Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: General Physics



Tina Fanetti wrote:
as a last resort ask what students want and try to
find a common denominator. Teach what you know
the best, what they are ready for, and what might be
practically useful to many of them.<<<<
I would think this would be impractical. Where do I even begin?
I have to start teaching on day one. I have to have a class
schedule..if I dont know what I am teaching until I talk to them...

I don't think you have a choice; you have to find a way to determine
what they already know and how your course will meet their future
needs.

I worked for 3 summers in the educational training department of General
Motors in a joint program with the United Auto Workers union,
identifying training needs of skilled tradespeople. They are a tough
audience. They are great people; but their experiences make them
fire-hardened proud of their practical knowledge and applied skill, and
suspicious of academics. You can choose to work *with* them or to be
the enemy; there is no middle course.

If they are electricians, e.g., and you try to teach them about
electricity (which they work with in applied detail every single day),
they will eat you alive.

Day one really needs to be about exploring what they know and what they
need to know; and about forming a working relationship, a partnership.
I wouldn't go ahead with planning much of a menu until I knew more about
the appetites of my patrons. This is likely to be quite a different
experience for you compared to teaching young people who have spent most
of their lives in school and haven't acquired much workplace experience
nor a professional identity.

Been there, done that,

Larry

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