The NCTE-NEHS English Language Arts Innovation Award celebrates visionary educators who are shaping the future of high school English language arts education. This prestigious award acknowledges the transformative impact of innovative teaching practices and recognizes the dedication and creativity of teachers who go above and beyond to inspire and engage their students.
Teachers are invited to showcase their most innovative lesson plans and classroom resources, highlighting their commitment to creating dynamic learning experiences. Beyond cash prizes, award recipients receive valuable benefits such as a free year of NCTE membership with access to NCTE journals or a waived NEHS chartering fee.
Winning submissions are prominently featured on ReadWriteThink.org, NCTE’s renowned platform for high-quality, peer-reviewed lesson plans and teacher resources. This exposure not only honors the recipients but also shares their innovative approaches with educators globally, fostering a community of excellence and collaboration in English language arts education.
The ELA Innovation Award is more than just recognition—it’s a celebration of educators who are pushing boundaries, inspiring creativity, and making a lasting impact on the lives of their students and the field of English language arts education.
Awards
1 x First place: $500
2 x Second place: $350
2 x Third place: $250
3 x Honorable mention: $100
Eligibility
Applicants must be high school teachers either registered as NEHS Chapter Advisors at a school with an active chapter and/or current NCTE members.
Submission Requirements
- Applicants must submit PDF (.pdf) lesson plans or classroom resources they have created that relate to any aspect of grade 9-12 high school English Language Arts teaching, including diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- The lesson plans or resources must cover one unit in its entirety.
- Submitted materials must be in a format ready to be used by other teachers who might not have a strong background in the topic covered and should include a concise outline of the grade 9-12 English Language Arts standards being met by the materials.
- All resources necessary for the lesson plans or resources to be used should be linked or included.
- If any other readings or materials are needed to implement the lesson plan or resources (which are not freely available or otherwise linked), they must be submitted along with the lesson plans or resources.
- The name of the applicant should be present on each lesson plan or resource (you can also include your email address if you want, but this is not required).
- All submitted lesson plans and resources must be the original creation of the applicant.
Submission Process
- All submissions must be made via the NEHS AwardSpring platform during the Spring Awards Cycles.
- Applicants must complete demographic data questions prior to submitting their documentation.
- The applicant must upload their lesson plan or classroom resource in a single PDF file (.pdf).
- All applicants must include a 150-word (max.) third-person biography and high-resolution portrait photo.
- Applicants must agree that they are willing to provide a written report and photos detailing the impact the award has had on them, which can be used by NEHS to promote this and other opportunities in future years should they win an award.
Evaluation Process
All applications will be evaluated by at least three members of the NEHS evaluation team.
All applications will be evaluated against a rubric containing (but not limited to) the following categories:
- Breadth and depth of objectives covered
- Quality of instructions provided
- Innovative use of technology
- Quality and variety of differentiated activities
- Quality and variety of assessments
- Quality and variety of reading and/or writing activities
- Innovation and creativity
