Suggest Teacher and Counsellor of the Year

We are asking suggestions from the students and staff of the University of Turku for this year

  1. Teacher of the Year
  2. Counsellor of the Year

Below you’ll find the criteria for each award. The proposal must be made by at least two students, TYY’s association, at least two staff members or by a department of the University. Proposals made together by students and teachers weight more in the evaluation process.

The winner is chosen by the Rector of the University of Turku and the Chairperson of the Executive Board of the Student Union.

You can make a proposal by filling this electronic form (below). All suggestions should be sent to the Student Union by 5th of May 2024 23.59. 

> Make a proposal

The Teacher and the Counsellor of the Year will be announced in the opening ceremony of the new academic year in autumn. The winners will be rewarded with prize. The Teacher and the Counsellor prizes are awarded to individuals.


For more information: 
TYY's Specialist for Academic Affairs Tero Ahlgren, puh. +358 44 796 1064, tyy-kopoasiantuntija@utu.fi 
UTU's Development Specialist Susanna Ahteensuu, puh. +358 50 340 9380, susanna.ahteensuu@utu.fi 
UTU's Head of Educational Support Services Minna Vuorio-Lehti, puh. +358 50 567 7355, mivule@utu.fi

 

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

We want to promote good teaching by selecting the Teacher of the Year. When selecting the Teacher emphasis is given to innovative, communicative, inspiring and great study atmosphere fostering teaching. Special attention is given to teaching that has inspired and created a sense of community.

When choosing the Teacher of the Year attention is paid to the following points:

Everyday teaching skills:

  • encouraging and supporting learning
  • supporting excellent learning outcomes
  • developing interaction between the students, the teachers and the university community as a whole

Innovation and creativity:

  • desire to try new methods, ideas and technology
  • promoting study motivation through creative solutions
  • encouraging other teachers to try new things
  • ways to regognise learning
  • combining teaching and worklife competences
  • national and international teaching cooperation

Developing teaching:

  • active participation in the making of the curriculum
  • versatile teaching methods and tools
  • taking notice of and utilasing student feedback
  • development of own pedagogical skills and sharing knowledge in the work community

Combining research and teaching:

  • innovative and problem-based way of teaching
  • developing one’s subject field in teaching and research
  • high quality teaching and counselling for postgraduates
  • utilising new research in teaching

 

COUNSELLOR OF THE YEAR

We want to promote the visibility and value of counselling by selecting the Counsellor of the Year. When selecting the Counsellor emphasis is given to counselling that support the well-being of students or doctoral researchers, counselling that lifts and supports and promotes study motivation, and continuation of studies.

The given counselling can be for example study planning, help with study- or worklife-related decisions or support for students integration to the academic community. Counselling can encompass different guidance ways and tools like individual and group counselling, courses dedicated to guidance and counselling co-existing with a course or counselling that’s separate service. Counselling involves information sharing, guidance and counselling. It’s important in counselling to also help towards the best and most relevant services (guiding forward) and counselling done in cooperation.

The Counsellor of the Year can be a person from the staff of the University (teaching and research personel, other personnel and training school personel) that engages in

  • Study and career counselling
  • Personal study plan (HOPS) counselling, teacher tutoring / mentoring (medicine)
  • Thesis counselling
  • Guiding an academic process or
  • Counselling on professional development or on the development of a vocational/specialist identity

When choosing the Counsellor of the Year attention is paid to the following areas. The proposal should discuss these themes. 

Respectful and appreciative encountering:

  • Counsellor gives the person’s thoughts, hopes and goals room and focuses on the interaction with an open mind
  • Counsellor takes the discussions forward with questions that help the person to take different views to their situation and actions

Support to choices and planning

  • The counselling supports the planning of the person’s next steps through interaction and assignments
  • The counselling has helped the person to make meaningful choices concerning studies and future
  • The counselling has supported the person’s well-being by giving for example time management skills and help in everyday choices with a holistic view of person’s life in mind

Strenghtening self-knowledge and recognition of possibilities

  • The counselling has helped the person to recognise possibilities through for example expert knowledge, support in finding information and providing relevant information sources
  • The counselling has deepened the person’s self-knowledge
  • The counselling has helped the person to recognise their role in communities and their agency as part of the those communities