Ryan Beck, science teacher at Sundre High School. (Chinook's Edge School Division)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Prestigious award

Sundre teacher with terminal cancer honoured for excellence in teaching physics

Nov 16, 2020 | 4:12 PM

A teacher from Chinook’s Edge School Division diagnosed with terminal cancer has been given the highest honour attainable for a high school physics teacher in Canada.

Ryan Beck, a chemistry, astronomy and physics teacher at Sundre High School, has been recognized with the 2020 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Prairies & Northwest Territories) from the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP).

Introduced in 2010, the award recognizes excellence in teaching high school/CEGEP-level physics in Canada and to encourage and promote further study of high school physics.

News of the award came in early September on the same day Beck was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. According to the Perimeter Institute, Beck is receiving palliative chemotherapy designed to improve and prolong his life – allowing him to be back in the classroom three days a week.

“I set my heart on the CAP award in 2012 and worked at it since then because I see it as the highest honour a high school physics teacher can achieve,” says Beck. “It has been my goal to become a teacher worthy of this honour because that is the minimum my amazing students deserve.”

'Inspiring Student Success'

Indigenous students enjoy learning about their culture at special conference

20m ago

DON'T WASTE IT

Lacombe encouraging residents to treat water as precious resource

9h ago

Ground School Training

New aviation career pathway elevates opportunities for students

18h ago

CAP officials say Beck has shown tireless efforts in promoting both physics and science education in general at Sundre High School. In addition, he is said to have made a tremendous impact on the character of the school by developing numerous non-science and extracurricular programs at the school and in the community, such as the Junior Lions Club (an after school drama troop), and mixed martial arts training for students.

With 18 years of science teaching experience, Beck is described as having remarkable intelligence and knowledge, equipping him to engage and motivate students to academic success in physics. His expertise is said to be underlined by the fact that he was requested as a member of committees for Alberta Education for diploma exam item writing, PD development, and curriculum design.

He was also hired by the Perimeter Institute to help develop teacher resources for Alberta.

Beyond thoroughly understanding the material and presenting it in an understandable manner to students, Beck has worked hard to acquire five grants totaling $50,000 to purchase materials and equipment that have greatly augmented student’s hands-on learning.

Beck’s efforts also include several field trips to West Edmonton Mall where students experienced live physics, and mentoring a group of a dozen Grade 10-12 students in developing a winning proposal to gain ‘beam time’ at the CLS Synchrotron at the University of Saskatchewan.

Beck plans to stay in the classroom as long as he can.