I feel that I have made an impact over the years on many of the students I have taught, but lately I have come to realize that I have a bigger obligation: the betterment of education beyond the walls of my classroom. The Presidential Award would not only serve as an incredible validation of what I have spent my life doing, but it would also afford me an opportunity to meet with other like-minded science teachers and collectively have a greater voice in the important decisions that lie ahead.

Robert Becker Kirkwood, MO | 7-12, Science, 2011

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Robert Becker has taught chemistry at Kirkwood High School for the past 22 years. He spent the previous 5 years teaching chemistry and physics at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, CT. Along with teaching, Robert has also mentored 12 student teachers over the past 20 years, a responsibility that he takes very seriously. Robert's passion for teaching and his love of science have led him to develop dozens of innovative lab activities and chemistry demonstrations that were published in the Journal of Chemical Education, Chem13 News, and The Science Teacher. He has authored two books on chemistry demonstrations and has conducted more than 200 presentations and workshops across the country and overseas. More recently, Robert has devoted much of his time and energy to developing online resources for his students and for other teachers; such as screen casts, video games, and self-paced animated tutorials all linked to online formative assessments. Robert also serves as the advisor for the Kirkwood Youth Service Club. He believes strongly in the value of character education and service to others. Robert has a B.A. in biology from Yale University and an M.A.Ed. from Washington University. He is certified in secondary chemistry, biology, and physics.

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