Recognizing the efforts of outstanding teachers is an integral component of any effective school system. Awards and recognition programs fulfill teachers' developmental needs and provide the drive for stimulating and maintaining high levels of teacher motivation. Awards and recognition programs have also been credited with improved classroom teaching, greater teacher satisfaction, and improved student learning outcomes. Although the benefits of these programs are well documented, many schools fail to implement them. In fact, according to Book Andrews (2006, p. ii), “only 55 percent of those colleges that responded to a national survey had faculty recognition programs”. Similarly, (p. ii) “A K‐12 study of over 20,000 teachers found only about 50 percent reported their schools having programs of awards and recognition for their outstanding teachers”.
With over 40 years experience as an educator, Hans A. Andrews' wisdom resonates with integrity and authenticity. Andrews is a nationally recognized consultant and has a myriad of publications including five books and over 80 professional articles. In his book, Awards and Recognition for Exceptional Teachers: K‐12 and Community College: Programs in the USA, Canada, and Other Countries, Andrews attests to the important role awards and recognition programs assume within a successful educational system. He asserts (p. iii) that “Recognition should be an outcome of an organized and systematic system of teacher evaluation effort that is respected by both the teachers and administrators”. Awards and Recognition is an outstanding resource delineating various award programs and presenting the framework for establishing an effective, systematic teacher recognition program. Andrews' straightforward writing style and impeccable organization provide for a book that is not only pleasurable to read, but extremely practical to implement. He has organized the book into 11 chapters and has arranged them in a fashion that initially delivers his rationale and complements it with explicit examples. The first three chapters present the ideological perspectives behind establishing effective teacher recognition programs. The remaining eight chapters illustrate a plethora of teacher recognition programs at the local, state, national and international levels.
The chapter entitled, Exceptional Teacher Awards and Recognition, contains alarming statistics regarding the challenge of attracting new teachers to the profession. Andrews maintains this provocation is exacerbated by the proliferation of students graduating from college with substantial student‐loans. To mitigate these obstacles, Andrews suggests that teacher recognition as an outcome of supervisor evaluation is crucial. He stipulates that often, (p. 5) “The role of administrators, who should have a key role in these processes because of their job responsibility of evaluating teachers, is played down or disregarded”. Programs that do not provide recognition as an outcome of evaluation often allocate awards based on years of service Thus, a successful recognition program must embrace (p. 6) “Faculty and administration identification of, and agreement on, what they consider to be criteria for outstanding job performance”.
The second chapter, Developing a Philosophy about Recognition, emphasizes the importance of identifying the institution's values and incorporating them into a recognition program. Andrews warns that organizations must be diligent of not implementing a recognition program that has been (p. 21) “superimposed” on its teachers. Such haphazard application will only result in an ineffective program that is not valued by the organization's faculty. Instead, school administrators and governing boards must be heedful to establish a program that is rooted in the institution's values. Andrews states (p. 24), “Recognition in this system becomes an outcome from within a comprehensive evaluation system that is supported by the values of the institution”. In the chapter, Recognition: Objectives and Outcomes, Andrews stresses that the most important objective in a teacher recognition program is to (p. 32 – 34) “encourage and reward excellence in teaching”. He employs the Herzberg's motivational theory to underscore how “recognition programs help fulfill the intrinsic needs of teachers” and claims this is an extremely significant concept and it contributes in debunking the myth that money is an efficacious motivator. He suggests, “Teachers have been found to favor other rewards rather than merit pay”. He also warns that an effective recognition program is more complex than simply providing extrinsic awards. Instead, Andrews insists that successful programs must focus on meeting the needs of the recipients – teachers.
Andrews complements his logic with specific examples of awards and recognition programs spanning from local “Teacher of the Year” efforts to international programs. The remaining eight chapters of his book contain summaries of both obscure and prominent recognition programs. This exhaustive collection provides detailed program descriptions including criteria for selecting candidates, objectives, actual awards, and names of previous recipients. Andrews takes great care in selecting programs whose main objective is to (p. 91) “encourage and reward excellence in teaching”.
In Awards and Recognition, Andrews highlights the grave shortcomings of a handful of educational institutions – the lack of effective teacher recognition programs. Advocating the benefits of these programs, he challenges institutions with the imperative of establishing a teacher recognition program in all schools. Moreover, he calls for a rise in initiating systematic teacher recognition programs based on promoting and maintaining excellent teaching practices. Andrews maintains effective recognition programs may include students, peers, and community members. However, it is critical for school administrators to also be included within the program. Overall, a successful program must evolve from the institution's values and must include a (p. 6) “fair, objective, and effective system of evaluating the job performance of faculty”.
In all, Awards and Recognition proves to be a compelling resource for institutions and governing boards interested in spawning or refining programs of their own. Andrews' sage advice and comprehensive list of examples provide the impetus required to establish an effectual teacher recognition program.
