We had the pleasure of welcoming Mr.
Jon Goetz, the 2017 James Madison University High School Physics Teacher of the
Year, to James Madison University. While
he was here, we are able to talk a bit about his background, how he came to
teach high school physics, and some advice he has to students, both the general
populace and to prospective educators.
 |
| Mr. Jon Goetz (left) with Dr. Chris Hughes |
Mr. Goetz started his undergraduate
career studying aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. He then continued his
studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied mechanical
engineering. Despite this, he recognized
that his passions were more in education, and after a brief stint in industry,
went back to pursue a degree an education from Harvard University. In 1994, Mr. Goetz began teaching physics and
mathematics at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland, where he
has remained to the present day.
When it comes to teaching, Mr. Goetz
states that he enjoys most the amount of creativity involved with the job,
saying that, “teaching is half art, half skill…constructing pathways towards
understanding.” He describes his
experience as a mix of showmanship and passion, and a job where he never sits
looking at the clock. Ultimately, he
says his goal is for his students to enjoy the class, and he certainly has
different ways of achieving this. Mr.
Goetz believes that learning comes from engagement, and has created a series of
physics games to bring in excitement into the classroom. Among them is a zipline challenge, where
students had to design a zipline to transport objects into a bucket. In addition, he provides students with many
different real-world examples of physics so that they can see where the
concepts they learn apply, be they in-class demonstrations of throwing eggs at
sheets to visualize waves or videos of cats flipping around due to torque. Mr. Goetz believes that the way in which he
teaches is as important as what he teaches, and it certainly shows.
To potential educators, Mr. Goetz says
that the role of a teacher has to be motivated from somewhere inside. He also says that, while it is hard work, the
job can be very rewarding, especially as the energy he puts into the job is
always worthwhile. For all students, Mr.
Goetz advises to not be afraid to try something, and also to not be afraid to
change their minds. He sees that the
world has much to offer, and to not see what is out there would be a disservice
to oneself.
