I have been blessed to spend the past 32 years doing what I love: sharing my love of learning and science with others. The greatest moments of my day are seeing students have "Aha" moments and then sharing that excitement. Being a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching winner is my “Aha” moment of unbridled excitement! I learned so much about my teaching and its impact during the application process; being selected is the icing on an already delicious cake.

Kristen Gonsoir Groton, SD | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Kristen Gonsoir has taught for 32 years at Groton Area High School, formerly Groton High School before district consolidation. At this small, rural school, she teaches Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, and Physics to 10th-12th grade students. She has also been an assistant Advanced Placement Chemistry teacher for the state’s eLearning center. Kristen is the secondary science department chair and is on the district’s springboard leadership team. In Anatomy and Physiology, Kristen uses a synthetic cadaver, the first of its kind in the state, for lab dissection. Her Organic Chemistry class is one of only two offered in the state providing students with a background in organic nomenclature, reactions, and their mechanisms. Global citizenship is important to Kristen. Through the Fulbright-Japan Information and Communications Technology program, her students have engaged in projects with students from Japan. As a National Education Association Foundation Global Learning Fellow, Kristen developed science lessons integrated with the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals which she and teachers from across the globe use. Kristen has served as a South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) mentor teacher and has worked to develop science standards, tools for teachers, and cut scores for state teacher tests. She is passionate about helping teachers improve their communication skills and has led many local and state professional development sessions on communication, global citizenship, and emerging technologies. Kristen earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry and master’s degree in teaching and learning from Northern State University. She is certified to teach middle and high school science, English, speech and communications, and social sciences.

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