Welcome to 2019: Day 1!

Brave teachers who share their ideas on social media have inspired me countless times.  Now, prompted by Neil deGrasse Tyson’s tweet about the Roman coin with the head of Janus – I am looking forward and backwards.  I am encouraged to reflect on what I have done and will do:  hence, my first blog post about teaching.

I thought by the time that I reached thirty years of teaching that I would have more answers than questions.  Not true.  I am constantly baffled by my subject matter, students, fellow teachers, parents, and administrators.  My colleagues can be helpful.  If you are fortunate enough to teach the same subject as other teachers in your school – you share ideas and solutions.  In a former life, I taught chemistry with amazing, creative, and giving teachers.  Now, I teach physics and it can be a lonely existence.

Enter the Internet.  Twitter.  #modphys and #iteachphysics are just a few of the lifesavers that I have found.  Blogging.  There are generous teachers who share their ideas.  I have been inspired and used their work with my students.  It is time that I shared my story and perhaps another teacher may benefit.  Who knows.

What I do know is that what we do in the classroom matters.  Sometimes it may seem like academics is not a priority – but it is.  Maybe you are the only physics teacher in your school, or the only teacher who seems to demand academic rigor, or the only teacher who is grading math or English homework during your lunch period – do not feel alone.  We are all in this together as we do this for our students!   As 2019 begins, let’s keep the magic happening in our classroom.  Do it anyway because It really does matter!