i’ve been teaching math and science for almost two decades. I’ve taught to grade schoolers. I’ve taught to graduate students. In graduate school - like many in my cohort - teaching was my job. As an undergraduate, I worked as for the university, in the dorms, tutoring students in technical fields like math, physics and chemistry. All that tutoring had a huge impact on me - professionally, and that’s the context I’d like to talk about today.
Show Notes
Learning as Training
Today I'll relate one of my first "ah ha!" moments of teaching mathematics, where the prescriptive instincts of a traditional education in math fails students.
There’s a strong parallel between athletic training and studying mathematics- or really any kind of technical skill: be it professional cooking or coding. Grinding repetition. Constant drilling. You have to be able to perform the same action, with precision, at a moments notice, which means doing it over and over and over again. There’s no shortcut to getting fit, and there’s no shortcut for building your own capacity. The boring work matters. A lot.
But here’s the thing. All that training is what helps you through panic and confusion. Be it during a test or a conversation - or even while trying to teach!
And that panic ACCELERATES the learning. It’s that frantic grasping around for ideas, feeling like a fool. These are the moments we want to encourage and cultivate. These are the moments were we grow. This is that grinding repetition converts into knowledge.
Confronting your confusion is going to be a theme on this show.
Thanks for checking us out!
The Accelerated Physics Podcast is a production of the Pasayten Institute, whose mission is to build and share physics knowledge, without barriers. This podcast aims to serve both students and teachers of physics by injecting ideas, starting conversations. Have any ideas or feedback? Drop us a line: https://www.pasayten.org/heysean
This show is made possible in part by the Physics Accelerator, whose mission is to support people in the quest to learn mathematics and physics. The Physics Accelerator is a program of the Pasayten Institute. Music today by Gloria Tells. The show is written, editing and produced by me, Sean Downes. Thank you so much for listening.
You can always find us online at: https://physicsaccelerator.com
What is Accelerated Physics?
This is a podcast about learning and teaching physics, from someone who's been in the trenches for almost two decades. We'll also discuss how to relate the classroom to big ideas in contemporary research: like what circuits have to do with quantum mechanics, how special relativity impacts us - literally every day - and how the Doppler effect can teach us about the earliest moments - and the farthest reaches - of our universe.
Whether you’re a student or an instructor, you’ll find a wealth of ideas both practical and inspirational. Here at the Pasayten Institute, we’re convinced that like photons, perspectives should be exchanged, and often!
Join the discussion! Drop us a line: team@pasayten.org. We can't wait to talk shop with you.