CAMWS Sub-Committee on Teaching Awards Criteria for Excellent Teaching
These criteria are presented in no particular order, and represent in broad terms some of the most important ways in which excellent teaching can be identified.
1. Excellent teachers leave something of themselves with their students, demonstrate to students the importance of life-long learning, and serve as important role models.
2. Excellent teachers are viewed by their peers and by junior faculty as leaders in finding and promoting best practices in pedagogy, course logistics, field trips, or other extramural activities and course content.
3. Excellent teaching presumes and is demonstrated through careful course design, clearly articulated goals, and diligent class preparation; continual course development to enhance learning; thoughtful and effective development of curriculum; self-critique and personal pedagogical development.
4. Excellent teaching is based on a demonstrated expertise in the languages and cultures of classical antiquity and on a recognizable commitment to the craft of teaching.
5. Excellent teachers are able to engage a broad range of students and to adopt classroom practices designed to achieve this goal. They convey excitement about the value of studying classical languages and cultures, as well as about about learning in general.
6. Effective teachers provide honest and constructive feedback to enable students to be successful in learning the languages and cultures of classical antiquity, and they encourage students to develop the habits of critical thinking.