Away From the Ivory Tower

Abstract

With hopes of following up on my experience in the Summer Scholars Program, I accepted a position as a full time science teacher in Urban High School (UHS)2 in New York City. I knew that most of the students would be different than those in the Summer Scholars Program. I knew that the environment and expectations would be different. I knew that there would be so much for me to learn. As I went through my orientations in August leading up to teaching at UHS, I was eager, hopeful, excited, and more than a little nervous. Prior to my sabbatical, from my experiences learning physics I saw the beauty and elegance of the subject matter, often delivered to me by master physicists. From my experiences in education I saw the importance of setting up an environment, both affectively and cognitively, conducive to maximizing learning.