For Immediate Release:

Making Winners out of Ordinary Players

by Joyce Penn

Announcing the 2012 ABTA Master Point Press Teacher of the Year Award

September 10, 2011 – Do your area bridge teachers get the recognition they deserve? Many inspirational teachers around the country give their students the priceless gift of bridge, on a regular basis. Good teachers’ passion for the game shines through in their classroom. They present bridge material in an interesting, original way, encouraging their students to learn more and take the next step to becoming competent players. In conjunction with Master Point Press, the American Bridge Teachers Association (ABTA) will present the third annual “Teacher of the Year” plaque and cash award, next March in Memphis, at the ABTA’s 2012 Conference, March 13 – March 16, 2012.

Students who hold their teacher in high regard, who feel their teacher cares about their successes and non-successes at the bridge table, are encouraged to nominate their teacher for this prestigious award. Here’s the opportunity for your teacher to be recognized as one of the world’s best. District boards who feel strongly about an area teacher(s) are encouraged to do likewise. There are many teachers regularly filling their classroom with joy and teaching their art with warmth and passion. This is the perfect award for such individuals.

A total of five finalists will be chosen from the nominees received, with one from each geographic quadrant of the United States, plus one from Canada. A good teacher is a very important person who stays updated with bridge’s constantly changing methods, and enthusiastically shares his/her love of the game with students. Recommendations in the form of a few words of praise for an outstanding teacher may be submitted in consideration for this prestigious award.

Nominations are being accepted from September 1, 2011 until January 31, 2012. Please explain in one or two paragraphs why a teacher deserves consideration. Nominees must have at least 5 years teaching experience and teach at least 75 hours per year.

Master Point Press is the world’s largest publisher of bridge books and bridge eBooks. ABTA, the professional bridge teachers organization, includes members from the US, Canada, Australia, England, Greece & Japan, and enables teachers to share creative ideas, participate in online discussion groups, and helps them enrich their skills.

Submissions may be emailed to Joyce Penn, Chairman, at jpenn@columbus.rr.com or sent to 2800 Squires Ridge, Columbus, OH 43220. Joyce, past president of the ABTA, encourages students to nominate their teacher. Each submission will be acknowledged. Past nominees are eligible for re-submission.

Teacher of the Year 2011-2012 Committee: Marti Ronemus (York PA), Tina Radding (Charleston SC), Joan Anderson (W Des Moines IA), Linda Lee (Toronto ON), and Joyce Penn (Columbus OH), Chairman.

Criteria for ABTA Master Point Press Teacher of the year: 2012 Award

Eligibility:

• Bridge teacher for at least 5 years
• A member of the ACBL OR ABA
• A member of ABTA or prepared to join the ABTA if nominated
• Must teach at least 75 hours a year (e.g. 2 hours a week for 38 weeks or 3 hours a week for 25 weeks) etc.

Criteria for Nomination

Teachers will be considered with a focus on the following:

a) Teaching excellence

b) Innovation

c) Service to bridge

d) Service to the community

A. Teaching excellence (50%)

• student response or recommendations
• percentage of students who join organized bridge games
• quality of material used in courses especially personally developed material
• recommendation of other teachers or bridge professionals
• rationale provided by nominator(s)
• original written material used in teaching students

B. Innovation (25%)

• Demonstration of innovation associated with bridge teaching or bridge promotion including but not limited to:
• Bridge teaching methods
• Reaching out to youth
• Teaching seniors
• Teaching material
• Course content and approach
• Promotion of bridge
• Promotion of teacher
• Use of the Internet

C. Service To Bridge (20%)

This will be based on evidence such as:

• promotion of bridge and their own services through newsletters, websites, columns in print media, TV, or web etc.
• role in organizing events for students but also for all players such as tournaments
• establishing or participating in programs to teach bridge to young people
• all attempts to build the bridge community, encourage participation in bridge games, tournaments, online and in person, membership in the ACBL or ABA
• mentoring including mentoring students or other teachers or directors
• building local bridge clubs and bridge games
• encouraging students to participate in tournaments and to travel to them if possible
• any and all efforts which will help to promote the game of bridge and/or the services of the teacher

D. Service To The Community (5%)

• All volunteer activities but especially those related to bridge. This could include donating services in teaching or running games
• Organizing and participating in charitable events with a focus on those associated with bridge but other charity activities will be considered.
• All efforts associated with raising money for bridge (e.g. money for youth, international teams, promotion of bridge) etc.
• Any other demonstrable activities which help the community in which that person resides whether bridge related or not and whether paid or not.

Teacher of the Year 2011-2012 Committee: Marti Ronemus, Tina Radding, Joan Anderson, Linda Lee, Joyce Penn, Chairman.