MHCC seeking distinguished teachers

By Nikolina Hatton

Nomination applications are now available for students and faculty to nominate a full-time teacher to receive the annual Distinguished Teaching Award.

The Mt. Hood Community College Foundation began awarding the award in 1984. The Foundation considers recognizing excellent teachers a high priority. Instead of teachers being chosen because of a distinguished record, they are recognized for their actual teaching and personal skills.

Pam Benjamin, President Robert Silverman’s secretary, is chairman of the selection committee and said, “This is not a popularity contest – it is about teachers who do an exceptional job of teaching.”

In the application, the Foundation presents the following criteria for potential awardees. They should: 1) facilitate student learning; 2) stimulate learning for life; 3) show organization in their teaching methods; 4) support students; 5) demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills; 6) communicate effectively, and 7) exhibit professional skills and behavior.

Each category has sub-categories and examples and, the applications says, teachers are not expected to be masters of all areas. However, it’s the responsibility of the nominator to represent their teacher or colleague thoroughly, highlighting their strengths in these and other areas.

Some students rally their classmates to each write a letter for their teacher and turn them in to Benjamin by the deadline, but it will not win a teacher the award just because they received 20 nominations. A teacher must be exemplary and the students should demonstrate this.

“The committee is not impressed with the number of nominations necessarily as they are with the strength of one nomination,” said Benjamin.
She said the committee prefers a student to take time and put some heart and soul into their nomination, telling about something the teacher has done for them personally or how they interact with students.

Teachers can be nominated by students, faculty, alumni, and administration, and applications can be picked up at division offices, or those interested may see Benjamin in the President’s Office. Nominators can fill out the application, or write a letter, using the application as a reference to be sure they don’t leave anything out.
Nominations should be emailed or turned into Benjamin by April 7 at 5 p.m. for consideration in the process. They will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of a varied group of people including the student body president and three previous award recipients. Up to three awardees are chosen.

Distinguished Teaching Award recipients will be surprised in their classroom, introduced to the education board, invited to graduation and presented with a plaque. They will also be invited to a Foundation board meeting where they are awarded $500.

“Every year it is very exciting and wonderful. Some [teachers] react extremely emotional about it but others are very controlled,” said Benjamin.
For questions, Benjamin can be reached at 503-491-7212. She can be emailed at [email protected].