- Just under a quarter of physics teachers majored in the subject, and fewer than half overall majored or minored in physics, according to a 2012-13 report from the American Institute of Physics, but physics teacher Marianna Ruggerio writes for Edutopia that all science and math teachers can still teach the subject successfully to their students.
- If there isn’t an existing physics teacher in the building to lean on for support, a math or science educator can start by turning to the American Association of Physics Teachers for networking and help. Twitter is another resource where physics teachers share ideas and suggestions.
- Math expertise is not always required, and instead educators can have students run observations and then record and describe them. Educators may also consider working with one of their own students, learning physics together, and including them in lesson planning. Finally, practicing a lesson, demonstration or project before presenting it to a class can help new physics teachers gain some confidence in the subject, as well.
Administrators looking to offer a robust curriculum that includes physics or other more specialized science and math subject areas may run against issues if they lack qualified teachers who are experts in the field. Teacher shortages can create scenarios where an expert may not be available to hire locally, and a general science teacher may not feel they have the training to take on a specialized physics course. Likewise, a geometry teacher may be uncomfortable if asked to tackle a calculus course one year.
Still, educators in closely related subject areas may be able to bridge divides to fill needs that arise within a school or district. Educators already work together when creating cross-curricular opportunities and can use similar tools.
For those being asked to fill a gap for a specific class, a teacher can turn to on-campus or outside experts to help them stay a step ahead and get up to speed on the material. One tip in helping them build curriculum quickly is to look ahead to exam questions students may be assigned for the year and ensure those areas are covered.
Additionally, teachers can ask their administrators for support through professional development. A wide variety of opportunities are available online for educators, some of which are specifically targeted to address curriculum needs. Common Sense Education offers a number of options, as well as links to professional learning networks that can support educators from the science, history and language arts fields.
Now that educators and students have also become more familiar with online learning models, it's also possible that schools lacking local experts to teach specialized subjects like physics, calculus or computer science can turn to remote educators who teach those courses from other locations. Grants or other support may also be available to address logistical hurdles.