For each honoree, the producers showed a short presentation of the teacher in action, showing how he or she works magic in the classroom. From these glimpses into the teachers' skills and styles, I noticed a few commonalities that virtually all of the honored teachers shared.

Here's what some of the nation's best teachers have in common:

Thinking Outside of the Classroom - These outstanding teachers don't just think "outside of the box," they leap outside of the classroom walls and take their students with them! As much as possible, these teachers try to make classroom experiences exciting and memorable for the students. Imagine how much more enjoyable your lessons would be for both you and your kids if they got to live and experience the material in full, living color, rather than from behind dreary, predictable desks. By giving their students a real world application for the knowledge they gain, these teachers take learning to the next action-packed level!

Creativity in Lesson Presentation - The teachers highlighted in this award show appear dedicated to the credo: "Learning - whatever it takes." These teachers recognize that bored kids do not learn as well as actively engaged learners do. These teachers are willing to do anything necessary to help kids understand the material at hand and, more than that, catch the fever for knowledge! None of the teachers offered traditional lecture-type lesson presentations - no round robin reading of dry textbooks here. These instructors were dancing, singing, dressing up, and enthusiastically showing the kids how to love the process of learning. The kids enjoyed a hands-on, practical approach to learning, ensuring that many of these exciting lessons will be remembered for a lifetime. We all know how much "behind the scenes" work goes into preparing intricate and innovative lessons, but these teachers know that all of the work is worth it when kids are ready and willing to jump into learning!

A Willingness to be Themselves with the Kids - These teachers embrace the very human aspect of teaching. They aren't afraid to look silly; they would do anything that helps make learning fun and drive the academic message home. Additionally, the teachers exuberantly love the kids for the individuals that they are, capitalizing on the energy of youth, not trying to squander it for the sake of classroom calm. The students feel respected and readily say that they consider their teachers friends, not just stuffy educators. The teachers invest time, trust, and unbridled energy in their students' lives, which pays dividends at test time and even when class is over.

Kids Love to Enter Their Classrooms - All of the above reasons combine with the intangible magic of each teacher's personality so that the children absolutely can't wait to come to class and get learning! Smiles and enthusiasm permeate these students' attitudes, regardless of race, class, region, or interests. The teachers can make even the most inaccessible subjects come alive in the sanctuary of their classrooms. The kids and teachers avoid burn-out together, looking forward to class each and every day!

To sum it up, I learned that it would be well worth my energy to design a couple exciting hands-on activities to drive a concept home than to spend time having the kids read a dry textbook. I learned that following my instinct to be myself with my students can really pay off in enthusiasm for learning.

Disney CEO Michael Eisner, Oprah Winfrey, and dozens of celebrities helped celebrate this evening dedicated to the often overlooked teaching profession. The teachers brought students along to share in the spotlight.

After taking in the aura and message of the evening, I was grateful for the headache that helped guide me to this unique awards show. Maybe you can catch it next year - maybe someday you'll be an honoree yourself!

You can nominate an outstanding teacher for the 2001 awards and find more information on this remarkable program at Disney's American Teacher Awards home page.

More Recent Features