Physics Teacher SOS
NEW TEACHER WORKSHOP


Welcome to the PTSOS website. We focus on content useful for teachers new to
teaching physics at the high school and community college level.

Dan Burns
Workshop Leader
Los Gatos HS (retired)
PASCO Scientific and LLNL

Dan has been teaching high school physics since 1992. He has been a member, officer, and contributor with NCNAAPT. He works with the SETI Institute, USGS, AAPT, SJSU, and serves as the Faculty Scholar at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Recently, Dan has accepted a position with PASCO Scientific as their new Physics and Physical Science Curriculum and Training Developer.

Tom Shefler
Workshop Leader
Granada HS, Livermore


Tom teaches physics, math, engineering, and astronomy at Granada High School in Livermore. He has a physics degree from Western Michigan University and a Masters in astronomy from Cal. While working on his Masters, Tom discovered Supernova 1998DT. Tom works as a Faculty Scholar at LLNL where he helps conduct the Fusion/Astrophysics Teacher Research Academy and the popular Science on Saturday program.

Abigail Plemmons
Outreach Coordinator

Photo and bio coming soon.

PTSOS is made possible by a grant from The Karl L. Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund.
*Food, beverages, and snacks are provided by a grant from Joe Marasco.


Join the PTSOS Group

Get the latest announcements and updates on PTSOS! For more information email
Abigail Plemmons:
PTSOSrocks@gmail.com


PTSOS is brought to you by The Northern California and Nevada Section of The American Association of Physics Teachers.

Photos of Past Workshops
PTSOS Workshop 1/31/09
PTSOS Workshop 1/22/11

PTSOS Founders

Paul Robinson
Former Workshop Leader
San Mateo HS
(Retired)

Paul taught high school physics from 1974 to 2011. He is a long-time member of and contributor to NCNAAPT having served as Program Chair, Historian, and Section Representative for many years. He is the author of the Conceptual Physics lab manuals and the recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 1987.

Stephanie Finander
Former Outreach Coordinator
Woodside High School


Stephanie has taught high school physics since 1990. She is a long-time member of and contributor to NCNAAPT. She is a principal founder and organizer of the PTSOS New Teacher Workshop, and was moderator of the PTSOS discussion group.

       PTSOS is a free workshop and support program for new high school and middle school physics teachers in Northern California. We offer 3 all-day Saturday workshops during the school year. In addition to learning about the details of the craft of physics teaching from experienced teachers, participants receive a continental breakfast, lunch, and physics equipment for use in their own classrooms. The PTSOS program is recognized as one of the most effective programs for training and retaining new physics teachers. Welcome!

    
This is our 20th year of PTSOS workshops
sponsored by the Karl Brown Memorial Fund!

posted 02/04/2024

The 3rd New Teacher Workshop
of the 2023-24 school year will be:

     Saturday, March 9, 2024
     9:00 am - 4:30 pm
     Grenada High School
     400 Wall Street
     Livermore, CA 94550 -
map

 





Hi, Physics folks!

This workshop will focus on waves, sound, light, and E&M. We'll show demonstrations, talk about labs, discuss different teaching styles, and generally celebrate how much fun it is to teach physics. We cannot WAIT to see all of you! There are limited seats available, so sign up before it gets filled up! If you have colleagues and friends who might be interested, feel free to share this information. 

The workshop is free, thanks to our main benefactor, the Karl Brown family. We have continental breakfast and an on-site lunch which is provided by another benefactor, Joe Marasco. We have been distributing extra goodies thanks to the Scott Chan Memorial Fund and the LLNS Community Gift Program! If you want to come but aren't sure you can make it, please sign up early and then let us know for sure later. That makes logistics a little easier on our end. 

Please follow the link below and fill in your registration information. Registration will prioritize early career teachers and those who have not attended this Workshop before. It's good to register early but it's also important to cancel your registration if you can't come (we get very cranky when we leave people on a waiting list and then some people don't show up). We are thrilled for you to join us whether you are currently teaching physics, planning to teach physics in the future, student teaching, or looking for a physics teaching position. Do you like to teach physics? We like to teach physics! Let's hang out and talk about teaching physics.

Link to Register: WORKSHOP #3

After you have filled out this form, you should receive confirmation of your place on the list (either signed up or waitlisted) in early March. If you do not hear back after a bit, please email Abigail Plemmons at this email address, PTSOSrocks@gmail.com, to check that your registration went through before you try to register again.

If you have attended any workshop before and your information has not changed, you will not have to put in your contact information again. If you have attended this particular PTSOS workshop (Workshop #3) before, you should register "Repeat Attender." Repeat Attenders are last in line for goodies but get all the fun, food, and shop-talk they can handle.

Dan Burns, Tom Shefler, Dave Rakestraw, and I are looking forward to more fun physics at Granada High School in Livermore!!

Cheers,

Abigail Plemmons
PTSOS Outreach Coordinator

Files and Resources
       Workshop 1:
Mechanics (September 16, 2023)
       Workshop 2:
Waves, Sound & Heat (January 20, 2024)
       Workshop 3:
Electricity, Magnetism & Light (March 9, 2024 )

Join The PTSOS Google Group Discussion List
Get the latest announcements and updates on PTSOS!
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
For more information email Abigail Plemmons:
PTSOSrocks@gmail.com


       We did a PTSOS "lite" workshop at the summer AAPT meeting in Sacramento and we got the band back together for it.
Left to right: Dean Baird, Dan Burns, Paul Robinson, Stephanie Finander


Check out this cool video by Leah Luchsinger of Workshop #2 on February 3, 2018.

Check out some fun things from our March 11, 2017 workshop!

See participants at PTSOS having fun while learning (QT movie)
s...to demonstrate how mechanical energy is converted into heat.

    

3/20/2020
Hello, PTSOSers,

Tom posted all of his slides for PTSOS #3 along with his slides from the other 2 workshops in case they will be helpful, especially those of you being asked to teach classes remotely: Tom's Slides

Remember when this crisis is over, it will be the scientists educated by you and your colleagues that will have been instrumental in ending it. Keep up the good work.

Stay safe, be healthy, be kind. Let us know what else we can do to support you.

Dan, Tom, and Val


10/30/2021
Distance Learning Labs from Pasco Scientific

Here are some free Physics labs and videos that support remote learning.

https://www.pasco.com/resources/distance-learning#hs-physics-panel

Also, here's my new website for physics teachers.

https://the-physics-well.net/

I hope some of you find these things useful in these challenging times.

Dan Burns
PASCO Scientific


       PTSOS is a workshop and support program for new high and middle school physics teachers in Northern California. We offer 3 all-day Saturday workshops during the school year. In addition to learning about the details of the craft of physics teaching from experienced teachers, participants receive continental breakfast, lunch, and physics equipment for them to use in their classroom. The PTSOS program is recognized as one of the most effective programs for training and retaining new physics teachers.

       Please consider giving whatever amount you are comfortable with to help us continue this important program. The PTSOS team, the new physics teachers, and most important, their students, will be very grateful. All funds will be put into the account of the non-profit 
Northern California and Nevada American Association of Physics Teachers for use of the PTSOS program. To help us make sure we use all of the funds this year please donate by the end of November, 2016.

PLEASE CLICK ON
GO FUND ME TO HELP SUPPORT PTSOS


  
Some of the 38 participants from the Sept 28, 2019 workshop show off
their "everybody wins" raffle goodies and the many items
donated by
@pascoscientific including 10 Smart Carts!

  
Teachers in the Sept. 15th 2018 PTSOS workshop, hold up some of the goodies
they received in the "everybody wins" raffle. Thanks to our many donors,
@pascoscientific, @pearson, @ArborSci, Joe Marasco, and
The Karl L. Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund.


  
PTSOS participants hold up their Peer Instruction books,
one of the many goodies they received.



~ Physics Teacher SOS ~
Where Northern California's new and newly assigned physics teachers
are mentored by successful, experienced physics teachers...FOR FREE!

Fifty Percent of New Teachers Leave Teaching Within Five Years...

       The call to recruit new teachers is heard across the nation. Efforts to retain new teachers are sporadic or non-existent. It's tough enough being a new teacher. Being a new physics teacher involves a special set of challenges.

• You have very little laboratory apparatus
• Some of what you do have is a complete mystery
• You're confused about content standards and statewide assessments
• Your physics enrollment is low
• Worst of all, there's no one you can ask for physics teaching guidance

That's Where Physics Teacher SOS Comes In!

       Physics Teacher SOS (PTSOS) offers workshops, mentors, and online support for new and newly assigned physics teachers in Northern California. There is no cost to individual teachers or their schools for these services. Any teacher newly assigned to teach physics within the last five years is encouraged to participate.

PTSOS Workshops

       Workshop leaders guide new teachers through a variety of activities and discussion topics, including:

• effective demonstrations (and how to demonstrate them)
• how to deal with paperwork
• minimizing lecture
• lab group management
• funding and how to be prepared for it
• how to increase physics enrollment
• content standards and statewide assessments
• managing apparatus
• integrating technology into curriculum
• effective presentation (PowerPoint) techniques
• topics brought up by the new teachers in attendance


***Attendees are given a variety of support materials at the workshops (lots of free goodies!).***

PTSOS Mentors

       New teachers are paired with experienced, local physics teacher mentors. The mentors are there to provide one-on-one guidance where needed and to answer questions that come up throughout the school year.

PTSOS Online Community

       Physics Teacher SOS maintains an online discussion group. Workshop leaders and mentors monitor the messages and add to the ongoing discussion of topics as they arise. To join the group, go to our PTSOS Google Groups signup page or email our Outreach Coordinator, Abigail Plemmons, at PTSOSrocks@gmail.com.

PTSOS Workshop Signups

       To signup for a workshop look for registration instructions posted on this website when the dates become known. For more information, contact our Outreach Coordinator, Abigail Plemmons, at PTSOSrocks@gmail.com. Space is limited so signup early to reserve your spot!



Selected Workshop Resource Links

Dan Burn's Website
www.the-physics-well.net/

Paul Robinson's Website
www.laserpablo.com

Paul Robinson: Increasing Your Impact (PDF)
Words to the wise from your New Teacher Workshop organizer and leader.

Paul Robinson: Getting to Know Your Textbook (PDF)
A set of questions students answer by exploring their Conceptual Physics textbook.

Stephanie Finander's Goodie Bag Notes (PDF)
Words to the wise from your PTSOS Outreach coordinator.

Dean Baird's Phyz Website
A fountain of teacher resources including
The Book of Phyz Online.

"Next-Time Questions" by Paul Hewitt
Challenging and fascinating questions that will spark interest and discussion amongst your students.

Optics Bookshelf
A great optics website by Clarence Bakken.

Pretty Good Physics
A treasure trove of physics resources.

Field Trip at the Lab: Science on Saturday
Join a group of science teachers and middle and high school students on a field trip to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for the annual Science on Saturday (SOS) lecture series.

The Feynman Lectures on Physics
Caltech and The Feynman Lectures Website are pleased to present this online edition of The Feynman Lectures on Physics.

Suggested Vendors

PASCO
Excellent products. Lab equipment, demo equipment, probeware, etc. And a long-standing sponsor of NCNAAPT events. Pasco has a rich
Educator Resource page.

Sargent-Welch
Wide variety. If they haven't got it, you probably don't want it! Sargent-Welch hosts the Cenco Physics Blog which features product demonstration videos..

Arbor Scientific
Fun, unusual, and high-interest items.
Conceptual Physics resources and lab activities. They publish a Cool Stuff Newsletter, and have a growing library of product demonstration videos.

Science Kit
Excellent variety. Known for their "
Teacher Developed Classroom Tested" products!

Vernier Software
Excellent computer interface and probeware. And a long-time friend of NCNAAPT. You can get their newsletter,
The Caliper, online or via free email subscription.


Abigail Plemmons, PTSOSrocks@gmail.com | Dan Burns, danburns22222@gmail.com | Tom Shefler, tshefler@lvjusd.org