Teaching two blocks of Physics 11 in May/June sounded amazing; and it was. I had a great coaching teacher who allowed me free reign and creative freedom in my lesson design, which I appreciated. Having to teach the same class twice in a row allowed me also to have a trial run (P1 was still amazing and they got the same quality of instruction as P2). In addition, prep time was essentially halved save for marking.
I had the opportunity to play around with tons of different styles and technologies when delivering direct instruction, while also incorporating tons of hands-on learning and labs that were designed to foster the curiosity of my students.
Both classes were very dedicated and constantly strove for excellence, asking lots of questions which challenged my own knowledge more often than not. It was delightful to see genuine interest coming from the grade 11’s.
The personal conversations I had with students were among my personal highlights. Learning that students shared some of my passions such as the same movies, shows, games, and sports that I liked allowed me to connect with them on a level that was not exclusively Physics. Things like this I believe establish trust between teacher and student.
All in all, the kindness of staff, students, and peers reinvigorated my passion for teaching and convinced me that I had chosen the right profession.
Above is a picture of some model cars which are all powered by balloons and purely made from cardboard, straws, and buttons. Students had told me that the day they were made had been a lot of fun. I agreed. After all, science is just arts and crafts with extra steps.