Paul and Kate Farmer English Journal Writing Award
2023 Winner: “Writing beyond Borders: Latinx Voices in World Literature” by Holly Spinelli
Holly Spinelli is an advocate for inclusive, antiracist, anti-oppressive education. She teaches English at Monroe-Woodbury High School and Orange County Community College in New York. She served on the NCTE Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English. Currently, Spinelli is a New York State English Council executive board member, the Voices of NYSEC blog editor, and an NCTE Open Educational Resources Fellow. Her writing has appeared in Huffington Post, EdWeek blog, Bread Loaf Teacher Network Journal, and the Yearling Poetry Journal (Workhorse). She is a contributing writer for HITRECORD’s Emmy Award-winning series Create Together (2020).
Honorable Mention: “Care-full Conversations in Iowa Schools after House File 802” by Tiffany Bagley, Zachary Dotzler, Julie Husband, Alexis Noring, Clement Peneueta, and Lindsey Sinnwell
Tiffany Bagley is in her eighteenth year of teaching. She has taught in rural Iowa schools her entire career. She is currently teaching grade 9 English language arts at Ottumwa High School. She also sponsors the Ottumwa Student Council. In her free time, she can be found reading a good book or walking her two energetic huskies with her husband.
Clement Peneueta is an English teacher in the Ottumwa Community School District in Ottumwa, Iowa. He has been teaching for eight years and has spent most of that time at Ottumwa High School. He teaches English 12 and Advanced Placement language and composition. He also sponsors the school’s Battle of the Books teams.
The award will be presented at the Secondary Section Event during the NCTE Annual Convention.
Award Details
Nominations are not accepted for this award.
Purpose:
The award recognizes outstanding English Journal articles written by classroom teachers.
Eligibility:
The award shall be given annually to the authors of two articles written by teachers and published in English Journal. At least 50% of the named contributing authors must be practicing high school teachers at the time of submission and may include those on leave. Book reviewers will not be eligible for consideration, but articles written for specific English Journal columns may be considered. Teachers currently on leave may be considered, as may former teachers presently not employed.
Award Criteria:
The editor of English Journal shall draw up the annual list of eligible authors and shall be the arbiter of eligibility. The award shall be given once each year, covering issues published between September and July of the previous volume year. Up to two honorable mentions (runners-up) may be also named.
Award Specifics:
The award is announced by the award committee chair and presented by the journal editor at the Secondary Section Luncheon during the NCTE Annual Convention. The winner receives a plaque, $100 honorarium, complimentary registration for the NCTE Annual Convention, and a ticket to the Secondary Section Luncheon. Honorable mentions receive a certificate.
The award is named after Paul and Kate Farmer, founders and donors.
Judging:
The Farmer Award Committee determines the winner based upon articles meeting the criteria by August 15. The award committee consists of a chair nominated by the editor of English Journal and three to five readers nominated by the members of the Secondary Section Steering Committee. Each reader scores each article using the provided rubric.
NCTE Paul and Kate Farmer English Journal Writing Award Recipients
2022
“(Re)Vitalizing Instruction via Participatory Action Research” (Vol. 111, No. 2, November 2021) by Kimberly Hellerich
Honorable Mention:
“Teaching Ghost Boys to Explore Police Brutality and Antiracist Protests” (Vol. 111, No. 1, September 2021) by Daniel Ian Rubin
2021
“’I Got This!’ Visual Methods as Restorative Practice” (Vol. 110, No. 2, November 2020) by Deirdre Faughey
Honorable Mention:
“Teachers Who Stand Up” (Vol. 110, No. 2, November 2020) by Lorena Germán
2020
“The Intersections of Nature and Voice” (Vol. 109, No. 5, May 2020) by Tiffany L. Rehbein, Katie Wheeler, Cynthia Brock, and Lillian Lenhart
Honorable Mention:
“‘I’m Gonna Buy All These Books!’ Reality Pedagogy and Literature Circles” (Vol. 109, No. 2, November 2019) by Nicole A. Moskal
2019
“Miles Morales: Spider-Man and Reimagining the Canon for Racial Justice” (Vol. 108, No. 4, March 2019) by Worlds, Mario, and Henry “Cody” Miller
2018
“Maximizing the Heuristic Potential of the Enthymeme” (Vol. 103, No. 3, January 2018) by Ben Roth Shank, Eastern Mennonite School, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Honorable Mention:
“The Square Cucumber: Restoring Student Autonomy and Confidence” (Vol. 107, No. 3, January 2018) by Victoria Johnston Boecherer, Suffolk County Community College, NY
2017
“A Principled Revolution in the Teaching of Writing,” (Vol. 106, No. 5, May 2017) by Nicole Boudreau Smith, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois
Honorable Mention:
“Springsteen, Spoken Word, and Social Justice: Engaging Students in Activism through Songs and Poetry,” (Vol. 106, No. 6, July 2017) by Jaclyn Burr, Brighton High School, Brighton, Michigan
2016
“Using Memorials to Build Critical Thinking Skills and Empathy,” (March 2016) by Jennifer Ansbach, New Jersey
“Photos as Witness: Teaching Visual Literacy for Research and Social Action,” (November 2015) by Kiran Subhani, New Trier High School, Winnetka, Illinois