October 2025
October saw the energizing relaunch of the Physics Teachers Working Group, providing a renewed space for collaboration under Alan Zollner’s leadership. After a hiatus during the previous school year, the group returned as a vibrant space for physics educators across New York City to connect, share strategies, and explore best practices in teaching physics at multiple levels—from Regents and AP Physics to Honors, Conceptual, and even Precalculus-integrated courses. The first session welcomed a diverse mix of teachers, university educators, and experienced AP readers, fostering an atmosphere of collaboration and mutual learning.
The meeting began with introductions, allowing participants to share where and what they are teaching, along with other areas of expertise. Subjects covered included Regents Physics, AP Physics, Physics C, Conceptual Physics, and even cross-disciplinary courses like Computer Science and AP Research. The group emphasized a primary goal of staying current with evolving physics standards while exploring how new curriculum tools, like OpenSciEd, are being implemented in practice. Participants shared successes in opening concepts for students, using clusters to build understanding, and balancing curriculum fidelity with preparing students for Regents exams.
A significant discussion focused on challenges and opportunities with the new Regents curriculum. Teachers noted that while foundational concepts such as kinematics and acceleration remain essential, they are not always explicitly mentioned in the updated standards or they have been moved from the High School standards to earlier grades. This requires creative approaches to ensure students develop necessary skills. The group also explored how AI might help generate additional clusters and considered pooling resources to address gaps in instructional materials. Emerging topics like geometric optics and quantum operators were highlighted as areas for future focus, alongside reflection on early OpenSciEd implementations and where adjustments might be needed.
In addition to curriculum and assessment topics, the group celebrated the potential for shared experiences and enrichment opportunities, including in-person “field trips” to sites like Columbia University’s particle accelerator. Educators expressed enthusiasm for learning from each other, sharing lessons learned from labs and teaching strategies, and developing best practices together in a supportive professional community.
Looking ahead, the Physics Teachers Working Group aims to continue fostering collaboration, exchanging classroom-tested ideas, and tackling challenges as a united community. Future meetings are expected to focus on lab successes, practical strategies for OpenSciEd, and innovative approaches to Regents preparation—all while keeping fun and curiosity at the heart of the group’s work.
Note: summaries are written with aid of AI text software