Three years after the new A Level practical requirements were introduced, physics teachers have worked extremely hard to meet the CPAC criteria with every students and to be eternally “positive about practicals” whilst integrating them into our normal teaching schedules. In general, the new system seems to be settling in quite smoothly. I personally believe that it encourages a more …
[NEW for 2019]: 41 Ideas for IB Physics IA Investigations
I’ve updated it with advanced information, as it is obviously a post that offers lots of value to readers. I get emails every day from students who have found Guzled online and are looking for help with finding a topic for their IB Physics Internal Assessment. Here’s an example: Most IB Physics teachers will have been met with similar requests …
30 Immediately Actionable Time-Saving Tips for Physics Teachers
This blog post lists 30 tips for saving time in your day as a physics teacher – leaving you more time to do what’s important to you.
TIP #23 IS ESPECIALLY GOOD…..
CPAC Monitoring Visits: My Experience as an AQA Practical Adviser
In my role as an AQA Practical Adviser, I’ve been visiting schools to monitor how the new CPAC requirements are being carried out across the country. This blog post highlights the key points that every physics teacher should know about CPAC in A Level Physics.
5 Key Challenges in Teach Physics and how to Overcome Them
A career as a physics teacher is hugely fulfilling; by sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject, you get to show young people how physics is central to everyday life. However, it can be hard to keep up with: I’ve been chatting to physics teachers all over the world and I’ve discovered the 5 KEY challenges in teaching physics. I’ve …
Drill Those Definitions
I do a lot of physics tutoring and have spent the last week addressing exam technique with my tutees. I have already taught them the magic trick for longer questions (click here for the exam technique magic trick!) and have been surprised at how few of my students have learned the basic definitions. So, this weekend, I sat down and counted the percentage …
Girls in Physics: The Fear of Problem-Solving
According to a recent report by the Institute of Physics, nearly half of all mixed state schools have no girls studying A-level physics at all. Here are a few thoughts on why:
1 – The fear of failure
2 – Practical work can go wrong…
3 – Realistic Role Models
4 – How positively is science portrayed outside the classroom?
5 – Physics is Hard
What can we actually do about it in our classrooms?
This blog offers a free whitepaper with practical tips that you can carry out in your lessons tomorrow that should help girls engage further with physics. These tips are super easy to implement.
Using Interstellar in Physics Lessons
Reasons you may want to stick on a film in your class:
1 – It’s nearly a school holiday??
2 – You have hundreds of reports to write
3 – It is your seventh lesson of the day
4 – It is your first lesson of the day
We all have times when a film is exactly what you need – but can you justify it?
How Much Do Physics Teachers Get Paid?
Read this blog post if you’d like to know how your salary compares to other Physics Teachers in the UK.
You Dread Teaching This Topic….
We all have topics that we dread teaching. It turns out the 15% of Physics teachers hate teaching particle physics. Yes – this is the perfect opportunity to organise a CERN trip
But what else can help you teach this tricky topic?
Why I Decided to Quit Full Time Teaching
After years of reinventing the wheel and working too hard, I decided to take action. I devoted every free minute of my time to creating Guzled – an online community for Physics Teachers. I was determined to make life easier and here’s why…