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- First Year Physics Teacher on Responding to Student Demands for Good Teaching
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Author Archives: Mr. Bigler
Responding to Student Demands for Good Teaching
For the past week, social media has been buzzing with a 90-second video of Jeff Bliss, a Texas high school sophomore, giving his World History teacher a piece of his mind about the endless packets and worksheets, and what he feels … Continue reading
Playing “School” in School
When children play “school,” usually one child is the “teacher” and the others are the “students.” The “lesson” in these games is almost always based on low-level recall of facts or mastery of a one-step skill or process. The idea … Continue reading
Math Frustrations
Back in 1993, the National Council of Math Teachers (NCTM) published standards that changed the way math was taught in schools. The “reform math” movement, as it has come to be called, called for more problem-solving and understanding of why … Continue reading
Empowering Students to be the Adults in the Room
Most people have a mental image of what happens when a teacher is absent and a substitute teacher needs to cover the class. The typical mental image includes the substitute trying desperately to implement the teacher’s simple, iron-clad lesson plan … Continue reading
Lose 25 Points in 25 Seconds
When I give tests/exams to my physics students, the tests are usually comprised of problems that range from straightforward to a little challenging to very challenging. I let them use their notes, textbooks, old homework assignments, and anything else on … Continue reading
Motivating Through Fear
On Saturday morning I found myself in a classroom at a local charter school (grades 5-8), and the motivational sign on the classroom wall contained the following quote: Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must … Continue reading
Message to my Students
I thought the people who read my blog might enjoy the message I sent to my students over Christmas Vacation. +30
Music Appreciation
I’m the son of a piano teacher who made it her life’s work to build children’s self-image and give them the tools to have wonderful lives, using piano as the medium. Much of what makes me a popular (and effective) … Continue reading
How to Blow Up a School
Lockdown drills are the modern-day equivalent of the air raid drills I got to practice when I was in elementary school. Both gave parents the peace of mind that comes from knowing that even when the unthinkable happens, our school … Continue reading
The Fun of Research & Development
I’m finally getting around to grading the 5-second timer labs my students did earlier this quarter. One of my students’ timers was a ceramic bowl with an amount of men’s cologne that burned for 5 seconds. Unbeknownst to me until … Continue reading