`Physics 590 – Summer Physics Courses for New Physics Teachers

Salvatore Tatto, Fox Lane HS Physics

The first few years of teaching are a challenging time. There are many demands placed on a new teacher. New high school teachers need to learn the content of the classes they are teaching, learn how to control and motivate a group of teenagers in the classroom, deal with concerns from administrators and/or parents, and at the same time think about tenure.

Many authors have written advice for new teachers. Many of the authors share similar ideas on how to make one's first year of teaching more successful while each also sharing original helpful suggestions. I will share some of the main ideas that have been shared by others followed by some additional ideas from my own experience.

As a new teacher, it is important "to realize that your plight is not unusual and that you are not alone."¹ So much happens during the first year of teaching that you tend to forget that many other people are going through the same ups and downs as you are. Identifying a mentor can be an invaluable action for a new teacher as a mentor not only helps with practical ideas on teaching methods but also provides support through sharing his/her experiences and feelings from earlier teaching years. It is preferable to have a mentor in the same school. However, if you are the only physics teacher at your school, you will have to look elsewhere. A good place to look is "a colleague from another school or join a partnership with a physics department at a local university."²

Another piece of advice that has been shared with new teachers is that it is important diverge from the traditional classroom routine and do a project with students. "The compelling and fun parts of physics are the hands-on activities that, when combined with student discussion of ideas, help you and your students make more sense of the everyday world."¹ These hands-on activities help students to become active participants in their learning. "The more your students become responsible partners in the learning process, the more they will learn and the more they (and you) will enjoy it."³

Another piece of advice that incorporates many of the other ideas is to attend a summer physics academy. "Many colleges and universities nationwide offer formal coursework and institutes, as do U.S. national laboratories."¹ At the summer sessions, students have the opportunity to interact with other physics teachers and learn what they were doing in their classrooms. They also are exposed to different teaching methods that are specific to teaching physics. Modeling Physics, an entire research-based introductory physics curriculum¹

My own experiences as a new physics teacher have helped me to realize how helpful the advice that has been shared is. Teaching was a second career path for me. I went back to school for my secondary education certification so that I could teach physics. I learned a great deal about educational theory, but I was not taught physics content or how to specifically teach it. While I felt that I learned a lot as a student teacher, I had no idea how much was left to learn.

I was excited when I was offered my first job teaching physics. As a beginning teacher, I was faced with the challenges that most new teachers are faced with. I had to independently learn the physics curriculum and determine the most effective method to teach it. I had a textbook and I knew what topics I needed to teach. However, I was at a loss on how to do it. I did not know how I would motivate my students and get them to love the subject as much as I do. I was also unsure of the labs I would have students do, and did not know what demonstrations I would or could do to help enhance their learning. Having a formal mentor would have been helped me to figure out how to approach my first year of teaching, however I never thought of doing that at the time. However, one of the benefits of not having a mentor during my first year is that I realized how important collaboration with colleagues is. This does not have to be in place of having a mentor but is an important addition to it. One of the best feelings I have is talking with colleagues about what I am doing in the classroom. Being able to bounce ideas off another physics teacher helps with planning and invariably gives you a fresh look at what you are doing in class.

Another choice that I made as a new teacher that proved to be one of the most worthwhile endeavors I have made in my teaching career is attending a physics teaching methods course over the past two summers. As a new teacher, I reflected back on my many years as a student. I remember how the teachers were the center of the classroom. It was their job to lecture and disseminate information. Since this was a model that worked for my whole education, I decided to use the same model now that I had my own classroom. While this method was straightforward and comfortable for me since it was how I learned, I began to realize that this was not the most effective way to teach. However, I was not sure what other options existed. At the Buffalo State Summer Institute, I learned many different techniques on how to teach physics (some I had never seen before, while others I already do with my students). I was also able to improve my physics content knowledge. While integrating these methods with my former teaching methods has not been easy, it has been very worthwhile. I feel that I am encouraging students to be active participants in the learning and as both an educator and student, I have learned that when students are able to participate in their learning, they have a much better chance of remembering what they learned. Another benefit to attending the program was that I was able to find other teachers who were interested in improving their knowledge and teaching skills. They also not only got my nerdy jokes but appreciated them too.⁴ I developed a network of colleagues that I could exchange ideas with. Having people who have similar training and goals as physics teachers has proven to be an invaluable outcome of the program that I had never thought about when I enrolled in it.

Designing and implementing projects is extremely difficult for me as a new teacher as it probably is for most new teachers. During the first year, a major concern is getting through all of the curricular material. A project can be seen as taking away valuable class time from learning. However, I have found that it can be one of the most rewarding parts of the class for both the students and the teacher. When I think back to my high school physics class, the projects we did stick out clearly in my mind. I had to apply what I learned in class and learn how to apply problem-solving techniques when my projects were in the design phase. As a teacher, I want my students to have the experience of doing projects so that what they learn will stay with them for many years to come. It is rewarding to me not only because I can see them really understanding concepts but also because I can see that many of my students are really enjoying themselves. Knowing that my students really understand concepts (as opposed to just memorizing them) and that they are enjoying it gives me an incredible feeling of satisfaction and reminds me about why I decided to become a teacher.

One final lesson that I learned and continually have to remind myself of is that the learning process is ongoing. My experiences at Buffalo States summer program and my four years of teaching physics have taught me that the more I know about physics, the more I have to learn. In my fourth year teaching, I am still learning a lot about what it means to be a good teacher and what good learning looks like in a physics classroom. The professors at Buffalo State say that they "learn physics every semester by listening and reflecting upon student questions."¹ It is important that new teachers remember that learning is a lifetime process and that they do not have to teach everything perfectly during their first year. A teacher who thinks this is possible is not only going to be disappointed but is also not one that is open to continual learning which is a necessary part of reaching one's potential as a teacher.

References:

1. D. MacIssac, D. Henry, and J. Zawicki, "Physics Teacher by Choice or Chance?,"Phys. Teach, 42, 558-559 (December 2004).

2. E. Legleiter, "Advice from an Out-of-Field Physics Teacher,"Phys. Teach, 43, 188-189 (March 2005).

3. C. Wieman, "Minimize Your Mistakes by Learning From Those of Others," Phys. Teach, 43, 252-258 (April, 2005).

4. D. Riendeau, "Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend a National Meeting,"Phys. Teach, 44, 317-318 (May 2006).