Demographics
Next year I will begin a new chapter in my teaching career at Woodrow Wilson High School (WWHS) and serve as the 11th grade academy Physics and Environmental Science teacher. WWHS is a relatively high-performing school in Washington, DC that consists of approximately 1,800 students. The diverse student body presents nuance challenges for instructional delivery because of persistent achievement gaps within the school. Students have historically tested below grade level in mathematics, with only 22% of students meeting academic expectations. The socioeconomic issues associated with urban schools are still present (i.e., in seat attendance, classroom behavior, etc.) but to a lesser extent than other schools. The two feeder schools for WWHS are Deal Middle School and Hardy Middle School which represent two different socioeconomic populations in DC. The physics department has struggled to remain stable due to high turnover of teachers and administrators. After three years of teaching in the District of Columbia Public School (DCPS), I have learned that students respond best to a positive, dynamic classroom, with hands-on activities. The more the student understands the content’s relevance to their dealings with the world, the more likely they are to gain a greater depth of knowledge. This unit will challenge students’ notion of scale by introducing base ten numeration with the electromagnetic spectrum and creating visual representations of mathematical relationships through the analysis and application of the metric system.
Comments: