Personal Thoughts on Teaching

I'm dismayed by the number of university faculty for whom teaching is a chore, interfering with more important research. I became a professor because i love teaching.

My teaching approach has evolved from many years teaching in a variety of different situations. I have taught part time in elementary and high schools, spent two years in the Peace Corps teaching English, math and physics at the high school level in rural Kenya, established the Wonders of Physics Traveling Show, an education outreach program in Madison, WI, and taught for a year at Warwick University, England, in addition to my position as a tenured professor at Auburn University.

The lack of enthusiasm most students have towards physics I attribute to one fundamental problem: Physics is typically taught as mathematics, or at best, applied mathematics. Physics is about the physical world, and it is critical that students recognize that mathematics is only a tool to aid in describing it. Demonstrations are a vital tool to reinforce this, and I try to do demos as often as possible. Sometimes, this isn't so easy in upper division classes.

I also think that having students work together is an important part of the learning process. "Real" scientist rarely work alone. However, most new students, because "nerdy smart kids" are often outcasts in our public educations system, aren't used to working with others. During recitation sessions students collaborate in groups of 3 to 4, working at the chalkboard to solve standard textbook exercises and “teaser” demonstration problems: I do a small demonstration and ask them to answer some relevant question, given approximate parameters. Once the students have worked out an answer, they try the demonstration to see if their answer is reasonable. Working in groups utilizes the fact that students are often better able to teach each other than I am, and the “self-teaching” process also helps reinforce and clarify in their minds the relevant issues.

Finally, an important part of the undergraduate education process is the opportunity for students to participate in active scientific research, especially for those students considering scientific careers. Real scientific research is far different than the typical academic training students receive. In research, there is no "right answer" you need to work out. At The University of New Mexico, I involve several students in my research activities.