Professional Development of High School Physics Teachers

1
Professional Development of High School Physics
Teachers

• Based in part upon upcoming recommendations of
  the American Association of Physics Teachers
• (2007 draft document)

2
The Reflective Practitioner

• Science content is often learned best by one who
  teaches it.
• Science pedagogy is best improved upon in the
  light of experience.
• What was I attempting to accomplish?
• Did I accomplish my goal or objective?
• What have I learned based on my experience?
• What should I change?
• What should I keep the same?
• How might I further improve my practice?
• Where can I go to get new ideas?

3
Professional Organizations

• Local sharing groups
• Local physics alliance (Physics West, Physics
  Northwest, Quarknet, Central Illinois Alliance of
  Physics Teachers, etc.)
• School-university partnerships
• State science associations
• ISAAPT and CS-AAPT
• ISTA
• National science associations
• AAPT
• NSTA

4
Summer Opportunities

• Workshops typically provided by
• Universities Colleges
• Professional Organizations
• Field trips typically provided by
• Museums
• Commercial tour operators
• Employment typically provided by
• Business and Industry
• Research Institutes
• National Laboratories

5
Illinois Teaching Certificates

• Levels
• Provisional
• General
• Master Teacher
• National Board Certified
• CEUs (Continuing Education Units)
• CPDUs (Continuing Professional Education Units)

6
National Board Certification

• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

7
School-University Partnerships

• Professional Development Schools
• Teaching or co-teaching courses
• Student Teacher
• Clinical Student
• Professional Development Sites
• Student Teacher
• Clinical Student
• In-service teacher institutes
• Modeling Method of Instruction
• Inquiry methods
• Whiteboarding

8
Mentoring

• Working with Inexperienced Teachers
• Novice teachers
• Cross-over teachers
• Peer Mentoring
• Cooperative/collaborative groupings
• Lesson study approach
• Common planning period

9
Reading

• Journals
• The Physics Teacher (AAPT)
• The Science Teacher (NSTA)
• Books
• (any of the many encountered in our courses)
• Newsletters
• NSTA Reports
• eNewsletters
• EdWeek Update
• Teacher Magazine
• NSTA Express
• Web pages
• Science News Online
• Scientific American
• Discover Magazine

• Listservs
• Blogs

10
Advanced Degrees

• M.A.T.
• Generally for the uncertified
• M.S. or M.S.Ed.
• Content?
• Pedagogy?
• Ph.D. or Ed.D.
• Research?
• Practice?

11
Action Research

• What in-service teachers do.
• Formal or informal.
• Basis of most professional growth among teachers.
• Publication requires IRB approval.