Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 17:38:55 -0500

From: Dennis Erickson <derickson@21STCENTURY.NET>

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

Contribution

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To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu

Reply-to: "phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators"

<PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>

Julie-

Great idea- here are some--

I have adopted a few sayings that summarize my teaching philosophy:

Lead your students to discovery, but do not doscover for them.

Rather than being a Sage on the stage, be a Guide on the side.

Use student centered, ownership learning methods. Constructivist learning.

Have student experts develop lessons and let them teach the class.

Include the history and people of physics.

Do a lot of labs.

Include astronomy, sky watching, and space events/satellites on a weekly

basis.

Bring up current events.

Have a physics hand signal, like Paul Hewitt has, that you and your students

exchange in the hallways.

Have extra credit projects-some kids love them.

Have a sense of humor!

Dennis

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Dennis Erickson

Chicago Section

International Dark-Sky Assn.

Sidewalk Astronomy Club

http://sites.netscape.net/dericksondennis

Second email:

Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 09:50:48 -0500

From: Dennis Erickson <derickson@21STCENTURY.NET>

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

andContribution

Sender: "phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators"

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To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu

Reply-to: "phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators"

<PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>

Hewitt uses a raised fist and says PHYSICS. Sort of the power &

satisfaction of understanding the physics of hoew the world works,

Dennis

"O>Stanley Chiocchio" wrote:

> What are some suggestions for hand signals?

--

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Dennis Erickson

Chicago Section

International Dark-Sky Assn.

Sidewalk Astronomy Club

http://sites.netscape.net/dericksondennis

From: DaveButton@aol.com

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 19:03:13 EDT

Subject: Advice

To: Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu

MIME-Version: 1.0

Name: James David (Dave) Button, II

Experience: 31 years in public education -- 3 years with G/T Program, 1 year

as Assistant Principal, 27 years in classroom in Chemistry and/or Physics --

currently Physics; 15 years +/- as high school science department chair (two

different schools).

Taught at Brentsville District High School (1968-1971, 1972-1979) Chemistry,

Physics, Physical Science, Department Chair (1970-1979); (1971-1972 in

NSF-AYI at The University of Virginia); G/T Resource (1979-1982); Stonewall

Jackson High School (1982-1987) Physics; Osbourn Park High School

(1988-Present) Chemistry, Physics, Advanced Physics, Department Chair

(1994-Present). Assistant Principal, Jennie Dean Middle School 1987-1988.

Awards/honors: 2nd Place State Teacher of the Year, Virginia, 1985. Local

(School) Tandy Technology Teacher. Students have been Westinghouse

Finalists, ISEF (at the International Fair) Participants.

Workshops (too numerous to mention) but a few of the highlights

1 -- Harvard Project Physics, Harvard University, Summer 1970

2 -- Early computer based physics workshops -- Dickinson College (P. Laws),

Tufts University, Lewis and Clark University (Portland Oregon) --

"Instructor/group leader" at L&C.

3 -- Worked with Neel Beard at Hampden-Sydney College -- another "pioneer" in

the computer interfacing in physics area

"Other Duties"

1 -- Perpetual county "flunky" with regard to textbook committee chairing,

workshop planning, workshop attending, etc. (If they need a teacher to do

it, I usually get to be the one.)

2 -- Class (high school) sponsor

3 -- Graduation (high school) coordinator

4 -- PA announcer for high school football games (nearly 30 years in this

position at three different schools)

Advice

1. Know your subject, but know yourself better. A student once said, "I can

tolerate an insufferable teacher who knows the material. I can tolerate a

teacher who may not know the material as well, but who is willing to admit

it. I cannot tolerate an insufferable teacher who does not know the

material." Be willing to admit to limitations.

2. Get involved with the school's activities. Physics teachers, in many

schools, are perceived, rightly or wrongly, to be insufferable snobs who look

down on their noses at everyone else in the building. Do this, and you are

doomed. You may be the only one of your kind in the building, but don't add

fuel to the fire.

3. Get involved with other teachers in nearby schools. Depending on the

state, this may or may not be easy to do, but getting involved on lists such

as Physhare and participating in workshops that are regional in nature helps.

4. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way to share what you know with like minded teachers and be extra willing to learn from them. They may not know as much as you, but their experience will make your life easier.

5. Be particularly nice to the secretaries and custodians in the building.

They can make you life a living hell if you get on their bad side. They can

eliminate a lot of your problems if they do like you.

6. When possible in class, avoid the pronoun "I" and use the word "we."

Such as when introducing the lesson, become a part of the scientific

community. If you can be a "guide by the side" and not a "sage on the

stage,"

7. Ask a lot of leading questions of your students forcing them to focus on

what they are asking (Socratic method) and LISTEN to what the answer is.

8. Pause before answering a question. Even if you know the answer, try to

focus in on the answer by asking a question in return. For example: If a

student says "I don't understand,", then a good response MIGHT be "What don't

you understand?". Get the student to focus on the question he has just asked.

9. Remember what it was like when you were in school. If it all came easy

to you, then you are lucky and it may be difficult for you to not comprehend

what the students are going through. If it took work on your part, then

empathize with the student (non-verbally probably), but you will probably

have a good idea of what the student is really going through.

10. Very few of your students are going to major in physics -- else we would

be up to our necks in physics majors. Physics is not the first love of their

life -- in fact, some may be taking it because "Mom and dad want me to." You

don't have to teach them everything you know or everything that is in the

book. Remember, the book is not the curriculum. If it were, then there

would be no need for teachers.

11. Teach a few things well, and don't worry about the rest.

12. [Plug for Jane Jackson at Arizona State University] If you can get into

one of the modeling workshops that are run throughout the country, do so. It will help you immensely. I just finished up one this summer and discovered that although I am doing many things "correctly" according to the book, there are many things I can do better, and they aren't always found in the book.

13. Record what you did in class and what worked and what didn't work.

Throw out the stuff that didn't, use the stuff that did, but don't

necessarily do the throwing out on a period by period basis -- what didn't

work in first period may work in second period -- the data are not good after

one test.

Greatest Accomplishment: This fall, my son will be teaching physics right

down the hall from me.

From: "astrophy" <bushnell@netins.net>

To: <Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu>

Subject: advice

Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 01:57:46 -0500

X-Priority: 3

MIME-Version: 1.0

I will follow your format

1.) you will have your hands full for the first two or three years, and

then worry about professional development

2.) The Physics Teacher, a mentor, this list has been very helpful, and a

textbook you like

3.) Take time for yourself, do all your work at school, and try not to take

on too much at once.

4.) None at present

5.) Variety, variety, variety. We watch films, do projects, have lectures,

do activities and experiments, have speakers, and discuss.

6.) Being a woman, I would say find a mentor. Use all the references you

need, and even if some people do not respond to your questions, keep

trying. All you can do is the best you can, do not expect more from

yourself than that. If you make mistakes, you are learning. If you never

do anything, you can never do anything wrong. You will also never grow

either.

7.) My best lesson changes from year to year depending on my students. My

best lessons are the ones that the students show the most interest in. The

ones that they want and need to know more. If I can stimulate that, then I

am successful as a teacher, because they have the start to learn on their

own.

Leesa Bushnell

Alburnett High School

Alburnett Iowa

Math/Science Teacher

You have my permission to use any and all of this information in your

paper.

Hope This Helps,

Leesa

Reply-To: "kk" <kk@amdg.com.ph>

From: "kk" <kk@amdg.com.ph>

To: <Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu>

Subject: Advice for first year physics teacher

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 14:47:24 +0800

MIME-Version: 1.0

X-Priority: 3

X-MDaemon-Deliver-To: Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu

X-Return-Path: kk@amdg.com.ph

I have been teaching Physics for 27 years.

1. I learned most of my physics when I tried to teach it.  Being able to do well on a test in college did not mean I really knew my physics.

2. Immediately after you give a lesson or a test, go back and make notations and changes on it so that it will be better next time.  This will help you improve your materials.

Good luck!

Ken Kiehlbauch

Faith Academy

Manila, Philippines 

From: "Inge H. A. Pettersen" <ingep@online.no>

To: <Julie-Peterson@nwu.edu>

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 15:33:04 +0200

MIME-Version: 1.0

X-Priority: 3

Hello Julie Peterson !

First I would like to mention that I might be outside your sampling pool, being a norwegian high school teacher, but since none restriction on nationality was mentioned and this list is international I'll give you my view points. Secondly,

I hope that when your analysis is finished you will put it up on the web and give us the url so that we may grow wiser and

increase our knowledge :-)

I have been teaching physics, mathematics and computer science for 8 years. This includes both the national

curriculum and the IB curriculum. On the national level we have (recently started) physics teacher organization,

so in the mean time have have been (and still is) a member of the AAPT. The IB gives workshops in the

subjects given above.

In order to make the analysis easier, my view points will be given below. These advices are based on what has

helped me.

First of all one should build networks to make sure you get input and can improve your teaching methods :

Get organized in the AAPT, read The Physics Teacher and attend workshops.

If you are not the only teacher teaching in physics, agree upon a day and time each week to discuss issues

related to physics teaching: exchange demos, experiments, project ideas ect. Also, the administration of

the school will be taking more note of your requests if you act as a group.

Know your laboratory well and make it an aim to document clearly for yourself all the ideas you get. I have as

an aim myself to document at least one lab/project idea/demo each week.

Attend various distribution lists on physics.

If you live close to a university it might be possible to educate yourself further on areas you feel you would like

to learn more about or stay knowledgeable about.

Secondly keep in mind that everything that make your students start thinking about physics is good. Try to make

them active in various ways. One useful technique when you introduce a new concept is to use PEER

Instruction ("guru": Eric Mazur) as a check.

Thirdly: Sadly, many students think learning is memorising. It is smart to explain at the start of the school year

why you emphasise active engagement. You should also make clear how you will grade them.

The book "Teaching Introductory Physics" by Arnold B. Arons gives many good ideas on teaching. Many

schools of physics teaching in the US have many good ideas:

Workshop Physics (Princillia Laws et. al.)

Washington PER Group (Lillian McDermott et. al.)

Modeling (Arizona University)

Do not try to do too much at a time. Your skills will evolve if you keep reflecting on your strenght and weakness.

Try to develop your strenghts and try to minimise your weeker parts.

See above

Concept building: Demos and PEER Instruction

Extend the context of the concept: labs, projects, problem solving ect

As a male, I think it is difficult for me to give a good advice. I would guess that since there are, at least in Norway, much more male physics teachers than female teachers it can be smart to make networks between the different schools.

Put high standards for yourself and your students. Make sure nevertheless that they are realistic.

Good luck with your studies !