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Author Archives: Mr. Bigler
Message to my Students
I thought the people who read my blog might enjoy the message I sent to my students over Christmas Vacation. +12-4
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
The Devil You Know…
…is better than the devil you don’t. I just finished correcting the end-of-quarter exams for my honors physics students. While they did quite well and will be pleased with their grades, I did notice a trend that was noteworthy: several … Continue reading
Nerds as Heroes
I’m a nerd. I’m proud of it. I even have two “Nerd Pride” pocket protectors from MIT (different designs) to provide as evidence. Because I’m a nerd, friends, co-workers, students, and acquaintances like to ask me what I think of … Continue reading
Certainty and Uncertainty
One of the things most high school students don’t learn about in their science classes is quantitative error analysis. (The closest they usually get to the topic is significant figures.) This year, I started off by teaching my students to … Continue reading
Learning by Screwing Up
One of the signs on my wall states, “You can’t learn effectively without the freedom to make mistakes.” It’s a new school year, and my new batch of students is working on learning this lesson. +5-7
The Vicious Cycle of Algorithmic Learning
It seems like the harder we work at teaching students to be good at math, the more problems they have, and the worse they become. We seem to be trapped in a vicious downward spiral. I believe that a lot … Continue reading
The Value of Experience
A lot of Americans are understandably dissatisfied with the state of our educational system. Some of the problems stem from unworkable and unenforceable laws that demand much more than they can fund. Others stem from a system that is entrenched … Continue reading