The Presidential Award is an unbelievable honor and very humbling. To me, this award means I have an opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank my colleagues, mentors, students, and family for helping me grow into the educator I have become. I have an opportunity to remind my students to find and do something they are passionate about. In doing so, not only are your efforts intrinsically rewarding, but recognition for your hard work might come in a way you never imagined. 

Scott Hertting Neenah, WI | 7-12, Science, 2013

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

Scott Hertting has been teaching since 1991, spending the last 22 years in the Neenah High School science department. He teaches General and Advanced Physics, and Advanced Physics Concepts to juniors and seniors. Scott’s courses are engaging and challenging. He engages students by using the Modeling Method, which allows them to experimentally develop the models used to explain phenomena. He challenges them with activities such as “Stunt Barbie,” where students gather data needed to drop a marble from a height into a moving toy car. Scott authored an article about the activity that appeared in the Physics Teacher. Scott is also the contact and meeting facilitator for the Phox Valley Share Group, which he helped found in 2001. He serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Scott has also presented sessions at four different Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST) annual conferences. He has been a member of the WSST Awards and Recognition Committee since 2007.  Scott has a B.S. in chemistry and secondary education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a M.S. teaching in physics education from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He is certified in physics, chemistry, and broad field science. He earned National Board Certification in adolescent and young adult science in 2003, which he renewed in 2013.

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