KORCOS International Educator of the Year

A new initiative of the Korea Council of Overseas Schools (KORCOS) hopes to recognize and honor outstanding educators on an annual basis. All teachers/administrators at our member schools will have an opportunity to nominate an individual for the Educator of the Year Award. A Selection Committee will be created to review nominations and make the final decision regarding the award recipient. 

The scope of achievement to be considered: The KORCOS Educator of the Year award recognizes an educator’s consistent record of exceptional teaching or related educational activities. In order to ensure that ample evidence on which to evaluate a nominee’s  performance is available, Heads of Schools and/or Principals must approve the nomination; the selection committee will consult with the school administrator to get his/her endorsement. All educators employed by member schools are eligible for the award after having worked at least 1 year in Korea.

The KORCOS Educator of the Year Award Selection Committee shall be composed of one or two KORCOS Executive Members and two General Board members.

Great teaching is far more than classroom performance. In fact, the essence of educating is not performance, but the effective creation of situations in which teaching and learning takes place. The list of criteria that follows represents some of the main aspects that define an outstanding educator. It is not an exhaustive list and other qualities of excellence can and do exist. Nor is it implied that the award winner must excel in all of these categories. In the final analysis, the outcomes achieved by the Educator of the Year candidate should be regarded as more important than the techniques employed. 

The Educator:

1. promotes active learning and/or successfully encourages students to think imaginatively, critically, and independently;

2. promotes a love of learning and contributes to the likelihood that students will continue their education through the academic years at his/her school and beyond;

3. helps students appreciate the relationship between learning and its place in the scheme of things;

4. pedagogical techniques are appropriate to, and effective with, a variety of different learning styles;

Evidence of effective professionalism may be gleaned – but not necessarily – from: 

1. anecdotes, syllabi, reports, other course materials, etc.;

2. teaching evaluation summaries;

3. recommendations from present and former students;

4. recommendations from colleagues, supervisors, and academic staff; and/or

5. evidence of success and achievement by current and/or former students.

1. Any KORCOS member school educator may nominate another faculty member for this award. 

2. The nominator may be asked to prepare a file of materials in keeping with the evidence criteria listed above. 

3. All candidates must accept their nomination to be considered for the award. In accepting candidacy, the candidates agree to provide the committee with appropriate materials such as teaching evaluation results, if needed. 

• First communication: Third week of November

• Deadline for nominations: Second Week of December

• Selection: Winter Break

• Announcement of winner: Second week of January

In addition to public recognition, winners of the Educator of the Year Award will receive a 1,000,000 KRW from KORCOS during a small ceremony at his/her school. If two individuals are tied for the award, the prize money will be shared equally between them.