Chapter 1: Becoming a High School Physics Teacher

So, you want to become a teacher. That's great! You might have thought about becoming a teacher for a good deal of time. Perhaps a high school or community college teacher inspired you to do so. Perhaps your parents, relatives, or friends—whose love of science inspired you—have propelled you to make this career choice. Whatever your reason for wanting to become a high school teacher, welcome to the world of teaching!

Becoming a high school teacher will take several years of preparation. Typically, four-year college degrees are required. This generally means that you will complete a major in science, teacher education courses, a wide variety of clinical experiences, and, finally, student teach. In many states you will also have to pass one or more tests to earn your teaching certificate. Whatever your path to teaching (traditional certification program, alternative certification, or no certification at all), this book will help you in your pursuit of doing so. For a preview, see the brochure and booklet on physics teaching prepared by the Illinois Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (2007a, 2007b).

What is it about physics that makes it worth teaching? Why not choose to pursue the teaching of chemistry or biology or Earth and space science instead? These are excellent questions, and every physics teacher candidate should know the answers. While most good physics teachers value holistic education, including the teaching and learning of all science disciplines, what follows are a number of key points that emphasize the importance of physics specifically.

The goal of physics is to understand how things work at the most rudimentary levels. A study of physics provides students with an intellectual foundation for the study of chemistry and biology, as well as Earth and space science. For example, electromagnetic spectrum, thermodynamics, nuclear chemistry radioactivity, fluid dynamics, and Brownian motion are needed to understand certain concepts in biology, chemistry and Earth and space science. Physics reveals the inherent mathematical beauty of the universe at scales ranging from the cosmos all the way down to the subatomic level. Studying physics strengthens problem-solving skills that are valuable in areas outside of physics.

Physics—through the use of scientific inquiry—helps students develop intellectual and mathematical process skills that do not develop when they are required to merely memorize and regurgitate content information. Physics requires students not only to know content information, but to explain how we know what we know, and predict future events based on current conditions. While all fields of science depend upon inquiry processes, physics has the added advantage of provoking critical thinking at the introductory level in ways that are more challenging with more complex fields such as chemistry or biology.

Physics is an ideal field of study through which students can learn the processes of inquiry. Inquiry in physics can easily deal with isolated systems. An experiment dealing with plants or animals can take weeks to perform and can involve many uncontrollable variables. When dealing with chemical reactions, students cannot directly observe what is happening at the atomic or molecular levels. In Earth and space science, one cannot often readily conduct experiments—the work in these areas is typically observational. While these other fields of study are truly legitimate sciences with their own benefits, at the high school level, students most often can draw conclusions only if significantly based on the authority of others. Introductory physics is in a unique position to allow students to take part in even complex inquiry in everyday classroom experiences.

Many contentious issues in science, technology, and society—things about which people legitimately disagree—are based on a misunderstanding of physics. The most important issues in the world today, including energy inequality, global climate change, and nuclear proliferation can only be solved by citizens who are informed and aware of the science behind them. Only with knowledge of physics can people rationally solve problems that many people fear.

Physics is heavily used in professions and trades, and in the creation and use of modern technologies. Among science, technology, and engineering disciplines in the physical sciences, women and people of color are strongly underrepresented. Physics teachers have the opportunity to help ensure that all young people get access to high quality, positive experiences in physics that can help to rectify inequalities within both careers related to physics and to its application in society. Importantly, overall, because fewer young Americans study physics than the number required in a technologically challenging workplace, American employers are either importing technical workers from countries where the study of physics is valued or exporting jobs to those countries at the expense of our own.

There might be many personal reasons for someone to want to become a physics teacher. Many times, it is because a student has been greatly influenced by a teacher. Sometimes it is a parent or other relative who has inspired someone with their love of physics or teaching and they have successfully passed it on. The Illinois Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (2007a) pointed out seven good reasons to become a physics teacher.

Science teachers have the opportunity to interact both with students and the many “toys” of teaching physics, which many teachers find to be fun and entertaining. You will spend much of your time working with young people as they are inspired by interesting natural phenomena. While the work associated with teaching is at times difficult, the satisfaction that the effort brings is considered by many to be worth more than money. In fact, physics teachers express that they experience equal or higher levels of satisfaction intellectually and overall than their colleagues in the private sector (American Physical Society, 2017). Despite pockets of communities where teachers may have high turnover rates, on average 80% of teachers remain in the profession after five years (U.S. Department of Education, 2015). Perhaps the reason for high job satisfaction is the level of impact teachers know they have. You can play an important role in students’ education, career choice, and have a positive impact on their lives.

One of the primary reasons science majors become physics teachers is because of a desire to have a positive impact on the lives of their students. Physics teachers play an important role in students’ education and career choice. Teaching science will allow you to help students learn science knowledge, understand how to solve problems, and think critically.

Science teachers in general, and physics teachers specifically, are in high demand across the country, and this leads to excellent job security (American Physical Society, 2017). Teaching certificates issued by many states have reciprocity across the nation. You can teach almost anywhere, regardless of where you earn your certificate.

Teaching even at entry level can be financially rewarding. Physics teachers with bachelor's degrees typically earn $32,000 to $44,000 per school year to start (American Institute of Physics, 2018), a rate slightly higher than that of bachelor recipients who begin working in colleges or universities, and comparable with many non-STEM private sector jobs. Typically, metropolitan areas pay is significantly higher than pay in rural areas. In 2018, the median pay for all high school teachers was over $60,300 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). Additionally, salaries often rise rapidly, increasing automatically by years of experience and education. In large cities, and after earning a master's degree, teachers sometimes make more than $100,000 per year as they approach retirement! Additionally, teachers sometimes receive benefits packages that are significantly better than those in private sectors, and might include medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, as well as tuition reimbursement for graduate courses, and great retirement plans. Many states and national programs provide loan forgiveness for teachers who dedicate a minimum number of years of service to the teaching profession (U.S. Department of Education, 2019).

Science teaching demands creativity and hard work. Many teachers have the freedom to develop their own course content and instructional methods. As a teacher committed to students and their learning, you will be recognized for your expertise and positive influence.

A teacher's work schedule is punctuated by a number of break periods each year. Teaching often provides an extended time for rest and relaxation, special trips, and a variety of exciting professional development opportunities open only to teachers. Few other professions provide such flexibility and opportunities for growth.

Teaching a subject is one of the best ways to learn it. As you teach, you will learn much about the content of science in particular and the processes and nature of science in general. This is a rewarding experience that benefits both teacher and students.

It is worth noting that your decision to become a teacher might not always be received as positively as you would like by family, friends, or even by your own teachers. The teaching profession is disparaged by some media outlets, and one often hears sad tales of poor working conditions in various regions of the country. Do not be surprised if you receive some discouragement, even overtly. One of your best defenses is to remind people that teaching contexts are highly variable, but the nobility and worth of teaching is never in question.

If you need support in changing the culture of conversations about the teaching profession in your school or university, we strongly urge you to use the resources provided by Get the Facts Out (2019), a collaborative initiative of science and math professional societies, universities, and the National Science Foundation to set the record straight on the rewards of being a math or science teacher.

As well as teaching the content of physics and the processes of science, high school teachers who really know what they are doing help prepare students for life after graduation. Physics teachers provide lessons from which students can learn about physical phenomena and learn skills that students will need to attend college, enter the job market, and live a fruitful life. Physics teachers make a difference in the lives of those they teach.

High school physics teachers typically do the following over the course of week:

• plan and conduct lessons that include multiple approaches such as demonstrations, inquiry-oriented lessons and labs, discussions, project- and problem-based learning that include real-world applications, problem solving, and case studies;

• evaluate students’ knowledge and skills using multiple means both formally and informally;

• teach students as an entire class, in small groups, and as individuals;

• give, collect, and score assignments to monitor student understanding and progress;

• communicate with parents about students’ difficulties and progress on an as-needed basis;

• work with students to challenge them, to improve their abilities, and to help them improve their weaknesses;

• prepare students for standardized tests for advanced placement courses and as required by the state;

• develop and maintain classroom environments suitable for student learning; and

• supervise students outside of the classroom—for example, special events and field trips, or during lunchtime or detention.

High school physics teachers generally teach students from the 9th through 12th grades. If they teach in large schools, they probably teach only physics—though there might be several types of physics courses such as general, honors, or Advanced Placement. If they teach in smaller schools, they usually find themselves teaching one or two subjects in addition to physics.

High school teachers commonly teach six 45- to 55-minute periods per day in which they see the same students each day. Sometimes, if the school uses a block schedule, they teach three 2-hour sections per day. In this case, they might see the same students every other day. Teachers use time during the day, when they do not have classes, to plan lessons, grade assignments, and meet with other teachers and staff. It is not uncommon for teachers to coach sports and advise student clubs and other groups—activities that frequently occur before or after school. Some teachers also maintain social media (websites, blogs, digital course platforms, etc.) to communicate information about assignments and upcoming events.

High school physics teachers work in either public or private schools. Some teach in standard public schools or public charter schools, while others teach in parochial or other private schools. Some high schools are oriented toward college preparation, while others support vocational preparation or alternative needs. Most high schools offer multiple tracks to better serve the needs of general populations.

Public schools almost always have requirements for teacher certification. Typically, teachers must either complete a university-level program of study that leads to a teaching certificate, or participate in an alternative route to certification that usually involves earning a master's degree while completing coursework required for teaching. Some private schools do not require legal certification per se (although this is almost always an expectation), but these teachers are expected to be very knowledgeable about their subject matter and, in many cases, have job experience in the fields that they are teaching.

Secondary-level teaching certificates are valid for the state in which they are issued, but might be extended through reciprocity agreements with other states. Some states requires additional testing before the new state's teaching certificate is issued. Teachers with a few years of experience may also aim to earn National Board Teaching Certification following a rigorous reflective and professional development process. These supplementary teaching certificates are valid for ten years from the time of issue and are recognized by the majority of states in the U.S. Traditional teaching certificates issued by states must be renewed after a set number of years, and often require a minimum number of continuing professional development activities in order to renew.

Most public schools (and many private) have tenure laws that, after a certain number of years of teaching satisfactorily (the probationary period), teachers have some job security. These teachers may not be dismissed from their positions without just cause and due process. Currently, many high school teachers belong to unions affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers or the National Education Association.

As an adult, you will find yourself surrounded throughout most of the day by students several years your junior. If you enjoy being around high-school-aged students, this can be very energizing. At other times, being with students all day can be grueling. Many teachers find solace in the companionship of their peers, and many lifelong friendships are developed among a school's faculty.

When you work with students, you will see them learn new ideas and develop skills that will help them throughout life. You will see students mature and go on to be craftsmen, technicians, trade workers, community leaders, businesspersons, attorneys, politicians, doctors, and much more. As a teacher you cannot help but be proud of their accomplishments because you will know that you have made a difference in their lives.

While seeing students develop new skills and gain an appreciation for knowledge can be very rewarding, this is not always the case. Occasionally, every teacher will have to cope with unmotivated or disrespectful students. Teaching can result in situations that are stressful. Some schools have large classes (sometimes as many as 40 students in a class!) and lack important teaching tools such as up-to-date textbooks, computers, demonstration materials, and lab equipment, which may result in frustration. Some teachers are held accountable for their students’ performance in state- or school-imposed standardized tests as part of their own performance evaluation, which can also be unsettling for teachers who realize that there are many variables beyond their control that contribute to students’ low performance.

Teacher candidates must realize that teaching high school physics is not a typical 9-to-5 job. Teaching is a vocation—a life calling—and not merely a job. As such, you will be personally committed to your work in a way that not all employees are. While high school teachers generally work school hours (sometimes starting as early as 6:30 a.m. and ending typically not much later than 3:00 p.m.), at the beginning of your career, you will often find yourself spending time in the evenings and on weekends scoring assignments and preparing lessons. Fortunately, this time commitment generally will decrease as you gain experience in teaching, learn new skills, and benefit from prior planning. In addition to committing personal time on nights and weekends, you might meet with parents, students, and other teachers before and after school.

Teachers typically work during a 9- or 10-month school year with several months off during the summer. Many teachers use this time to recuperate, spend time with their family, and also to work on advanced degrees or participate in multi-week continuing professional development workshops and experiences. Less commonly, teachers with year-around class schedules often teach in cycles that consist of eight weeks teaching followed by a one-week break. These districts often also have an extended midwinter break.

The art of teaching demands more than just caring about students and knowing one's subject matter. Teachers need to know what motivates students, how to diagnose their strengths and weaknesses, and how to create engaging environments in which they can learn.

Some aspects of teaching benefit from a teachers’ natural personality traits, but teaching skills can be developed over a period of time through individual and community experiences. Some people, it seems, are born to be teachers, and others learn what it takes. One thing unifies good teachers be they born or made—a desire to make a difference in the lives of students.

Prospective teachers should ask themselves the following questions about becoming a high school physics teacher.

Students benefit from teachers who have a confident and outgoing personality, both of which are skills that can be honed with practice. Empathy and patience are often the cornerstones of a teacher's work, as is the ability to be both a good speaker and listener. Teachers are first and foremost communicators; good interpersonal skills are a prerequisite for good teaching.

Good teachers are dedicated to their students and their learning. The best teachers are those who really care about all students and believe that anyone can learn despite learning difficulties. They will educate the whole student—intellectually, socially, and emotionally.

Students can easily infer what teachers are passionate about, and your own interest can be contagious. If you are serious about learning science now, and are a critical thinker in your own explorations, you will likely make a good teacher who is attentive to how students think. Your desire to inquire into natural phenomena can support how you scaffold your students’ learning.

Teaching demands a maturity that includes the ability to be dependable, ethical, and level-headed in potentially highly stressful situations. It requires the ability to manage multiple tasks at once while performing professionally.

The autonomy inherent to teaching means that you are responsible for serving as both a role-model for students and as an independent thought-leader in the classroom. You will be responsible for managing students, time, and equipment efficiently and with care.

If you can honestly answer “yes”—or at least “most likely”—to the majority of these questions, then you are well on your way to begin the process of becoming a high school physics teacher.

What prospective physics teachers need to know and be able to do should be grounded in what their future students need to know and be able to do in order to live in and contribute meaningfully to life in a democratic society. National goals and standards, such as the Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and the resulting Next Generation Science Standards (Lead States, 2013), reflect these needs and have strongly converged in recent years on what it is that future teachers of science must know and be able to do.

It is sometimes noted that in order to teach well, teachers must possess an identifiable knowledge base. Philosophers as early as Aristotle addressed the question of what teachers need to know and be able to do in order to be effective at their chosen profession. Writing in Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle saw the teacher's knowledge base as consisting of sophia (“wisdom”) and phronesis (“prudence”). Sophia is the ability to think well about the nature of the world. It is used in the effort to discover phronesis, the ability to think about how and why we should act in order to accomplish a particular end.

In more recent times, the knowledge base of physics teachers has been described (in the pages of this chapter and elsewhere) as consisting of three elements or components: content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge (Etkina, 2005). Content knowledge is knowledge of the discipline itself and includes such things as procedural methods and possibly even dispositions. According to Etkina, content knowledge consists of “knowledge of physics concepts, relationships among them, and methods of acquiring knowledge” (2005, p. 3). Various documents define the content students should learn (e.g., American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993; American Association of Physics Teachers, 2009; National Research Council, 1996; NGSS Lead States, 2013), and teacher preparation documents describe the role of the teacher (e.g., National Science Education Standards, Science for All Americans, Next Generation Science Standards, etc.). Teachers must know what they are expected to teach their students, and probably substantially more as well.

Pedagogical knowledge represents the “generic why and how to” of teaching. According to Etkina, pedagogical knowledge consists of “knowledge of brain development, knowledge of cognitive science, knowledge of collaborative learning, knowledge of classroom discourse, knowledge of classroom, and management and school laws” (2005, p. 3).

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) represents a situation-specific overlap of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge (Shulman, 1987). PCK deals with the “specific why and how to” of teaching a given discipline.

What physics teachers need to know in order to be effective teachers is termed pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). According to Etkina, PCK consists of “knowledge of physics curriculum, knowledge of student difficulties, knowledge of effective instructional strategies for a particular concept, and knowledge of assessment methods” (2005, p. 3). PCK per se is hard to teach and is often the result of many years of classroom experience (Wells et al., 1995). It can be described as “knowledge in action.”

A broader description of what a physics teacher candidate's knowledge, skills, and dispositions should be is provided in a less generic description as follows.

The teacher should have a broad and current understanding of the major content areas of physics, such as mechanics, electricity and magnetism, heat and thermodynamics, waves and light, optics, and modern physics. The prospective teacher's understanding must be at a level consistent with appropriate national and state standards and include a familiarity of the unifying principles of physics such as conservation of energy, momentum, mass, and charge. Knowing these core topics presupposes that the prospective teacher will possess a general understanding of the closely allied fields of astronomy, chemistry, and mathematics, and will be aware of the major findings of the biological and environmental sciences.

The teacher must have an accurate understanding of the processes of science, and its underlying assumptions. The prospective teacher should see scientific knowledge as emergent, and not absolute. Ideally, the prospective teacher will have learned content knowledge through methods of inquiry, thereby acquiring closely associated procedural knowledge. The prospective teacher should have had an opportunity to experience the processes of scientific investigation: observing; defining a problem; hypothesizing from an evidence base; creating an experiment; identifying and controlling variables; collecting, graphically representing, and interpreting data; conducting error analyses; drawing conclusions; and communicating results. Knowledge so gained and communicated should help students understand that science is a way of knowing and help them distinguish information that is not so derived.

The teacher must understand what constitutes effective teaching and be able to distinguish authentic teaching practices from so-called practices such as instructing, informing, training, and brainwashing. The prospective teacher should have a demonstrable understanding of the following generic knowledge and skills of teaching in general.

Prospective teachers must demonstrate an ability to prepare lesson plans for a variety of lesson types, create unit plans, and deal with the broad implications of year-long curriculum planning. The prospective teacher must demonstrate through planning how to integrate lecture-demonstrations, laboratory work, homework, discussion, presentations, assessment, student research projects, and out-of-class activities in a way that maximizes student learning. Good planning and preparation make a huge difference in the classroom.

Prospective teachers must understand the difference between teaching by telling and helping students construct knowledge on the basis of experience. They must understand the worth and power of constructivist forms of teaching, and the limitations of transmission forms. Quality teaching can help teachers become quality students.

Prospective teachers must be able to use inquiry practices effectively to help students construct knowledge from evidence, be familiar with concept change and its relationship to constructivism, and be able to assist students in the procedures whereby knowledge of nature and technology are constructed. Good inquiry practices help students understand that science is both a product and a process.

Prospective teachers must demonstrate an ability to utilize any of a number of cooperative and collaborative learning strategies and be able to distinguish these strategies from traditional group learning. Interpersonal skills so acquired can help students learn better in all courses.

Prospective teachers must demonstrate an ability to utilize real-world problem solving as a means to enhance critical thinking skills, and as a way to integrate diverse elements of science into technological and societal problems. Helping students learn to apply what they know to real-world situations makes their learning meaningful.

Prospective teachers must demonstrate the ability to use a variety of representations to help students learn and understand the content of physics. Students who possess such knowledge are more like professionals in their thinking than novice problem solvers.

Prospective teachers must demonstrate an understanding of a student's need for the construction of knowledge and its relationship to preconceptions derived though casual observations of the world. Teachers must know how to draw out these prior conceptions to build more robust new understandings.

Prospective teachers must demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between learning cycles and classroom activities, and their effects on individual lessons and the broader curriculum. The complex interrelationship of lecture-demonstrations, laboratory work, homework, discussion, presentations, assessment, student research projects, and out-of-class activities must be understood. Teachers need to help students work and think like scientists.

Prospective teachers must demonstrate an ability to select, use, and adapt instructional resources to the needs of students. Teachers need to know how to adapt existing materials to their needs, so they are not “reinventing the wheel.”

Pedagogical content knowledge represents the “intersection” of content/procedural knowledge and curricular knowledge. It deals with the “specific why and how to” of teaching a given discipline—in this case, physics. Physics teacher candidates should be familiar with the information contained in such books as the following: (1) Teaching Introductory Physics (Arons, 1997), (2) Hands-On Physics Activities with Real-Life Applications (Cunningham and Herr, 1994), (3) Five Easy Lessons: Strategies for Successful Physics Teaching (Knight, 2002), and (4) Teaching Introductory Physics: A Sourcebook (Swartz and Miner, 1998).

Technological pedagogical content knowledge consists of the knowledge needed for effective pedagogical practice in a technologically enhanced classroom. The best teaching requires that teachers integrate technology into their pedagogy (Mishra and Koehler, 2006). Physics is an excellent field of science for doing so because so much technology is available for this area of study (e.g., computers, probe ware, simulations, and mobile device apps), and because physics presents so many isolated systems for study using that technology. These situations are ideal for the study of science, and technology can be used with great effectiveness to derive relationships between variables.

The following list indicates the specific instances of the different types of knowledge that physics teacher candidates should have prior to starting student teaching. The knowledge base was established at Illinois State University and is based on many years of experience with high school physics teachers (Wenning, 2007). This list indicates what teacher candidates need to know, be able to do, and what dispositions they should possess in order to be effective. The knowledge base was established and periodically revised as part of a program accreditation review process that included addressing the now defunct, but still useful National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996), the NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation (National Science Teachers Association, 2019), and developing the American Association of Physics Teachers’ booklet The Role, Education, Qualifications, and Professional Development of Secondary School Physics Teachers (AAPT, 2009). The prospective teacher should have a demonstrable understanding of the following specific knowledge and skills of physics teaching according to the Illinois Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (2007b).

The prospective teacher must have a thorough understanding of physics as well as mathematics, chemistry, biology, and Earth and space science. Physics teachers must have a comprehensive understanding of physics at the introductory level including both content and process. This includes an appreciation for scientific values.

The prospective teacher must have a thorough understanding of how physics is applied to real-world situations, including its technological applications and social implications. Physics teachers should have enough understanding of the relationship between physics and engineering in order to include engineering practices in the physics curriculum.

The prospective teacher must possess a broad understanding of the practices of physics teaching as reflected in the aims, goals, and objectives of both national and state science-teaching standards. This broad understanding includes a working knowledge of long-term and short-term planning required for teaching an inquiry-based program; an ability to align teaching goals, objectives, and assessment with these standards; and an ability to provide needs-based rationales for inclusion of material in the curriculum grounded on student interests, community values, teacher strengths, and societal needs. The prospective teacher must be able to identify the various curricula that are available for physics teaching.

The prospective teacher must have a working definition of what it means for a person to be science literate and must be so. That is, the prospective teacher will have a well-founded “knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participating in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity” (National Research Council, 1996, p. 22).

The prospective teacher must be aware of the psychological basis for effective science teaching. The prospective teacher must also demonstrate an ability to come to know students as individuals, to assess their knowledge and background, and to show a willingness to work with parents to serve the best interests of students. This includes dealing effectively with different student learning styles, sources of interest, motivation and inspiration, and cultural and emotional differences. This also includes identifying and correcting learning difficulties, where possible using personal knowledge and experiences, or through conferral and referral.

The prospective teacher must understand the difficulties students have with learning various concepts and skills in science, the best way to teach these concepts and skills, and have an ability to assess student knowledge through a variety of formal and informal means. The prospective teacher must also be aware of the fact that students have different learning styles, learning abilities, and learning environments.

The prospective teacher must demonstrate excellent student management skills by maintaining classroom discipline using a firm, fair, friendly, and focused demeanor. The skilled classroom manager will effectively present lessons so that students will perceive time in the classroom to be of significant positive value. The atmosphere so maintained should not be rigid and regimented but should be flexible and conducive to student inquiry.

The prospective teacher must be an excellent and effective communicator, both in conducting instruction and in receiving and responding to information. The prospective teacher will demonstrate excellence in communication by using proper vocalization (diction, grammar, enunciation, and projection). The prospective teacher will demonstrate effectiveness in communication by presenting information systematically and logically, by questioning students using appropriate means (using a variety of question types, making effective use of wait time, etc.), and by listening and responding well to students’ questions, answers and comments.

The prospective teacher should be aware that teaching is what teachers do, that learning is what students do, and that there might be no direct relationship between teaching and learning. The prospective teacher sees the role of teacher as that of a science guide who facilitates learning and is aware of the major principles of learning.

The prospective teacher should demonstrate scientific dispositions (beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and values) and should be able to engage students in activities that help clarify the need for a consistent scientific ethic. The prospective teacher should demonstrate the habits of mind closely associated with the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry and attitudes and values conducive to science learning. The prospective teacher should understand the assumptions and limitations of scientific knowledge.

The prospective teacher must demonstrate an understanding of and an appreciation for the broad applicability of physics to real-world situations. Prospective teachers must be able to provide a rationale for including physics in the school curriculum as it relates to any area of life in general, and technology in particular. The rationale must deal with the value of scientific knowledge to their students, to society, and to the scientific professions. The prospective teacher must demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between science and technology, and the relationship between scientific values and social values.

The prospective teacher should have an understanding of how to create among students a disposition in favor of science, and scientific ways of knowing. The learning environment should be physically and emotionally safe, and one in which questioning is valued as much as knowing, and process is valued as much as product. The prospective teacher should know how to provide stimulating learning environments that develop a community of learners who share time, space, and materials to learn science. The prospective teacher should know the meaning, differences, benefits, and consequences of competitive, cooperative, and individualistic learning atmospheres. The prospective teacher should know the effect of expectations on student achievement, and how to exert appropriate classroom control measures.

The prospective teacher should have an understanding of how to teach in active and engaging ways that create and sustain student interest in science generally, and in physics in particular. This engagement should sustain student participation in learning activities, include learning cycles, and involve students in cooperative group processes.

The prospective teacher should have an understanding of the goals and procedures of both “regular” and alternative/authentic assessment. The prospective teacher should know how to use a variety of means to assess stated objectives that are fair, valid, reliable, and consistent with the decisions they are intended to inform. The prospective teacher will see ongoing assessment of student learning as a valuable adjunct to teaching. The prospective teacher should be aware of sources and uses for standardized tests and be able to accurately interpret results. The teacher candidate must know how to determine grades on the basis of data and objective criteria.

The prospective teacher should demonstrate the habit of regular self-assessment—reflecting objectively upon personal teaching practice with an eye toward improving professional practice and increasing student learning. The prospective teacher will engage in ongoing assessment of personal teaching practice, in cooperation with formative feedback provided through clinical supervision. The prospective teacher should demonstrate the disposition of a life-long learner in all areas of professional life.

The prospective teacher should have knowledge of and first-hand experience with the wide range of instructional and scientific technology to be used in the classroom. This includes demonstration and laboratory equipment, computers and their applications, microcomputer- and calculator-based laboratory equipment, the software associated with accessing the Internet to be used by students, and social networks.

The prospective teacher should abide by a code of professional ethical conduct. It is incumbent upon the teacher to improve educational practice personally, and at the level of the school and the wider academic community. The prospective teacher should perceive professional organizations and publications as instrumental in professional improvement.

The prospective teacher must possess a broad understanding of the nature of science. The teacher candidate must be able to define the values, beliefs and assumptions inherent in the creation of scientific knowledge within the scientific community. This ability includes being able to distinguish science from other ways of knowing; distinguish between basic science, applied science and technology; identify the processes and conventions of science as a professional activity; and define acceptable evidence and scientific explanation.

The prospective teacher must know what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher in order to ensure participation of all students independent of their gender, disabilities, and cultural differences. The prospective teacher must teach in such a way as to provide for gender differences, physical and mental disabilities, and racial/ethnic differences.

The prospective teacher must have a thorough understanding of authentic best practices, and how they relate to how students learn science. As such, the teacher candidate will understand the importance of dealing effectively with student preconceptions, will understand how to use inquiry practices effectively, will understand the meaning and roles of student metacognition and self-regulation, and will be well versed in the use of cooperative/collaborative learning practices.

Many teaching skills come from practical experience and are not well grounded on a research base. Much of what is handed on as “grounded in research” tends to be nothing more than idiosyncratic anecdotal experience—it constitutes the craft wisdom of teaching. Nonetheless, these so-called best practices constitute the “art of teaching” and can often provide a number of valuable alternative avenues for effective teaching.

As you can see, teachers are asked to master huge amounts of knowledge and acquire many skills. While the task of learning so much might seem daunting, realize that you will learn much of what you need to know during the teacher preparation process. What you don't learn entirely now, you will learn and improve upon during the coming years. First year teachers rarely prove to be seasoned professionals. That only comes with years of experience. Rest assured, you will be very well positioned on the learning curve if you understand the information presented in this book.

Becoming a high school physics teacher can be challenging work. It requires more than just knowing science content knowledge and process skills. It requires that teacher candidates take responsibility for their own learning and prepare to help others learn. It also requires a certain amount of social skill. To be an effective high school physics teacher, teacher candidates must have—or acquire—knowledge as well as academic and social skills. Appendix 1B—Critical Advice for Teacher Candidates—contains collected wisdom from 40 years of high school and university teaching that will help the teacher candidate be the best he or she can be. It addresses achievement and goals; studying, learning, and time management; professional development; personal development; and personal and professional integrity. It also addresses the role of the academic advisor. Teacher candidates are encouraged to read Appendix 1B now and with care, and to take to heart the holistic guidance provided therein.

Becoming a high school physics teacher might seem to be a daunting task. Given the proper guidance, effort, and a bit of time, you can become an effective teacher and reap the benefits of this deeply satisfying profession. Your university's science faculty, teacher educators, in-service cooperating teachers, and university supervisors will be at your side as you travel the road to becoming a high school physics teacher. You have this book to serve as a guide as well. It is designed to address all of the topics in the knowledge base given here. The following chapters will not always be an “easy read.” Chapters might sometimes challenge you, as the topics and issues addressed are both real and complex—like the world of teaching. To prepare teacher candidates for the challenges of dealing with an uncertain future in any other way would be to do you a disservice.