That was my department head’s tongue-in-cheek comment to me on Friday morning when yet another student asked for her signature to switch into physics. Some of the students had successfully switched in. Some clearly did not have the math background and were denied. One had marginal math grades, so I gave him an assignment that would show me whether or not he had the skills to be able to be successful in the class. (He was able to do the assignment successfully so I allowed him into the class.) But the idea that so many students would be asking to switch into physics was clearly not something she had ever anticipated.
One of the things I stress from day one is my commitment to my students’ success. I build an individual rapport with each student, starting with physical comforts. I have a box of manipulatives (“fidget toys”) that students can borrow during class if it helps them stay focused. I have a water pitcher so they can get a drink without having to leave the room. I give them a learning styles assessment (Felder and Solomon’s Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire) so I can adjust my teaching (especially in one-on-one situations) to their preferred learning styles.
During the first two weeks of school, I ask each of them to come in after school for a 5-minute meeting. At these meetings, I ask them to tell me about themselves–jobs, sports/clubs/activities/hobbies, and anything else they think I should know. I close each meeting by asking them to tell me something about themselves that they’re either proud of or happy about.
In terms of course content, I start by teaching them “how to pass the final exam without actually knowing anything“, which is really an exercise to develop the skill they’re most lacking and most fearful about–the ability to set up and solve word problems. Once they’ve done this, they end up with a fairly high level of confidence applying the skills that they came into the course being most afraid of. At that point, they can relax and learn the actual physics.
For tests, they’re allowed a “cheat sheet.” (I got the idea from Dr. Michael Mohr, one of my chemical engineering professors at MIT. He let us have cheat sheets rather than completely open book/notes exams because making the cheat sheet was probably the best studying we could do.) I also give them a set of reference tables that includes all of the formulas they need so they don’t have to stress about memorization. If they bomb a test, they can take a re-test–different questions on the same topic–and they get to keep the better grade.
The net result is a classroom full of motivated students. Everything is about making sure I know what they need in order to be successful so I can give it to them. In return, they stop, listen, follow the discussion, and ask the questions that will ensure their success. This is not necessarily the norm in a high-poverty urban district with typical class sizes over 30 students. It’s certainly not what they expected when they (in some cases reluctantly) signed up for physics at the end of their junior year. So I can’t blame my department head for her surprise.
Do you have a tissues-eaten count yet this year?
Yes. 17 students so far. 😀