TEACHERS AND MOMENTUM

 By: Dr. Armãndo R. Tolliver | EDUCATOR | January 7, 2017

Newton’s First Law of Motion indicates that an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion, and once in motion, the object develops momentum (Serway, 2009). In the game of kickball, when a player heads a moving ball, the ball’s velocity changes rapidly. After the ball is struck, the ball’s speed and the direction of the ball’s motion is changed. As a result, the ball moves across the field with a different speed than it had and in a different direction than it was traveling before the collision. The force and the duration of the collision between the ball and the player affect the motion or linear momentum of the ball. This sport scenario is rather similar to educators in the classroom. Each year, students enter the classroom with a host needs and pregnant with potential. As teachers, we are charged with meeting students where they are, working with and meeting the needs of young people, watching them mature and grow, giving birth to what lies within. Just like a ball, students at rest tend to stay at rest and students in motion tend to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. The teacher is a single player, an external force, who aids a student in picking up speed or gathering momentum. The more momentum, the more difficult it is to come to a stop.

            In order to be most effective, a teacher must carefully prepare and plan objectives and activities. Furthermore, we have to demonstrate high expectations for students and select strategies to propel the students’ learning, which requires maximizing not only instructional time, but also students’ time on task. As a result, it is important for teachers to maintain momentum within and across lessons. Stronge (2007) referred to momentum as a teacher’s ability to have a steady pace throughout a lesson. I have practiced this strategy with my students using a constructivist approach that allowed for gradual release. I began with engagement, where I mentally engaged the students with a balloon demonstration. For me, engagement activities have helped students to make connections with what they know and can do. Students began to questions, such as “Why did the first balloon pop and the one with water not,” which showed their interest in the topic.

Next, I provided students with an opportunity for exploration. Students were allowed to group together and worked with one another to explore ideas about properties of water through hands-on activities. I made certain to keep the activities short, which helped to ensue students did not get bored. I kept an online stopwatch up on the projector screen, which kept the students moving and on a time deadline. With my guidance, students clarified their own understanding of major concepts and skills. I observed and listened to students as they interacted and asked probing questions to redirect the students’ investigation when necessary. However, I allowed the students to think freely, but within the limits of the activity, as they formed predictions and tested hypotheses. I found that students were engaged in the topic and open to new ideas of discovery, providing them with a chance to build their own understanding of major concepts and skills.

Then, I allowed students to explain their understanding of the concepts and processes they were learning. Ninety-five percent of all comments and questions that were posed required students to use evidence from the activities to support their response. After which, I was able to clarify students’ understanding and introduce new concepts and skills. When introducing the new concepts, I used guided notes in order to make lecture short and formally providing definitions, explanations, and new labels. Students listened to and tried to comprehend the explanations by referring to the previous activities.

Afterward, students were able to apply what they had learned to extend their knowledge and skills through an independent practice opportunity. Students were presented with another new example and were required to demonstrate individual understanding of the content. While students were working, I was able to observe students who were struggling and reflect on what I could do to make the lesson more meaningful and easier to understand for those students. The great thing about this lesson is that it kept students on task from bell-to-bell and there was no downtime during the lesson.

Suggested Citation

Tolliver, A. R. (2017). Teachers and Momentum. [Education Project Online]. Retrieved online at http://www.educationprojectonline.com/2017/04/teachers-and-momentum.html.

References

Serway, R. A. (2009). Holt physics. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Stronge, J. H. (2007). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.