Harwood Union Middle School history teacher Sarah Ibson was nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award. The award is sponsored by Patricia Behring, widow of the late Kenneth E. Behring, who previously sponsored the National History Day Contest for many years.
Each of the 58 National History Day affiliates may nominate one middle school teacher for this award, and Ibson is the junior division nominee from Vermont. Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher who demonstrates a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the National History Day Contest. All nominees will receive $500 each as a result of their nominations.
“Teachers are among the greatest resources children have to develop the skills necessary to become critical thinkers,” said National History Day executive director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “The nominees for the Behring Award have shown a dedication to teaching that goes beyond the classroom. I congratulate Sarah Ibson on her well-deserved nomination.”
Patricia Behring sponsors this award in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students. The national winner will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians and will be announced on June 18, 2020, at the National History Day Contest awards ceremony held at the University of Maryland, College Park. Nominees’ work must clearly illustrate the development and use of creative teaching methods that interest students in history and help them make exciting discoveries about the past.
