teachers
June 6, 2024
Best of the best
They are voracious learners who instruct and inspire their students and have an impact that lasts a lifetime. Meet this year’s recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award and Excellence in Teaching Awards.
November 26, 2023
A culture of learning
A new cohort of Indigenous students in the College of Education is ushering in an early-learning program that puts language and culture first.
December 4, 2021
Closing the distance
For a teacher in a time of COVID-19, the challenge is to bring the world to students.
March 9, 2021
Standing tall
He went from the UW to professional basketball and back. But it’s in the special education classroom that Anthony Washington, ’16, ’19, is making a lasting difference.
June 11, 2020
Screen gems
Sheltering in place against the novel coronavirus prevented us from photographing our Teachers of the Year as we always do—in person. So we captured them the way students saw them during spring quarter.
June 4, 2018
Best lesson ever
What if your class schedule put you in a room with all of this year's best teachers?
June 1, 2016
Best of the best
They play racquetball. Were college DJs. Starred in Alice in Wonderland. Love to paraglide, run, cook, write and travel. Here’s your chance to meet our teachers of the year.
June 1, 2015
Top teachers
They walk into a classroom that is filled with a sea of anxious faces. Expectations run high. They take a deep breath and off they go—the process of molding students into scholars is what teachers do everyday. With the greatest of ease? Hardly. Only some have the chops to rise above the rest. Introducing this year’s best of the best.
Editor's Eye: Aha
The best teachers get under our skin, in a good way. They get us up in the morning when we would rather linger in bed after a late night because who would want to miss that infectious enthusiasm? Our favorite teachers make us think and grow and smile. And they push us.
December 1, 2014
Curriculum inventor
As Carrie Tzou wondered how biology—her major—could be more engaging, she decided to see how she could design ways to improve teaching. Today, it is her career focus.
June 1, 2014
Teachers of the year
Why do we come to the UW? To learn. Lucky for us, we had the chance to meet the exceptional teachers honored here. They didn’t just teach us course material or put us on the path to a career. They inspired us. Challenged us. Pushed us. Opened our minds. Made us be our best.
December 1, 2013
Solid lesson plan
Instead of pondering why kids fall behind, the UW’s approach stacks the deck in their favor by looking at the factors that may have unexpected effects on performance, ranging from social and cultural to physical and emotional.
June 1, 2013
The inspirers
The 2013 recipients of the UW’s teaching awards are from fields ranging from philosophy to fisheries, but they all know how to inspire their students.
June 1, 2012
Top teachers
The 2012 recipients of this University of Washington’s prestigious teaching awards may be from fields ranging from social work to surgery, but one thing they have in common is their ability to inspire students.
March 1, 2012
Belief in teaching
A passion for excellence in education led to a career as a UW professor and now an administrator.
September 1, 2011
Boost for Head Start
Two UW College of Education researchers, both with previous classroom experience, are going to find out which teaching and learning practices are best for kids in Head Start.
June 1, 2011
2011's top teachers
The seven recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award and the one recipient of the Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award cover the spectrum of subject matter.
December 1, 2010
Teaching moment
Two UW instructors are using a $200,000 grant to study teaching methods regarding the Elwha River and the upcoming removal of its two dams.
March 1, 2010
New approach to learning
Rob Thomas, '93, was named the 2009 Outstanding Baccalaureate Colleges U.S. Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement for Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
June 1, 2008
All that jazz
Over the past few years, Gene Aitken, '65, has become one of the world's leading ambassadors for jazz.
June 1, 2007
Extra credit
A great university has great teachers. This year, the UW honors seven instructors from three campuses who have touched the lives of thousands.
March 1, 2007
Top teacher
The state Teacher of the Year award is a landmark in a short but illustrious career. Andrea Peterson, 33, has been teaching for 10 years, most of those at Monte Cristo Elementary School in Granite Falls.
June 1, 2006
Magnificent 7
A great university has great teachers. This year, the UW honors seven instructors from three campuses who have touched the lives of thousands.
June 1, 2005
Top Dawgs
More than 175 faculty have been given a UW Distinguished Teaching Award since 1970, and this year seven more from Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma join their ranks. In addition, the UW salutes 12 other professors, graduate students and staff members for their public service and teaching excellence.
Support for Education
Two new endowments are expanding the UW College of Education’s capacity to prepare and sustain teachers throughout their careers.
June 1, 2003
Gallery of distinction
Since 1970, the University of Washington has honored its best teachers for striving to bring knowledge to the next generation. This year the UW has given its Distinguished Teaching Award to seven faculty on three campuses. In addition, the UW is honoring TAs, public servants and staff.
Setting the standard
In recognition of their excellence in undergraduate education, the UW School of Drama and the UW Transition School/Early Entrance Program share the 2003 Brotman Awards for Instructional Excellence, the UW announced April 3.
June 1, 2002
Top of their class
For more than four decades, the University of Washington has honored its best professors for bringing knowledge to new generations. This year the tradition continues as the UW bestows upon seven faculty its Distinguished Teaching Award.
March 1, 2002
Teacher of the year
In October, the Aberdeen High School English teacher was named the 2001 Teacher of the Year in Washington state.
September 1, 2001
TAs on strike
Citing a stalemate in contract negotiations, the teaching assistants union at the University of Washington went on strike June 1.
September 1, 2000
Paul Heyne dies
Economics Lecturer Paul Theodore Heyne did not let his diagnosis with kidney cancer get in the way of his love for teaching.
Follow the leader
Rudy Crew was the first—and only—choice to launch the UW's K-12 leadership institute.
June 1, 2000
Top teachers of '00
The UW is honoring its best teachers, staff members and volunteers in an expanded awards program for 2000.
September 1, 1999
Class acts
When we ran tributes on UW professors from nine alumni/authors in our last issue, we invited you to write the next page.
June 1, 1999
Top teachers of ‘99
The University of Washington is honoring its best teachers, staff members and volunteers in an expanded awards program for 1999.
‘My favorite teacher’
Nine writers recall how their classroom experiences helped mold their careers.
June 1, 1998
Best of 1998
The UW is honoring the best teachers, staff members and volunteers in an expanded awards program for 1998.
June 1, 1997
UW honors the best of 1997
The UW honors the best teachers, TAs and public servants of the year.
March 1, 1997
John Morefield, making a difference in children’s education
John Morefield is taking his work to a higher pulpit as an elementary district coordinator for Seattle schools.
June 1, 1996
UW honors the best of 1996
Every year faculty, students and alumni meet to decide who are the top UW teachers, public servants and volunteers, and this year they came up with a remarkable list.
June 1, 1995
Best of 1995
Faculty, students and alumni met to decide whom to add to the list of top UW teachers, public servants and volunteers.
June 1, 1994
The best of 1994
Faculty, students and alumni met to decide who are the best teachers, public servants and volunteers of the year.
June 1, 1993
The best of 1993
Each year, the University searches for top teachers and public servants to honor for their exceptional efforts.