English Teacher Awards 2024: Understanding the categories

Thomas Gardner
A smiley woman and one of her friends/students working in a cafe.
Reading time: 4 minutes

Teachers shape every aspect of our learning experience, especially when it comes to language learning. Great teachers give learners not only the skills but the confidence to go out in the world, start speaking up and discovering new opportunities.

We’re celebrating those exceptional educators with the app English Teacher Awards 2024.

With five different categories and a Gold, Silver and Bronze winner in each, there are 15 chances to take home thousands of pounds worth of top prizes for the winning teachers and their schools.

Find out more about who can enter and the different categories in this article.

Teacher Awards 2024
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The 5 award categories

The app English Teacher Awards celebrate educators across five different categories, and closely tailoring your application to the category description is a great way to stand out to the judges.

Teachers can only be nominated for one category, so take a look at the five categories below to find out which is the best fit for your nominee.

1. Teaching Young Minds English

Those very first experiences of learning English can shape a love of language that lasts a lifetime.

This category is for primary educators who’ve set young learners up for long-term success in English through their nurturing, engaging approach.

From fun-filled lessons to creative ways to give young learners opportunities to use their new skills, we want to hear about the educators that have filled children with the confidence to get their language learning journey off to a great start.

2. Empowering Teen Confidence in English

Filled with exams, competing priorities and big decisions, the teenage years can be a make-or-break moment for language learning and the future paths it unlocks.

Making progress with a language rests on feeling confident enough to put skills into practice, which can be difficult for all learners and especially for teenagers.

This category recognizes dedicated teachers who’ve helped teen learners maintain their engagement and commitment to learning English. We’re looking for teachers who have helped teenagers build the confidence they need to speak up and start to discover the joy of being themselves in English.

3. Cultivating Lifelong Learners in English

Learning English as an adult comes with its own unique set of motivations and challenges. Learners are often balancing a whole range of competing responsibilities, with high-stakes opportunities, like studying or employment, that rely on language proficiency.

This category celebrates educators who enable and inspire adult learners with their empathetic, innovative approach, giving them the confidence to learn, perform at their best and unlock new opportunities by learning English.

4. Innovation in English Language Teaching

Teaching is a dynamic discipline that changes with every year, every class and every learner.

Sometimes, it means finding a completely new way to help learners understand and connect with a subject.

This category celebrates those who are always striving to bring the best new technology and techniques to teaching English. We’re looking for educators who have challenged traditional practices, implemented innovative teaching methods and inspired change in the way English is taught.

5. Rising Stars of English Language Teaching

Teaching is a journey, just like learning English. This category recognizes those with less than three years of experience at the very start of their English language teaching career.

We’re looking for educators who’ve arrived in the classroom with a whole host of creative ideas and techniques for building learners' confidence.

Winners in this category will already be leading the way at their school when it comes to shaping the way English is taught and giving learners that “I can do it” confidence.

How to enter

Once you’ve decided on the right category, it’s time to start your nomination.

All applications are online via the English Teacher Awards entry pageand there’s just one question to answer:

How do you/your teacher/your colleague build learners’ confidence to be themselves in English?

The deadline for nominations is midnight (CST) on 1st November.

Your nominee will receive an automated email letting them know they’ve been nominated. Our team will contact them again if they’re shortlisted as a winner ahead of the online awards ceremony in November 2024.

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    • Reading comprehension: Assign chapters to read in class or as homework. Discuss key events and character developments.
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    • Creative writing: Ask students to write a diary entry from the perspective of Scrooge at different points in the story.

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    - What are the main reasons for Scrooge's initial behavior?
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    1. End of year projects

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    • Class memory book: Ask students to contribute to a collaborative memory book filled with drawings, photos, or written reflections on their favorite moments of the year.
    • Passion projects: Give students the chance to dive into something they’re really interested in and wrap it up with a fun presentation or creative display.
    • Local impact projects: Challenge your learners to brainstorm ways to support their local community. They could develop a plan or even implement their ideas.

    2. Holiday-themed school activities

    With the festive season approaching, it’s the perfect excuse to blend learning with holiday cheer.

    • Cultural exploration: Encourage students to research and share how different cultures celebrate the holidays, fostering inclusivity and curiosity. They can also share how they celebrate the end of the year and any New Year traditions.
    • Art session: Organise a holiday craft-making session where students create ornaments, cards, or posters. Encourage students to write and create cards to take home to their loved ones.

    3. Interactive learning games

    Interactive games are an easy way to maintain focus and excitement.

    • Trivia challenges: Create trivia questions about topics covered during the year—bonus points for including playful or funny questions about inside jokes or class moments.
    • Escape room activities: Turn your classroom into an educational escape room with puzzles, problem-solving challenges and hidden clues.
    • AI Guess Who: Most AI chatbots will let you play games like Guess Who; play this with the class to liven things up.Let them take turns to guess who the chatbot is thinking of. You can also use '.

    4. Group activities

    Encourage collaboration with team tasks that bring students together.

    • Talent show: Give students the chance to showcase their talents, from singing and dancing to magic tricks and storytelling. It can be a great way to encourage them to practice language skills.
    • Debate tournaments: Divide your class into teams and set them up for friendly debates on fun or meaningful topics.
    • Story circles: Build stories as a group by having students take turns adding to the tale.

    5. Creative classroom ideas

    Don’t hesitate to think outside the box with these unique ideas:

    • Class awards ceremony: Create fun and light-hearted awards for each student, such as “Best Scientist” or “Most Curious Learner.”
    • Time capsule creation: Have students write letters to their future selves or fill a box with objects representing the year.
    • Themed classroom party: Use a theme, such as a tropical luau or winter wonderland, to bring the class together for a fun party with food, games and music.

    6. Classroom party ideas

    Every great year deserves a great finish. Host a lesson that brings your students closer together.

    • Movie afternoon: Set up your classroom and dim the lights to create a cinema atmosphere for a class movie.
    • Game board bonanza: Bring in board games and allow students a relaxed day of friendly competition. If none are available, get students to create their own games.

    Keep the learning spirit alive

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