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Author Archives: Mr. Bigler
Four Fallacies of Educational Policy
One of the easiest ways to make a parent angry is for people who do not have children of their own to give parenting advice. Now suppose that those childless people were given the power to make rules that parents … Continue reading
Can I Take This Class Again Next Year?
Yesterday was the last day of school. As I said “Good bye. Thanks for a great year and have an awesome possum summer!” several of my students said that they wanted to take the class again next year. One student … Continue reading
Endorsement
A couple of times each year I survey my students to find out what they liked and didn’t like about my classes. Every once in a while, I see something in their comments that makes me feel really good. This … Continue reading
It’s Not About the Teacher
Yesterday I had prepared one of my favorite physics lessons: a lecture/discussion with demos that explains various aspects of music. My seniors (3/4 of my students) are heading into their final week of high school, and a class that’s about … Continue reading
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