On 12/09/08, June in Maryland wrote:
> Ditto on the above - I am physics-certified in a county that is
> already top-heavy. I'm at a community college this year - high
> school dropped me - long story - but soon I will eclipse them and DH
> doesn't want to move unless I can get a job at Thomas Jefferson in
> Alexandria VA! My new goal. I am going to pick up my math Praxis
> since I'm also now teaching math - marketing, marketing. I'm also an
> ex-engineer who is most probably ASD so I got issues with connecting
> with students! I am constantly on the prowl for good tips.
> Occasionally I follow my own advice.
>
> If you are hunting do the following: find out how many of levels of
> physics your district is teaching. My county teaches 4 (conceptual,
> honors, AP B and AP C) now plus basic concepts in middle school (and
> they're thinking of adding IB). The two next counties only teach
> honors and AP B or AP C. Also find out how many instructors are
> currently certified specifically in physics (all of ours are) and
> what the current physic course load is. Know your competition.
> Ditto on state requirements - know what they are first of all. Don't
> rule out private school or community college if you don't care about
> tenure and state retirement.
>
> On making physics understandable: you will never get all of this in
> the first year or three. Pray that your administration is
> understandable. Then build up.
>
> 1. Regular demos and short inquiry labs (20 minutes max) are a
> must. Try at least one a week. Pick good thought questions from
> Hewitt, Wilson/Buffa, or Cutnell/Johnson. Check out Lillian
> McDermott's Physics by Inquiry. I don't care for Eisenkraft much but
> some folks like him. Make sure your labs don't suck. Essential.
>
> 2. Use the 5E (or 7E) or Gagne method of instruction but break down
> the steps to cover only a couple of concepts at a time and practice
> them thoroughly. That means do some of the steps repeatedly until
> final assessment. See also Dr. Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching.
>
> 3. Visually model everything multiple times. Then do it again.
> Especially how to make a good free body diagram.
>
> 4. Use a concise "rememberable" problem solving mantra. I got one I
> learned as a college student (has 5 steps). ROAST is similar.
>
> 4. Hold before- or after-school refreshers for skill building in
> algebra, trig, and problem solving techniques. Or lunch bunches.
> Build in incentives for the kids to show up. If you like to call
> parents (I don't) suggest that they send their kids if you notice
> Johnny's fractions are terrible. Nothing like a wake-up call. Do it
> before October. Don't assume they know the math - they don't outside
> of the math classroom! I've given math tests in physics at the start
> of the year. Do it as extra credit to be added to a poor test
> grade. I've got kids right now in Calc II that get hung up on
> fractions, conversions, algebraic manipulation and trig. (our county
> just reduced math requirements to 3 years - science is also only 3)
>
> 5. More BCRs using good conceptual questions. Try pairing them with
> short movie clips. Star Wars, Transporter, Mythbusters, Lost,
> anything involving physical interactions. Check out intuitor.com for
> physics movie myths. Find good clips on YouTube even if you can get
> it past your school's firewall. Make sure they don't suck either.
>
> 6. Hold off on more in-depth labs until basic concepts are
> understood. Make the kiddoes write formal lab reports (scientific
> method) at least once a quarter. My college kids never wrote one
> before coming to me. Check out the great lab rubric from NCSU's
> Scale-Up program. Also consider alternating with a good research
> project. Or extra credit for science fair participation.
>
> 7. Give your kids the Force Concept Inventory and other diagnostic
> conceptual exams (some colleges use them for final exams). Give it
> all at once or a few questions at a time but try it for NO grade
> other than participation. Make the kids explain the answers to each
> other. Google "Action Research Kit" and "Force Concept Inventory"
> and you'll get a website that lists a bunch. OMG I am so glad I
> finally found them.
>
> 8. Consider rearranging the traditional order of instruction if you
> have the power to do so (again see Hewitt). Hold off on two-
> dimensional until 1D motion is well understood. Hold off on any
> rotation whatsoever until you are almost done with mechanics. Start
> with current and basic circuits before you do fields.
>
> 9. Join AAPT. Read everything they recommend. Hunt down back
> copies of "The Physics Teacher." Read physics education research.
> Alan van Heuvelen is a Physics Master! Follow him religiously.
>
> 10. Assign only 3-4 mid-level problems a week max. Suggest LOTS of
> lower-level problems and try to practice half of them in class. Make
> the kids responsible for their own practice. Give incentives.
>
> 11. Send your kids to practice more on the Physics Classroom and
> whatever online site comes with your textbook. Give them an
> incentive if you can but let the computer do the grading.
>
> 12. Have your kids solve problems in front of you on small
> whiteboards while you walk around watching them. Also as pairs and
> small groups. No excuses! Good way to see how much they are
> practicing.
>
> 13. Assess CONCEPTUAL knowledge as much - or more than -
> computational knowledge! The kids will HATE you for it. Essential
> to do - they'll never fail again once the concepts are ingrained.
> They'll get plenty of computational when they major in physics or
> engineering in college. Check out simulators at phet.com,
> myphysicslab.com, and physicsclassroom.com.
>
> 14. Make them read the book by giving reading guides. They MUST
> learn how to read boring science books before they hit the even more
> boring and even incomprehensible engineering books in college (where
> they are $200 a pop now). Bad ones: Giancoli, Halliday/Resnick.
> Good ones: the ones mentioned above, Serway. I LOVE Hewitt. He has
> a new high school version. Haven't read Holt. Tsai looked pretty
> good from what little I saw of it. Check out Larry Gonick's Cartoon
> Guide to Physics. Nerdy but some kids might like it. Physics for
> Dummies is too verbose for dummies. YOU must be the best explainer
> of physics to your students. Make your lecturing REAL SHORT. Much
> shorter than my tips here. (sorry, I'm an aspie)
>
> 14. Quiz every week (one problem to work out). Test every few weeks
> by major category of concepts (e.g. Newton's Laws, work and energy,
> HT and thermo) not by chapter. Give them the formulas; doesn't mean
> they know how to use them! Then give them problems with variables
> only so they have to derive each setup! Scramble both/give multiple
> versions. I hate cheaters. They hate scrambling/multiple versions.
> If you do multiple choice tests, consider partial credit for worked-
> out problems.
>
> 15. Do AP multiple choice problems even at lower levels. Do them as
> warmup questions/clickers! Don't have clickers? Kids can hold up
> index cards with A, B, C, D and you do a quick head-count.
>
> AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST - THE MOST IMPORTANT:
>
> 16. Hit up your administrators for an extra planning period! And
> buy a DVR so you can watch TV later (or wait for the DVDs). I'm
> catching up on Lost, 24 and Rescue Me still...
>
> Happy physics teaching,
> June in Maryland
>
>
> On 11/16/08, stewart wrote:
>> On 11/16/08, Default Name wrote:
>>> Would you care to elaborate?
>>>
>>>> go teaching! it's a noble profession. But be aware that
>>>> Physics itself is unteachable.
>>
>> i was successful in teaching the mathematically based physics to
>> inner city kids because I was always prepared with drills and
>> practices in physics problem solving, scientific notation and units
>> for example. High school kids are almost totally unprepared for
>> what they will have in the standard high school physics course.
>> Therefore, you will need to help them a great deal at first and
>> repeatedly supplement the text with worksheets. Physics texts are
>> among the worst written texts in high school and college. I spent
>> almost every night during the week preparing lessons for the next
>> day to help the kids learn their physics and chemistry--about 2
>> hours every night. On weekends I graded papers. Most of what you
>> must do is to have the students do seatwork on problem solving and
>> little lecturing.Kids like to do the labs and demonstrations.

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