Re: FW: politeness etc.

[Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>]

"Traditional university physics culture (especially graduate study and
research) has embraced the often-hostile, cutting "legal
advocacy-style" debate of ideas and usually neglects the interpersonal
relationship side of interactions.  Traditional physics culture is
almost certainly responsible for creating a lack of particular
populations -- like women and African-Americans in the field; they're
staying away in droves.  Physics continues to pay a high price for this
traditional culture.   Some of us want this culture to change, and we
are working very hard at change. (AIP even reports that there are fewer
than 1% minorities in _HS level_ physics teaching.)"

Coincidence:  Yesterday on National Petroleum Radio I heard two women trail
blazers at Harvard Law School where the Faculty were proud that there were
no Women's rooms in the building.  They reported how difficult "The Paper
Chase" was for them.

The Dean had a separate meeting for the woman.  He asked them why they had
come to HLS.  Fortunately, the first one put him in his place:  "Because I
couldn't get into Yale."

bc  who in US grad school had only one woman colleague and she switched to
Math!   In England at least 1/3 of the seniors were women, fewer,
unfortunately, grad students.



Dan MacIsaac wrote:

> On Tuesday, February 4, 2003, at 12:29 PM, Matt Harding wrote:
> > As long as you are able to avoid taking it personally, blunt critiques
> > are the best.  One of my biggest complaints as a beginning teacher is
> > that I struggle to find people (other than my students) who will be
> > critical of my work.  Telling me that I'm doing a fine job doesn't help
> > me to progress.  That being said, I know that I tend to get defensive
> > when people are critical of my work.  Its important, yet not easy, to
> > take care how you express your criticism.
>
> I call this "fine job" trivial feedback the "student teacher effect" --
> when student teachers are asked to critique one another's at-college
> teaching performances (e.g.- microteaching) they are overly generous
> and not constructively critical.  So are cooperating teachers and
> university faculty who are not expert mentors in the particular field
> being student taught.  If a novice is to become critically
> self-reflective in a complex situation, they require explicit guidance
> by an expert.  If you are looking to learn how to generate meaningful
> constructive critique of your own physics teaching, a good step would
> be to check out my RTOP article in Nov02 TPT at:
> <http://ojps.aip.org/vsearch/servlet/
> VerityServlet?KEY=PHTEAH&ONLINE=YES>, (search for RTOP and download
> the.pdf), and the RTOP website at:
> <http://physicsed.buffalostate.edu/AZTEC/RTOP/RTOP_full/>.  The AAPT
> also sponsors a summer National Meeting workshop in the use of RTOP to
> develop critical self-reflection in one's own physics teaching; you
> should consider attending that workshop (Madison, WI this year).
>
> In grade school teaching it is very important for teachers to do lots
> of student encouragement and supported learning, and this is a
> necessary part of the culture.  Teachers help people.  Sometimes (but
> certainly not always) they use blunt critique.
>
> Traditional university physics culture (especially graduate study and
> research) has embraced the often-hostile, cutting "legal
> advocacy-style" debate of ideas and usually neglects the interpersonal
> relationship side of interactions.  Traditional physics culture is
> almost certainly responsible for creating a lack of particular
> populations -- like women and African-Americans in the field; they're
> staying away in droves.  Physics continues to pay a high price for this
> traditional culture.   Some of us want this culture to change, and we
> are working very hard at change. (AIP even reports that there are fewer
> than 1% minorities in _HS level_ physics teaching.)

cut