Global Teacher Prize 2027: How to prepare a strong application — tips and analysis of past winners

The Astana Bilim Academy team has analysed the stories of recent winners as well as the official judging criteria. In this article, we share several observations that may be useful for educators planning to apply.

What Does the Global Teacher Prize Look For?

Candidates are assessed on much more than their years of professional experience, qualifications, or number of awards.

The Global Teacher Prize criteria include the use of effective and innovative teaching practices, student outcomes, a teacher’s impact beyond their own classroom, and their contribution to the teaching profession and wider society.

Therefore, when preparing your application, it is important to answer not only the question “What have I done?”, but also a more challenging one:

“What has changed because of my work, and how can I prove it?”

What Can We Learn from Past Winners?

Rouble Nagi 🇮🇳 — 2026 Winner

One of the distinctive features of her work is creating educational opportunities for children in underserved communities across India.

Rouble Nagi has established more than 800 learning centres across over 100 communities and villages. Another well-known initiative is her educational murals, which transform public spaces into opportunities for learning.

What can we learn from this case?

A strong initiative often begins with a very specific problem:

Problem → Solution → Results → Scale

Mansour Al Mansour 🇸🇦 — 2025 Winner

Mansour Al Mansour’s work demonstrates how the role of a modern teacher can extend far beyond the classroom.

In addition to teaching, his work involves volunteering, supporting socially vulnerable groups, and developing educational initiatives beyond school. His students have contributed more than 5,000 hours of volunteer work.

What can we learn from this case?

Ask yourself whether your impact ends at the classroom door.

In your application, it is important to demonstrate not only what you have done with your own students, but also how your work may have contributed to your school, professional community, or wider society.

Sister Zeph 🇵🇰 — 2023 Winner

Sister Zeph began teaching children from disadvantaged families when she was just 13 years old. Her free school initially operated in the courtyard of her home, but over time the initiative grew and began supporting a much larger number of children and women.

What can we learn from this case?

Your achievements should tell a story of development.

Rather than simply listing projects, show:

How did it begin? What problem did you identify? What did you do about it? How did the initiative develop? What results has it achieved today?

Keishia Thorpe 🇺🇸 — 2021 Winner

Keishia Thorpe worked with students from immigrant and refugee families and adapted the curriculum to reflect their cultural backgrounds and lived experiences.

Her example demonstrates that innovation in education does not necessarily mean introducing new technology.

What can we learn from this case?

Innovation can also be an approach that addresses a specific educational challenge more effectively than existing practice.

It is important to explain:

What you changed → Why you changed it → Who it was for → What results it produced

Ranjitsinh Disale 🇮🇳 — 2020 Winner

While working in a rural school, Ranjitsinh Disale encountered linguistic and educational barriers. He translated learning materials and introduced QR codes that gave students access to additional digital content.

His work eventually expanded far beyond his own classroom, and he shared his practices with thousands of other teachers.

What can we learn from this case?

One important question for applicants is:

Can your practice be scaled?

For example:

Classroom → School → Other Teachers → Region → Country → International Professional Community

What Do Global Teacher Prize Winners Have in Common?

Despite coming from very different countries, schools, and professional backgrounds, several common patterns can be identified across the winners’ stories.

1. They address specific educational or social challenges.

It is clear why their initiatives were created and who benefits from them.

2. They demonstrate results.

Rather than simply stating, “My project was successful,” they can provide concrete evidence: the number of participants, improvements in student outcomes, expansion of a project, the number of teachers adopting a practice, or other measurable indicators.

3. Their impact extends beyond a single classroom.

Winners work with professional communities, families, other educators, and different social groups.

4. Their practices can be scaled.

An idea that begins in one classroom or school can spread to other contexts.

5. They have a clear professional story.

The reader can follow a logical pathway:

PROBLEM → ACTION → EVIDENCE → IMPACT → SCALE

5 Tips for Teachers Planning to Apply

1. Do not turn your application into a CV.

Years of experience, certificates, professional development courses, and awards are important, but on their own they do not demonstrate your impact.

2. Gather your numbers in advance.

Calculate how many students have participated in your initiatives, how many teachers use your resources or approaches, how many schools or regions have been reached, and how outcomes have changed.

3. Prepare your evidence.

Consider how you can substantiate the results you describe: data, student outcomes, independent testimonials, publications, professional recognition, and other sources of evidence.

4. Demonstrate your impact beyond your own classroom.

If other teachers or schools use your practices, if you train colleagues, build professional communities, or help address an educational challenge in your region, make sure this is reflected in your application.

5. Do not copy the winners’ stories.

You do not need to create educational murals simply because Rouble Nagi did, or introduce QR codes because Ranjitsinh Disale used them.

The key question is:

What is your unique contribution to education, and what results can you use to demonstrate it?

Important: Use of Artificial Intelligence

The Global Teacher Prize organisers specifically caution applicants about the use of AI-generated content when preparing their applications.

AI can be used to analyse the competition criteria, plan your preparation, or search for information. However, the answers in your application should reflect your own experience, voice, and professional story.

Planning to Apply for the Global Teacher Prize 2027?

Do not begin your preparation by immediately filling in the application form. Start by analysing your own professional practice.

Ask yourself these five questions:

What problem am I addressing?

What exactly have I done?

What has changed because of my work?

What facts and figures can I use to demonstrate this?

How far does my impact extend beyond my own classroom?

Previously, we provided a detailed breakdown of the official Global Teacher Prize 2027 application form, including the questions applicants are asked, the sections they need to complete, and the results and supporting evidence they should prepare in advance.

If you have not yet reviewed the application questions, we recommend starting with our earlier article:

“Applications Open for the Global Teacher Prize 2027 with a US$1 Million Prize” 

In this article, we go one step further by analysing recent Global Teacher Prize winners and exploring what their professional stories have in common and what applicants should consider when preparing their own submissions.