Teaching

The responsibility a student's learning ultimately lies with the student themselves, so I see the role of the instructor as more of a coach or a conductor of a musical ensemble rather than a lecturer. In such an ensemble, individual members are expected to practice on their own to learn their part, so that when the ensemble comes together for rehearsal, the director can focus on places where the ensemble is having the most difficulty, and, more importantly, begin shaping the dynamics, phrasing, and musicality of the work as a whole. In a similar fashion, I believe most of the learning for a course should happen outside of lecture, and analogous to a rehearsal, lecture time is best spend on addressing misconceptions and encouraging deep learning through active learning activities. It is my goal to have my courses reflect this model as closely as possible.

Current Courses (Spring 2020)

If you are a student in one of my classes, asssignments and other resources will be delivered through MyClasses, so please check there. My office hours for this semester can be found in bar on the left.

PHYS 108- Introduction to Astronomy

 

PHYS 123 - General Physics II

 

PHYS 399 - ThinSats

Co-taught with Dr. Steven Binz