The road less traveled: Personal reflections of a physics teacher educator

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The road less traveledPersonal reflections of a
physics teacher educator

• Carl J. Wenning
• PTE Coordinator
• Illinois State University

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Where are we at?

• 50 of all current teachers will retire in next
  10 years.
• 40 of current science teachers will retire
  within next 5 years.
• Illinois has 45-50 unfilled physics teaching
  positions annually.
• Illinois PTE not up the task.

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How did we get here?()

• Historically small percentage of students take
  physics in high school with growing demand.
• Technology and jobs requiring more science
  understanding.
• More science being required to meet testing or
  college admission requirement.
• Physics First and Conceptual Physics are having
  an impact.

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How did we get here?(-)

• Baby boomer generation retiring.
• Competition from other professions.
• Physics at end of lock-step sequence.
• Failure of science teachers to promote their own
  profession.
• Insufficient attention paid to growing need for
  physics teachers by professional organizations
  and postsecondary schools.

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What can we do about it?

• ISAAPT Ad Hoc Committee (2004).
• Pipeline Project Report (2004/05).
• Brochure web page (2005/06).
• Cracker Barrel discussion re TG.

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Critical Steps
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Inspiration

• Make physics fun for all students.
• Allow best students to practice teach and tutor
  and set up labs.
• Conduct programs for elementary.
• Ask for comments and suggestions.
• Speak positively about teaching.
• Take students to a conference.
• Be a joyful teacher.

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Identification

• Good character traits enthusiasm, curiosity,
  honesty, patience, clarity, trustfulness.
• People personalities with empathy.
• Natural teacher/natural scientist.
• Active participant/capable student.
• Strives for conceptual understanding.
• Good at time management/multitasking.
• Learns well from experience.

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Recruitment

• Must include direct/indirect approaches.
• A direct invitation followed up with resource
  information.
• Take students to summer teaching internship or
  workshop at university or ISAAPT meeting for
  prospective physics teacher seminar.
• Invitation by school district, including
  providing supporting funds.

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Preparation

• Inquiry and the nature of science.
• Constructivism/concept change.
• Organizational patterns.
• Metacognition and student self-regulation.
• Cooperative learning

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Induction

• Appropriate supervisory practices.
• Avoid overworking novice teachers
• Multiple preparations.
• Least desirable courses.
• Most difficult teaching situations.
• More preparation time.

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Mentoring

• Pair up novice teacher with an experienced
  teacher from the same discipline.
• Formalize the relationship, and provide
  remuneration to mentor.
• Consider employing retired teachers.

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Professional Growth

• End the classroom isolation.
• Establish and nurture long-term school-university
  partnerships.
• Provide professional development opportunities.

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A Hopeful Sign (AAAS)
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What it took

• A departmentalized program.
• A full-time program coordinator.
• Program accreditation along with implementation
  of NSTA Teacher Preparation Standards
• A willingness by the faculty to say enough is
  enough.
• Plenty of hard work!

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Challenges to PTE

• Many more PTE majors
• More females and minorities
• More rural candidates
• A convergence of what constitutes quality
  physics teacher candidate preparation.
• A synthesis of PER findings.

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Challenges to ISAAPT

• The ISBE science certificate.
• Promotion of teaching careers by our own and
  similar associations.
• Providing outreach to prospective teachers
  through its meetings.
• To become more high school physics teacher and
  physics teacher candidate friendly.