Expectations and Benefits

The Armstrong Teacher Educator (ATE) Award honors outstanding Indiana teachers, but it is much more than a “teacher of the year” award. Winners of the Armstrong Teacher Education Award are expected to become actively involved in the life of the Teacher Education Program at IU-Bloomington in the ways listed below. You are advised to discuss these with your school administrators and with your family to ensure that you would be able to participate fully in the Armstrong Program if selected.

Expectations of Award Winners

1. Attend the April Celebration of Teaching in Bloomington. (Date varies slightly from year to year)
2. Do your best to become involved with IUB Teacher Education during your active year. We will work with you to figure out how your interests and skills complement those of IUB faculty and students. We fully expect that each person’s involvement will be unique due to different interests, geographic constraints, etc. In general, we expect that you will make at least three visits to the IUB campus per semester (or that you will be involved in some negotiated equivalent activities -- for example, visiting IUB via distance technology hookup, mentoring IUB student teachers in your local area, etc.).
3. Attend retreats on the last Friday and Saturday in June of the year you are selected and the following year. During the first retreat you will hear about previous winners’ experiences working with IUB faculty and students, share some of the things you are doing in your classroom, and begin making plans for your active year as an Armstrong Teacher Educator. During the second retreat, you will be asked to share your experiences in the program with other Armstrong Teacher Educators.
4. By June 1st of your active year, submit a brief final report describing your work as an ATE (see #4 below).

Benefits for Award Winners

1. The ATE fund pays all travel and lodging expenses associated with Armstrong Teacher Educator visits to IUB for Teacher Education work.
2. The ATE fund pays for a substitute teacher whenever you must miss school to work for Armstrong-related Teacher Education work.
3. The ATE fund will pay your tuition at the IUB campus for up to 12 in-state graduate credits, if you chose to enroll in courses while you are an active year Armstrong Teacher Educator.
4. The ATE fund pays a $1000 honorarium at the end of your active year, so long as you have been active and submitted a final report by June 1st of your active year. (If the report is late, no honorarium can be paid.)
5. The Armstrong fund will provide financial support (up to $1000) for attendance at a professional conference of your choice (e.g., registration, travel, lodging, food).