Trump Master Teacher Award 2016

In 2012 the Trump Master Teacher Award was launched in order to recognize excellent teaching of mathematics and the sciences. The award aims to convey to the public a clearer sense of what constitutes quality teaching. Our intention is to reward and celebrate master teachers of mathematics and the sciences, and introduce them to the public as role models, demonstrating that high quality teaching exists in Israel, while igniting discussion around the question: ‘What constitutes excellent teaching?’

In 2012, the award was given to Nikolay Shvarts, a high school physics teacher at the ORT school in Arad. In 2013, the Award was given to Mr. Kobi Shvarzbord, a high school physics teacher and head of Science and Technology at the Leo Baeck High School in Haifa. In 2014 the award was given to Ms. Smadar Levy, a high school physics teacher at the ‘Hadarim’ high school in Hod Ha’Sharon.

In 2015 we launched a fourth cycle of the award attracting 51 candidates from across the country, who received excellent recommendations by their colleagues and school principals. Five were chosen by the selection committee to reach the final stage. The finalists were filmed while teaching in their classroom, and then interviewed by the committee, which decided to award the prize to Dr. Guy Ashkenazi, a chemistry teacher for 8 years at the Israel Arts and Science Academy in Jerusalem. Alongside classroom instruction, he is also a pedagogic mentor at the Hebrew University’s ‘Teacher-Researcher’ program for scientists who teach while pursuing academic research, and is the author of a middle school science text book.

Merit awards were presented to Dr. Tali Dvora, a mathematics teacher and an instructional coach from Katzanelson High School, Kfar Saba; and to Ms. Michal Walter, a physics teacher from Amit Atidim High School, Or Akiva, and a member of the Weizmann Institute physics teacher communities.

The selection committee, which was chaired by Ms. Karen Tal, included former Director General of the Ministry of Education Ms. Dalit Stauber, former award winners Dr. Abir Abed (2012), Mr. Kobi Shvarzbord (2013), Ms. Smadar Levi (2014), and well-known leading members of the professional community.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Minister of Education Naftali Bennet presented the award to the winners, referring to the teachers as ‘cultural heroes’. The ceremony and the winning teachers received much media coverage in leading magazines, a television morning talk show, and an in-depth feature in the “Calcalist” newspaper and website with Dr. Ashkenazi, covering his excellent teaching skills.

In 2016, we intend to hold a fifth cycle of the award, and towards the end of the year, we will convene approximately 50-60 former candidates for a half-day seminar on quality teaching and building professionalism among teachers. We will do so in order to introduce the foundation’s language and goals to a group of excelling teachers; and to strengthen their sense of professional pride. Moreover, participating teachers may go on to be ambassadors for the award, helping to build its status among teachers; and to expand the pool of teachers with whom the foundation consults and works.

As part of the foundation’s five-year end-to-end review, we intend to initiate an external evaluation process, which will examine the following questions:

1. How deeply has the award penetrated the community of mathematics and science teachers, the wider education community, and the public? To what extent are these audiences aware of the award, its criteria, its candidates, and winners?
2. To what extent have the winners gone on to serve as role models for excellent teaching in the professional community?
3. Were the selection process and prize committee effective and efficient? Did the selection process successfully expose the traits of excellent teaching? What should be modified or added?
4. Why have only science teachers been selected as winners to date? Is it due to the selection criteria or the selection process? What could be improved in order to give mathematics teachers a fair chance?

Over six months, the study will gather evidence, relying on a public survey, statistical data from social networks and digital media, in-depth interviews with winners, committee members past and present, and leading figures from the professional community. The final report will be a 25-30 page evaluation memo, which will be presented at the Advisory Council in November 2016.

* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 193