In 1989, his school district named him Teacher of the Year, and in March of 1996 he was recognized as Best Elementary Science Teacher by the Texas Medical Association. When Palmer's class finishes its bat study unit, the students can join the McKinney Society of Bat Protectors, a club Palmer founded in 1992. The students are already quite knowledgeable about bats, and with the help of about 40 other club members, they prepare to educate others, organizing public presentations and perfecting their speaking skills. To help illustrate their message, they show videos, perform skits, and play games. The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is a 270-acre wildlife preserve north of Dallas.
Bats are frequent residents on the property, along with birds, butterflies, and small mammals.
As part of BCI's North American Bat House Research Project, Palmer's Bat Protectors club is conducting bat house research on the museum property. To determine which habitat the bats prefer, the students placed eight houses in varied terrain and checked the houses weekly to record their findings. Letting students do the research fits perfectly with Palmer's approach to teaching. They'll want to keep learning about science the rest of their lives. Palmer originally planned his curriculum with materials from BCI, then gradually adapted them to his own style.