The Physics Teaching Podcast

Tag: non-specialists

  • The Doctor Will Teach You Now

    The Doctor Will Teach You Now

    Friend of the podcast and 40 year old NQT @Jo_Moore_Sci joins us to talk about her winding path to Physics teaching.

    Jo is a career-changer from a medical background who kindly agreed to join us to chat about her experience of teaching physics. Jo is really enjoying teaching the subject despite it being deemed ‘out of specialism’ for her. Jo is an inspirational example for teachers who may be new to physics, and her message: enjoy it! Don’t worry about your mistakes, and take advantage of the support provided by the IOP, Ogden Trust, Physics Partners… oh, and the podcast, of course! There are some links below to helpful sites for non-specialists.

    If you stumble across this podcast and you are considering teaching as a career, we’ve included some useful links below.

    Links

    TalkPhysics – IOP forums with a vast range of discussion topics and helpful specialists on hand to answer questons

    Ogden Trust – Supporting physics teaching in schools via partnerships, resources and promoting teaching and learning

    Physics Partners – partnerships of schools in England aimed at supporting physics teaching

    Get Into Teaching – The government’s site promoting teaching with information about routes into the classroom

    The Brilliant Club – The “Researchers in Schools” programme offers a unique route into teaching for those with a PhD

    Now Teach – aims to help career changes into teaching.

    Join in!

    Please share ideas or successes – or indeed questions by messaging us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/physicstp.bsky.social .  You can also message us via our website contact form on every page of the web site at  the.physicsteachingpodcast.com, or email using the address given in the podcast (if we remember). We are moving away from X but can be found there as @physicstp.

    Music

    The music is used under the Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License

  • 17. Smashing Neutrons, Supporting Non-Specialists and Surviving No Practicals

    17. Smashing Neutrons, Supporting Non-Specialists and Surviving No Practicals

    Thomas and Robin chat about Kilonova (neutron star collisions that create heavy elements), ways of supporting non-specialists and what to do when practicals fail.

    Timestamps

    • Neutron Stars and Kilonova @ 2:45
    • Science(ish) Podcast and their episode “Is LIGO right?” @ 4:05
    • Flywheels for energy storage @ 5:22
    • Faking being a Physics Specialist @ 5:54
    • Tips for non-specialists @ 8:20
    • Practicals going wrong – ripple tanks @ 10:42
    • Practicals going wrong – cloud chamber @ 13:17
    • Dealing with practicals that go wrong @ 15:44
    • Teaching Physics with no practicals @ 17:09
    • Send us your tips @ 23:29

    Summary

    Physics in the news this week talks about Neutron Stars and how their collisions (Kilonova) create the heavier elements through neutron bombardment. This leads on to LIGO and the controversy around whether its results are right or not. Science(ish) Podcast has covered this in depth in their episode “Is LIGO right?”. Thomas reports on the Vacuum cannon sales (6 at the time of writing) and gets sidetracked on to talking about some research he did in to flywheels. Robin muses about how you can use the Physics in the News to fake being a Physics Specialist and Thomas and Robin discuss their lack of knowledge outside physics (Nose-buds anyone?) and suggest tips for non-specialists to make their knowledge appear deeper than it is. Thomas reports back on his failed practical work last week and begs the listener for advice on using a ripple tank or making a cloud chamber. Finally, Thomas reports that Patrick Kaplo has challenged the podcast to support lessons with no practicals. The thought of this has Thomas in full panic mode, but Robin calms him down.

    Where is the diffraction? Are you a believer?

    Ways to teach… Distance, Speed and Acceleration

    Episode 20 (assuming we make it) will be all about ways to teach distance, speed and acceleration (or displacement, velocity and acceleration). How do you do it and what works best for you?

    Join in!

    Please share ideas or successes – or indeed questions by messaging us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/physicstp.bsky.social .  You can also message us via our website contact form on every page of the web site at  the.physicsteachingpodcast.com, or email using the address given in the podcast (if we remember). We are moving away from X but can be found there as @physicstp.

    Music

    The music is used under the Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License