Front Matter

Thank you to the following individuals who without their contributions and support this book would not have been written. Mary Lou Lock, my wonderful wife, who tolerates my many projects. Dr. Brian Thoms, who gave me the valuable opportunity to work with pre-service high school physics teachers. Dr. J. B. Sharma, a valued colleague and friend. Blake Schmidt, who became a friend while I was assisting him through his first few years in the high school classroom. Dr. David Osmond, who always provides excellent discussion topics. Daniel Bleck, my high school physics teacher, who provided direction when it was needed. Mary Lock, my mother, who chided me when it was needed. Bill Strickland, who truly understands that if you are not having fun, you are doing something wrong. Lauren Schultz, the AAPT Books program acquisition editor, who provided encouragement and guidance. All the students who graced the entrance to my classroom as they entered.

What a bully pulpit! For twenty-nine years I was privileged to be the editor of The Physics Teacher. During those years we developed the magazine from being a missionary effort by physicists for high school teachers to being a journal for introductory physics at any level. Of the twelve thousand or so subscribers, about two-thirds teach in colleges and fifteen hundred are outside the United States. That leaves only about four thousand high school teachers in the United States who read the journal, but surprisingly, that's all the full-time high school physics teachers in the country.

During those years I wrote editorials almost every month. The editorials were designed to cheer, chide, and celebrate. Many were folded around tutorials. Not everyone agreed with my biases, but teachers read the editorials and let me know their reactions. Here's a collection of my favorites, with samples of celebration and samples of picky criticism. As for the former, rejoice with me that I think that teaching is a noble profession. As for the latter, enjoy the twist of words. I wasn't only kidding.

Cliff Swartz, 2006

The first time I read an editorial by Cliff Swartz in The Physics Teacher (TPT) was in 1983. Every month, I looked forward to reading the journal, and Cliff's editorials in particular. In 2006, when I learned that he had published a book, Cliff's Nodes, containing his favorite editorials, I immediately ordered a copy. Since then, I have read those editorials at least four times.

When I was 12, I made the decision that a career teaching science might be enjoyable. While in high school, I committed to becoming a chemistry teacher. As an undergraduate, I became a “road scholar,” earning credits at three schools to qualify to receive a Bachelor of Science. I was on the road a lot. This occurred due to the financial strain I encountered during that time. After five semesters at the New York State University College at Geneseo, I found myself short on funds and unable to cover the fees needed to register for my sixth semester. I had two terrific role models at Geneseo: a chemistry instructor, Dr. Bruce Ristow; and a physics instructor, Dr. Robert Sells. Fortunately, not long after I left Geneseo, I was offered the opportunity to work as a chemical technician at an FMC company facility located in Middleport, New York. While employed full time and learning a great deal about chemical research, I completed the sixth semester of my undergraduate program by enrolling in courses at night school at the University of Buffalo. I then transferred to Buffalo State College to complete my bachelor's degree, earning a B.S. in secondary science education with a minor in chemistry.

From the time I began at Geneseo, I had intended to teach high school chemistry. Once I earned my bachelor's degree, I applied for numerous teaching positions throughout New York State. I had an enjoyable student-teaching experience in junior high school (now known as middle school), so I included applications for junior high school teaching positions.

My last interview for my first teaching position was at Barker Central School, on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. The principal was extremely interested in the fact that I was able to coach swimming. The school was seeking to hire a junior high science teacher and a swimming coach, and within a few days I was offered both positions.

I started my career in 1974, teaching seventh- and eighth-grade science. During my time at Barker Central School, I had the opportunity to hone my teaching skills and develop my skills as a swimming coach. It was a good experience, and I still have happy memories from those years.

The southern shore of Lake Ontario is subject to lake-effect snowstorms. In early February 1977, a storm came through that overwhelmed many of the communities along the lake, including Barker. For a week we were snowed in and subjected to high winds and temperatures well below freezing. Even before that storm, my wife and I had considered relocating to a milder climate. In mid-1977, we began to seriously discuss moving to the southern part of the country.

In the spring of 1978, I filed applications and scheduled interviews at six school districts in Virginia and North Carolina, as well as two in Florida. I was offered two positions teaching high school chemistry: one in Fairfax County, Virginia, and the other in Charlotte County, Florida. We were ready for a warm climate, so I accepted the position in Florida. I had agreed to teach chemistry at the high school and would also coach the high school and community swim teams at Charlotte High School.

I began coaching swimming and teaching swimming lessons in early July 1979. In mid-August, a few weeks before school began, the Charlotte High School principal informed me that I would also be teaching physics. That was a bit of a shock and greatly increased the amount of preparation I would have to do. It turned out that I was assigned to teach three physics classes and three chemistry classes. In addition, the school district had eliminated preparation periods and duty periods for teachers. That meant I would teach three classes, have a 30-minute lunch break, then teach three more classes! It was an interesting year.

In April 1980, I made the decision to request a transfer to a different high school in the Charlotte County district. In May 1981, Lemon Bay High School in Englewood, Florida, would graduate its first senior class, and that seemed like an excellent opportunity to develop the chemistry and physics program at the school. My transfer request was approved, and in August 1980, my family and I moved to Englewood. The school student population was small, just 900 students in grades six through twelve. In 1987, a middle school was opened in the community, and the high school classes were adjusted to grades nine through twelve. I would teach at Lemon Bay High School until my retirement in 2009.

From my experience working as a chemical synthesis technician, I came to understand the importance of lab work in science. In my classes, I emphasized lab investigations, and the students were happy to spend their time doing science. My classroom was a busy place. In 1983, I received information about the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). I felt confident about the strategies I was using to teach chemistry (and frequently ninth-grade physical science), and I felt a strong need for more information about physics teaching strategies. I decided I would join AAPT, and as a membership benefit began receiving The Physics Teacher and Physics Today. I was immediately stimulated by the articles in Physics Today and found valuable teaching strategies and suggestions in The Physics Teacher.

The first two years I received that journal, Cliff Swartz was the editor of The Physics Teacher, and again from 1990 until 2000. That journal provided access to valuable information and Cliff's editorials always stimulated my thinking about physics education. The information presented in this book illustrates the value of Cliff's insight.

Swartz was editor of The Physics Teacher from 1967 to 1985, and again from 1990 to 2000. In the preface written for Cliff's Node's, Cliff wrote of his feeling privileged to be the editor of The Physics Teacher and that “the editorials were designed to cheer, chide, and celebrate.” They also provide a commentary on education in the American culture. I am happy to reintroduce teachers to the wisdom and insight of Cliff's editorials.