Re: What to do now

[Larry Cartwright <exit60@IA4U.NET>]

There are usually no quick and easy answers to a problem like yours,
even after many years of experience.  Here are some thoughts I think are
worth pursuing:

Your best resources are local resources.  Are you the only physics
instructor?  Have you consulted with experienced and respected local
faculty?  Seek advice and assistance from your experienced science
colleagues.  See if you can get one (or more) to observe you during
class, and they might be able to give you some clues about things that
are and aren't working.

Look carefully at the teaching and learning process in your classroom.
What are you doing and what are students doing during classtime?
Besides explaining things, what are you doing to make sure that
everybody walks out the door knowing more than when they walked in?
Besides watching and listening to you, what exercises and activities are
students engaged in to promote clarity and understanding of the topics
under consideration?  What techniques are you using to promote continual
interaction between you and students?

Analyze your evaluation process.  They did horrible on their first
test;  that could be dumb or lazy students, ineffective teaching and
learning, or bad testing.  You want to rule out bad testing.  Did you
really test what you had been teaching?  Did you really teach what you
wound up testing?  Was it clear to students what they were going to be
tested on and how they were going to be tested?  Was it clear in *your*
mind what the test was going to look like from the moment you commenced
the teaching and learning process?  One of the worst examples I ever saw
was a teacher whose lessons emphasized mostly recall of information but
whose tests were loaded with questions requiring analysis and
application; no fair!

Work constructively with your supervisor(s).  You realllllly need them
to be "on your side" while this problem gets worked out.  This is a time
to make sure defensiveness and frustration don't get in the way of good
communication.  Keep them informed about what you are doing and what you
discover, keeping in touch often enough that they can appreciate your
efforts but not so frequently that you become an annoyance.

Hope this helps,

Larry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larry Cartwright
Retired (June 2001) Physics Teacher
Charlotte MI 48813 USA   <exit60@ia4u.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tina Fanetti wrote:
> I was called into my supervisor's office yesterday.  My physics students think I am a bad teacher and accuse me of not answering questions etc etc.
>
> I am like they don't ask questions.  I ask them if they are getting it and I get no response.
> They just had their first test.  They did horrible.  This is a calc based class and they are all going to be engineers at a much tougher school than this.
>
> I don't know what to do.  I can't slow down anymore.  I have to do something.