Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice

About the Residency

In addition to receiving $25,000, Fishman Prize winners participate in a unique summer residency where they contribute essays to the latest paper in the annual Fishman Prize Series. During this time, they reflect critically on their work in the classroom, explore the larger issues that shape their profession, and contribute to TNTP’s efforts to help schools and teachers understand and support excellent instruction for all students.

The residency typically begins in late June or early July and ends in early August, so that Fishman Prize winners are away from their classrooms as little as possible. Although the residency is designed to allow the winners to collaborate virtually from their homes on most days, it is a full-time commitment that includes several multi-day trips. In 2012, the winners spent time in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and New York.

The residency provides a platform for the nation’s finest teachers to engage with one another deeply over a short period of time without removing them from the classrooms where they do their most important work. As part of this experience, TNTP challenges the winners to capture in writing some essential elements of their practice and create a window into how they run their classrooms every day.

TNTP provides guidance and support throughout this process and publishes the winners’ essays as part of the Fishman Prize Series on Superlative Classroom Practice. Read the 2012 paper, Unlocking Student Effort.