This is my third year as a teaching assistant for the Physics class here at Vampy. From the get-go, we dived straight into the course material, aiming to cover almost a full year’s worth of high school physics content in just three weeks. Surprisingly, within the first three days, we managed to tackle a majority of the kinematic equations. By the end of the first week, the students will have learned about Newton’s Laws, projectiles, basic forces, and free body diagrams. To further solidify these concepts, we conducted various experiments, such as measuring the speed of a bubble, calculating reaction times, determining the velocity of a bullet fired from a nerf gun, and utilizing trigonometry to navigate a park.
We do not plan to slow down for these upcoming weeks. The students will continue delving into the fundamentals of Work, Power, Energy, as well as Electricity and Magnetism, Optics, and Waves. By the end of the course, they will have utilized more than 25 different equations. Moreover, they will understand that physicists are simply problem-solvers and view these equations as tools in their tool box. They will also be capable of applying these equations to tackle AP Physics problems.
Our intention is to continue to allow the students to experience the principles and laws of physics firsthand. Through the design of experiments, we aim to prepare them for future physics courses while enabling them to gain a deeper comprehension of the world around them. Exciting activities such as an egg drop and a slow balloon race are just a couple of the enjoyable experiments we have planned. As a teaching assistant, it is my responsibility to demonstrate to these nine students that physics is something that is happening all around them. I also strive to ensure that their association with the word “physics” differs from the typical reaction of disgust.
– Chloe J.
