Awards

NCTE Richard W. Halle Award

for Outstanding Middle Level Educator

2022 Award Recipients: Sara Kajder and Shelbie Witte

Sara Kajder is the director of clinical practice and an clinical associate professor of English education at the Mary Frances Early College of Education at the University of Georgia. Her recent research explores preservice and induction teacher development, emergent uses of video to support teacher learning, and practices of effective mentoring. A former middle school and high school English teacher, Dr. Kajder has authored or coauthored over forty-five journal articles and book chapters and several practitioner books for teachers. A nationally and internationally recognized educator, she recently served as coeditor of the NCTE journal Voices from the Middle with Dr. Shelbie Witte.

Shelbie Witte is the Watson Endowed Chair and the senior director of teacher education at Oklahoma State University, where she teaches courses in adolescent literacy and English education. She is site director emeritus of the OSU Writing Project and the founding director of the Initiative for Literacy in a Digital Age. She has served in many capacities during her decades-long middle level membership in NCTE, most recently as coeditor, with Sara Kajder, of Voices from the Middle. Her recent publications include Writing Can Change Everything: Middle Level Kids Writing Themselves into the World and Literacy Engagement through Peritextual Analysis.

The award will be presented during the NCTE Annual Convention.

Award Details

Nominations are not accepted for this award.

Purpose:
To honor a junior high/middle level educator who has worked to promote understanding of the developmental needs and characteristics of young adolescents, especially in the English language arts.

Eligibility:
A “middle level educator” is defined as anyone who has worked to improve schools and schooling for the middle level—teacher, principal, curriculum specialist, or supervisor as well as anyone at the university or college level—not necessarily a classroom teacher.

Award Criteria:

• Encouraging a spirit of inquiry and development of critical and creative thinking within the profession;
• Showing evidence of exemplary professional involvement, including participation in activities such as workshops, curriculum development, and association programs and projects;
• Connecting the classroom and the community;
• Fostering the development of literacy education at the middle level;
• Promoting research on the middle level student.

Award Specifics:
The award recipient is presented a plaque at the Middle Level Luncheon during the NCTE Annual Convention.

Established in 1996 by the Junior High/Middle School Assembly, this award honors Richard “Dick” Halle for his dedication to the Assembly and middle level education. The award became a Middle Level Section Award in February 2002 when the Assembly was dissolved.

Learn about the Junior High/Middle School Assembly, Halle Award, and the creation of the Middle Level Section in “Honoring the Past; Looking to the Future.”

Judging:
The Middle Level Section Steering Committee determines the winner based upon candidates meeting the criteria by June 1. Middle Level Section Steering Committee members are not eligible for this award during their tenure.