What makes a good physics teacher
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Sifat Siddique
SPECILIZATION is a word not truly defined by most professionals and among them I wouldn't be wholly wrong to include teachers. Teaching is not any mere means of delivering just what enlightenment you have as a grain stock inside your mind. But to really call for a perfectionist as a teacher, I would definitely like to see some decided particular attributes.
Physics is, as we all know, the soul and body of true science without which I presume the laws and regulations of science would have lost its authenticity. And thus the revealer of such a root should bear that much of basics remain inside the teacher. There are teachers who, perhaps, know entirely the syllabus and agenda of physics in a school or college, who are perhaps very much acquainted with all the lessons itself. But the question is---do they know how to make others know those? Understanding has always been easier than explaining. A person might know everything in this world but this won't help if he or she can't prove this to others. Like the way physics explains the basic of science, similarly a physics teacher should succeed in providing such a concept that decodes the basic of physics! Speaking out one's mind is one of the most essential requirements needed to expertise in this particular field. It is more like literally pointing out things with one's finger via expressing through his words.
Just the way a strict mother has once been a naughty child herself, likewise a teacher has once been an intrigued student. Thus through both personal and professional experience, he or she is sure to know about most of the places where students face the greatest problems. His or her first priority should be to specialize on the easiest ways to erase these confusions that regularly arise among students inside the class. The easiest way, to me, to understand critical situations in physics has been through understanding diagrams. When I was in the eighth grade, I still remember how my teacher explained the resolution of forces via 3D diagrams. He first drew a big ring, then he drew two hands and named them John and Anna and asked us, ' Who do you think would succeed in snatching the ring?' We all had answered 'John!' as he was a boy. But he discussed the reason more elaborately--- that is, not because he was a boy but because he was stronger and thus the resultant force acted towards him!!!
Almost everything that we are acquainted with- fire, water, rubber, etc, has their impression built-in inside our mind. Why are we scared of fire--- because we know it's damn hot and imagine the burnt hands that would result on touching it. Visualisation is one of the most powerful medium of understanding and adopting lessons in the most fruitful manner. Kinetic theory of molecules is not that easy to conceive without the proper understanding of the rebounding tendency of molecules and elasticity. This was best described by my teacher during my Advanced Level. He drew a three dimensional cuboid and a single circular molecule to show its motion and collision. And the clarity had hit me so hard and nice that any collision or explosion after that could easily be perceived by me through visualisation.
Another important attribute of a good physics teacher should be his or her use of very simple language. This widens communication with students greatly. Some teachers prefer to talk under strong vocabulary use besides scientific terms and this greatly reduces interests and concentration of the students. Only that can attract you what can reach you. Simple derivations and if necessary repetition of lower grade lessons need to be carried out if necessary to create clearer explanations. Moreover, addressing individuals should be of utmost priority. This will trigger every student in advance to prepare to answer any moment and thus class lectures will conclude more potentially.
A good teacher is always a good student. Thus teachers should always keep themselves up-to-date about new revelations of physics. Deeper research would clarify both their concept and knowledge everyday to a greater extent. They should be completely non-hesitant in modifying their lessons with time as everyday the theories of great controversial aspects like the Big Bang and the Wave-Particle duality are unsheathing their mysteries gradually.
A teacher has to be a very good performer on his stage of classroom. Just as the most expressive cast receives extreme appraisal and an Oscar, similarly a vibrant and loud teacher of physics earns the honour of being a very good physics teacher.
SPECILIZATION is a word not truly defined by most professionals and among them I wouldn't be wholly wrong to include teachers. Teaching is not any mere means of delivering just what enlightenment you have as a grain stock inside your mind. But to really call for a perfectionist as a teacher, I would definitely like to see some decided particular attributes.
Physics is, as we all know, the soul and body of true science without which I presume the laws and regulations of science would have lost its authenticity. And thus the revealer of such a root should bear that much of basics remain inside the teacher. There are teachers who, perhaps, know entirely the syllabus and agenda of physics in a school or college, who are perhaps very much acquainted with all the lessons itself. But the question is---do they know how to make others know those? Understanding has always been easier than explaining. A person might know everything in this world but this won't help if he or she can't prove this to others. Like the way physics explains the basic of science, similarly a physics teacher should succeed in providing such a concept that decodes the basic of physics! Speaking out one's mind is one of the most essential requirements needed to expertise in this particular field. It is more like literally pointing out things with one's finger via expressing through his words.
Just the way a strict mother has once been a naughty child herself, likewise a teacher has once been an intrigued student. Thus through both personal and professional experience, he or she is sure to know about most of the places where students face the greatest problems. His or her first priority should be to specialize on the easiest ways to erase these confusions that regularly arise among students inside the class. The easiest way, to me, to understand critical situations in physics has been through understanding diagrams. When I was in the eighth grade, I still remember how my teacher explained the resolution of forces via 3D diagrams. He first drew a big ring, then he drew two hands and named them John and Anna and asked us, ' Who do you think would succeed in snatching the ring?' We all had answered 'John!' as he was a boy. But he discussed the reason more elaborately--- that is, not because he was a boy but because he was stronger and thus the resultant force acted towards him!!!
Almost everything that we are acquainted with- fire, water, rubber, etc, has their impression built-in inside our mind. Why are we scared of fire--- because we know it's damn hot and imagine the burnt hands that would result on touching it. Visualisation is one of the most powerful medium of understanding and adopting lessons in the most fruitful manner. Kinetic theory of molecules is not that easy to conceive without the proper understanding of the rebounding tendency of molecules and elasticity. This was best described by my teacher during my Advanced Level. He drew a three dimensional cuboid and a single circular molecule to show its motion and collision. And the clarity had hit me so hard and nice that any collision or explosion after that could easily be perceived by me through visualisation.
Another important attribute of a good physics teacher should be his or her use of very simple language. This widens communication with students greatly. Some teachers prefer to talk under strong vocabulary use besides scientific terms and this greatly reduces interests and concentration of the students. Only that can attract you what can reach you. Simple derivations and if necessary repetition of lower grade lessons need to be carried out if necessary to create clearer explanations. Moreover, addressing individuals should be of utmost priority. This will trigger every student in advance to prepare to answer any moment and thus class lectures will conclude more potentially.
A good teacher is always a good student. Thus teachers should always keep themselves up-to-date about new revelations of physics. Deeper research would clarify both their concept and knowledge everyday to a greater extent. They should be completely non-hesitant in modifying their lessons with time as everyday the theories of great controversial aspects like the Big Bang and the Wave-Particle duality are unsheathing their mysteries gradually.
A teacher has to be a very good performer on his stage of classroom. Just as the most expressive cast receives extreme appraisal and an Oscar, similarly a vibrant and loud teacher of physics earns the honour of being a very good physics teacher.