My bio

My name is Mr. Knockel, and you can call me Mr. Knockel! But the cool kids call me Doc Knock.

When I'm not sharing my passion for and knowledge of physics and science, I can be found wandering the Sandias, Manzanos, etc. in search of an adventure. In reality, I am most often found watching Netflix, eating gummy bears, playing around with computers, or relaxing at local hangouts.

If you are interested in electronics, robots, computers, or any STEM things, let me know! I enjoy facilitating a STEM Club! Everyone is welcome!

My Teaching Philosophy

Teaching has two parts: connecting with students and connecting with the material. When the two parts combine, true teaching results.

I enjoy building a rapport with students. Asking questions, making jokes, always being positive, always being helpful, and working for them are crucial. You have to know your audience/team when teaching! I have always been naturally good at knowing how other people might be thinking about complicated ideas such as those in physics, so I treat my audience/team of students with respect and understanding. Students need guidance to explore and make mistakes rather than just copying me. A skill I have recently learned is how to keep the wandering minds of high school students on task by having a structured classroom, keeping them always busy with respectful meaningful tasks, and giving immediate direct instruction to those who are losing interest (perhaps due to their confusion). My job would be meaningless without being regularly inspired by my great students!

I love physics. I breathe it. I am passionate about it. I am curious about it because physics lets us understand how the world works! I loved all levels of physics in college, but, while I did very well in grad school, I was bored by the graduate level physics because what I really enjoy is the fundamentals. I want to share the fundamentals by teaching! Loving physics makes me a better teacher because I can embody the material, can know which parts to focus on, can answer questions, and I know which orders of teaching material work and which do not.