From: "Paul EveryHope" <peveryhope@home.com>

To: <Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu>

Subject: FW: Request for Experienced Physics Teacher Advice and Contribution

Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 22:36:30 -0700

MIME-Version: 1.0

X-Priority: 3 (Normal)

Importance: Normal

I am entering my fourth year teaching.  I have taught physics and freshman integrated science in that time.  In the off-season I am an instructor with the CPU workshop at Western Washington University.  While the primary mode of instruction in my physics courses is constructivist, I am not dogmatic about teaching or learning styles.

I will not respond to your prompts.  The best advice I have to offer does not fit into the categories below.  I am sure you will get responses to those subjects.  When you begin teaching the most important thing to remember is what you teach.  A great many physics teachers I know teach physics.  Biology teachers teach biology.  And so forth.  I teach the students who are before me.  I teach people.  Always be mindful of who is in the classroom with you.  Respond to their needs.  Create lessons that will help them to become the most effective people possible.  Physics is an excellent tool to that end.  It teaches many wonderful skills and offers insight into the universe in which we find ourselves.  Just don't let the beauty of the physics distract you from the beauty of the students before you. 

Burn out comes from two separate places:

People who don't love teaching or don't like the kids -- reason obvious

People who like it too much.  Never forget to nourish your soul.  Do not try to change the whole world.  An extra project here and there is all right, but the education system has a tendency to demand more of you than you can give.  You should say no to every extra assignment your first year.  No to committees, coaching, whatever.  Just focus on being the best teacher you can.  As time goes on assume those tasks outside of the classroom only when they lead to meaningful change.  Fight the good fights some of the time.  Most of the time just let it go.

Management is a bit more of an issue for women.  Sad but true.  The most important management skill is honesty.  If the students like you personally the task will be easier.  This does not mean give everyone A's.  That will only cause loss of respect.  Rather, let the students see who you really are.  Be honest.  Define your relationship with them respectfully.

7. What is your best lesson? Why?

Any lesson not taught on a Monday. 

X-Authentication-Warning: archa14.cc.uga.edu: wge owned process doing -bs

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 11:05:46 -0400 (EDT)

From: "Wilson J. Gonzalez-Espada" <wge@arches.uga.edu>

X-Sender: wge@archa14.cc.uga.edu

To: Julie Peterson <Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu>

Subject: Re: Request for Experienced Physics Teacher Advice and Contribution

MIME-Version: 1.0

On Mon, 24 Jul 2000, Julie Peterson wrote:

WILSON J. GONZALEZ-ESPADA

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

B.A. SECONDARY EDUCATION (PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS), UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO

RICO 1993

M.A. SCIENCE EDUCATION, INTERAMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO, 1997

PH.D. SCIENCE EDUCATION (IN PROGRESS; THIS WILL BE MY THIRD YEAR)

EXPERIENCE

PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS TEACHER (2YEARS)

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL, CAGUAS PR

PHYSICS INSTRUCTOR (2 YEARS)

PUERTO RICO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, PONCE PR

(THIS IS A TWO-YEAR TECHNICAL COLLEGE)

MY HUMBLE ADVICES IN A NUTSHELL

1. BE ORGANIZED WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL PAPERWORK

2. PREPARE (PLAN) EACH CLASS AS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE

3. KEEP LEARNING NEW PHYSICS CONTENT

4. KEEP LEARNING NEW TEACHING METHODOLOGIES

5. BE FAMILIAR WITH THE PHYSICS EDUCATION RESEARCH LITERATURE

6. IN CLASS, USE AS MUCH ANALOGIES AND CONCRETE EXAMPLES AS POSSIBLE

7. MAKE THE CONCEPTS CONTEXTUALLY RELEVANT TO YOUR KIDS BY USING EVERYDAY EXAMPLES

8. BE FIRM, BUT HUMAN

9. AKNOWLEDGE THAT ASSESSMENT IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE. NEVER GIVE A B AS FINAL GRADE WITH AN OVERALL SCORE OF 88-89%

10. RECOGNIZE THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT A PHYSICS CONCEPT.

11. NEVER INVENT SOME PHYSICS EXPLANATION BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER

12. LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE (OTHER SCIENCE TEACHERS, FOR EXAMPLE).

13. USE AS MANY DEMONSTRATIONS AND LABORATORIES AS POSSIBLE, WITHIN YOUR TIME LIMITS.

14. SUBSCRIBE TO A PHYSICS LISTSERV AND DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK

15. KEEP YOUR CONTENT KNOWLEDGE FRESH: GO TO THE LIBRARY AN BROWSE

JOURNALS LIKE "THE PHYSICS TEACHER", "PHYSICS TODAY", "PHYSICS EDUCATION". ETC.

16. BUY BOOKS ABOUT SCIENCE (PHYSICS TEACHING METHODOLOGIES) AND LEARN FROM THEM.

17. USE THE WWW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE: FIND NEW ACTIVITIES, DEMONSTRATIONS, LABORATORIES.

18. DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL TIES WITH PHYSICS TEACHERS IN YOUR AREA; ESTABLISH "SHARE-A-TONS" AMONG THEM.

19. BE AN ACTIVE SCIENCE ADVOCATE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THROUGH SCIENCE FAIRS, PHYSICS SHOWS, ETC.

20. KEEP A DIARY OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS THAT WORKED (SO YOU CAN DO THEM NEXT YEAR) AND THOSE WHO DO NOT (AND CHANGE THEM!).

21. ESTABLISH PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH PRIVATE COMPANIES; USE SOME OF THEIR PERSONNEL AS GUEST SPEAKERS.

22. USE EVERYDAY MATERIALS IN YOUR PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS: COSTLY EQUIPMENT DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN GOOD LEARNING.

23. IF YOU START FEELING THAT PHYSICS TEACHING IS NOT PROFESSIONALLY FULFILLING, QUIT TEACHING AND DO SOMETHING ELSE. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL BE RUINING THE SCIENCE ASPIRATIONS OF MANY STUDENTS.

I AGREE TO PARTICIPATE VOLUNTARILY IN THIS DATA-GATHERING ELECTRONIC MESSAGE: WILSON J. GONZALEZ-ESPADA

JULIE:

I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO REPLY ADDITIONAL E-MAILS FOR INFORMATION CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, OR IF YOU WANT ME TO BE MORE DETAIL ON A PARTICULAR ASPECT. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUBLISH YOUR RESULTS IN A SCIENCE EDUCATION JOURNAL, LIKE "SCIENCE EDUCATION", "JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING", ETC.>

I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK IN YOUR THESIS. I WILL BE HERE IF YOU NEED ME

P.S. PLEASE EXCUSE GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES; ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE.

Wilson J. Gonzalez-Espada

Science Education Department

University of Georgia

wge@arches.uga.edu

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 11:56:27 -0400 (EDT)

From: Elaine Barnes <barnes@mps.ohio-state.edu>

Subject: Re: Request for Experienced Physics Teacher Advice and Contribution

To: Julie Peterson <Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu>

MIME-version: 1.0

Julie:

My name is Elaine Barnes and I have taught physics for several years at

the college level. Currently, I work for a non-profit educational

organization developing an "Energy Smart Schools" program for the state

under the support of the Ohio Department of Deveopment. I have spent the

last year with K-12 students and currently have taught science to people

from kindergarten to graduate studetns.

What I have to offer is basic:

Respect and empathy.

Respect what your students know and understand that many will not come in

with the background you would expect. Being an "all but dissertstion"

nearly PhD level physicist, it is not understandable to me that my

students wouldn't bea able to solve simple algebra problems (college

students) I respected where they were are started from there.

Respect your students by not setting your expectations for them too low.

Learn what the individual knows best. Compliment it and you will find

they try harder for you.

Respect your students by asking alot of them and praising them for

improving. Let them know that you know sometimes life is hard and they are

doing the best they can. Realize that everyone has a different learning

style and try your best not to get impatient when you have to explain

Newton's 3rd Law for the 57th time.

Repitition is extrememly helpful. Units are always essential for

quantities. Teach the students that although we use word like speed,

force, work, energy in "eberyday speech" that these words have precise

physical meaning and insist they learn to be precise. This will help keep

them from being confused (more than necessary). Acknowledge that they

come into the class with some understanding of how the world works...we

are just putting precise terms on it.

Hands-on activities are helpful...anytime you can begin a new subject by

breaking the stuents into small groups and asking them to play with a

related toy you can peak there curiosity as well as give them something

concrete to relate the lecture to.

Remember, most of your students will not be very prepared for abstract

material. Hold them to standards, but be honest and kind about it.

Teach in your own style not what you saw someone else do (even if you

liked it) that doesn't suit you. Students will learn more if you are

genuinely yourself.

Push them every day, but don't make them feel bad for not getting

something the first or 5th try.

I hope you enjoy your new career. As I am moving out of formal teaching,

there are things that I will definately miss about it.

I will read through your questions and answer those specifically if I have

missed something.

All the best,

Elaine Barnes

Statewide EnergySmart Schools Coordinator

Ohio Energy Project

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 12:09:32 -0400 (EDT)

From: Robert A Cohen <bbq@esu.edu>

To: Julie Peterson <Julie-Peterson@NWU.EDU>

Subject: Re: Phys-l: Request for Experienced Physics Teacher Advice and Contribution

MIME-Version: 1.0

On Mon, 24 Jul 2000, Julie Peterson wrote:

I have a Ph.D. in science and have been teaching university physics for

about 7 years. I also have an M.Ed. in secondary science education and am

certified to teach but have not taught secondary much (except for student

teaching and substitute teaching).

My biggest piece of advice is "learn as much as you can about your

students." I feel this is the biggest thing that separates experiences

teachers from novice teachers. Find out what they think about physics,

how they explain physical phenomena, why they think that way, and how they

approach a problem. Find commonalities and differences in what your

students think and base your instruction on such knowledge.

My second biggest piece of advice is "don't work in a vacuum." Lots of

people have gone through what you are going through. Find out what they

did. Copy lesson plans that work. Attend conferences. Join

organizations. Search the internet.

----------------------------------------------------------

| Robert Cohen Department of Physics |

| East Stroudsburg University |

| bbq@esu.edu East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 |

| http://www.esu.edu/~bbq/ (570) 422-3428 |

----------------------------------------------------------

From: TLBROM@aol.com

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:01:03 EDT

Subject: Experienced Physics Teacher Advice

To: Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu

MIME-Version: 1.0

Julie:

I have been teaching physics for 30+ years in a highly academic suburban

school which has fluctuated from 750 kids - to 1200 kids and is currently at

about 850. I have built a strong physics program beginning with about three

sections of physics to the current level of 10 or 11 sections of physics.

Currently we offer conceptual physics (2 sections), trig-based traditional

physics (6 sections) and AP Physics with calculus (2 sections). Three general

pieces of advice:

1. Physics teachers like to do demonstrations----- the teacher has a great

time- the kids sit there and watch. In my office there is a sign which you

may have seen:

"Tell me- I forget, Show me- I remember, Involve me- I understand. I try to

live by that motto because it is true! Be creative and switch demonstrations

to student activities. If you don't have the kids actively engaged, you are

wasting class time. I tend to cause problems at physics teacher gatherings because they always want to show off their cute demonstrations. I ask what the kids are doing while the teacher is having so much fun in front of them?

2. Be careful about which activities you select to do with the kids. Physics is a huge topic and you probably can't do it all. Actually, you can do it all, but they can't learn it all (see next point!!). There is so much technology available now that you really must carefully discriminate. An example will suffice: I am working with a young physics teacher who will be very good. He is very computer literate and really enjoys working with the Pasco Science lab interfaces. He spent two days having the kids measure and then calculate the terminal velocity of falling balloons. My discussions with him focused upon how that really was a waste of time. Terminal velocity is a 5-10 minute discussion not worth spending two class periods. My point is-- Don't do the activity just because you can. Do the activity because it is worth doing. You have to determine the definition to "worth doing". He did not cover some important physics later in the year because he wasted time early in the year.

3. MOST IMPORTANT!!! Teach kids- not physics. When someone asks what you teach, you should respond that you teach kids about physics. Understand the difference between teaching and learning--- there may not be much connection. Work at enabling kids to learn about physics!

There are three elements in teaching kids about physics: understanding the content you deliver, understanding the kids in front of you and understanding how to enable the kids in front of you to understand the content you deliver. New teachers tend to have a "handle" on the content. You have to work hard for the rest of your career on the other two!

Enough for now---- Hope this helps!!!

T Bromley

X-Originating-IP: [209.173.97.66]

From: "fred bucheit" <fbucheit@hotmail.com>

To: Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 07:12:03 PDT

Mime-Version: 1.0

I am a retired high school Physics teacher with 32 years of experience.

My opinions are based on the premise that knowledge can NOT be broken

into subject areas without a significant loss of meaning. All too often we as teachers get carried away and get deeply involved in one tiny area of a subject that has little or no meaning to the student because it lacks connection to the real world of experience from which the student comes. The bright student then ends up memorizing a bunch of arcane information and the less bright student flounders in frustration.

WE must bring the course to the student, not the student to the course.

For too long educators have gotten away with presenting a course that was probably designed for future Physicists, yet the majority of the students need to know more about how science works and how it has changed the world rather than how to find the equivalent capacitance of a network of capacitors.

Man is discovering new knowledge at a hectic pace; no one person can

ever hope to learn a tiny fraction of that knowledge. We must teach people HOW to learn and give them a framework from which they can find the information they need when they need it.

The main problems in education arise from the fact that educators pretty much design their own courses. WE need courses and curriculum designed by brilliant people with vision. CAn you imagine the engineers at Boeing

designing planes?

Almost all texts are written by teachers, most of whom have extensive

knowledge in the subject area. The book may contain not a single error, but will it prepare a person to spend the remainder of their life making

decisions regarding the onslaught of the technological revolutions that

daily bombard us? The vast majority of students may as well argue over the number of angels that can stand on the head of a pin as how to calculate the equivalent capactance of a network of capacitors.

Our schools and colleges are two much driven by corporate interests. The

result is that we have a society that has the greatest technology in the

world, but do we have citizens that can clearly think about important

issues, distinguish an important issue from a trivial one, and make decision based on relevant information? I don't think so.

Fred Bucheit

Retired Physics teacher

fbucheit@hotmail.com