Timothy Drew

Teaching philosophy

Important skills I want to teach my students

a.) To improve critical thinking skills. To be able to break down tough questions or scenarios and find a direction or mode of attack, with confidence.

b.) To find out how to learn. I want each student to be empowered for life by knowing what type of learner they are and discover how to approach challenges.

c.) To make a connection with the material. I want each student to apply science to his or her everyday life. I want science to be a tool they wield with confidence.

Teaching methods that reach these goals

I use many different approaches to each unit I teach.

a) I use open-ended activities so the students can discover key concepts in physics before they are introduced in a unit.

b) We have a multitude of hands-on activities. For instance, each unit has at least two hands-on activities that allow the students to apply the major concepts.

c) Each unit has the students putting their ideas into written form to be able to communicate with other scientists clearly.

d) Each unit has a cooperative learning component where each student has the opportunity to share group discoveries or projects, of through presentations to their peers.

My favorite projects

I really enjoy the Physics Olympics. It is used to support the material from the first semester. Each of the six projects hit major concepts from the first semester. They are all open-ended. The competition culminates in an overall champion, but each student realizes success.

What I like best about teaching at Seven Hills

a) Teaching at Seven Hills challenges me to become a better teacher.

b) I can use my imagination to try to capture each student.

c) The students want to be challenged and truly enjoy the learning process.