My Approach for Honors & AP Students

If your child is a more advanced student, who is confident that they "know" the fundamental concepts,

• I can quickly determine if that is, in fact, the case. If not, I will address it in the manner described on the previous page (My Approach)

• When they do understand the fundamental concepts, I can help them to become more efficient and more accurate solving problems by...

  • teaching them to focus on the underlying fundamental Physics concepts  before  beginning to solve a problem.

High achieving students are used to relying on their logic and math skills to solve problems, which has worked very well for them until now. 

• Even within a single unit in advanced physics, students are expected to solve problems that rely on a diverse base of fundamental concepts.

• Memorizing a set of solution strategies for a familiar set of problems will certainly be helpful,

  • but will not always provide a quick and simple solution, or even a correct one. 

  • One slight change in the given information for a seemingly familiar problem can rule out the familiar solution strategy,

  • but it may not be apparent right away. Time will be wasted pursuing a strategy that will not work. 

  • Then the correct solution may possibly be arrived at (we are talking about gifted students after all) -or- the student gives up in frustration, or possibly due to time constraints. 

  • If a correct solution is arrived at, this a very time consuming way to get there - time that will be needed elsewhere on an test. 

I can help advanced students focus on the fundamental concepts at the outset so that they understand the set of strategies that are available before they spend any effort actually solving the problem.

• This will increase their speed and accuracy in problem solving, and lead directly to higher assessment scores in class, and higher AP test scores.

  • By practicing the evaluation of fundamental concepts prior to every problem, they are actually improving their understanding and facility with those fundamental concepts - rather than solely relying on their logic and math skills.

  • So they are learning Physics at a deeper level, which will result in higher achievement.

For the AP students

• Did you know that 15% to 33% of the credit for most problems on the AP-C Physics Test is awarded for

First,  correctly stating the underlying principle (that will lead to a successful solution)

(e.g. “Energy is Conserved”, or “F=ma” will give a student 1 out of a possible 4 to 6 pts.)

Second,  correctly placing the given information into the equation of that underlying principle

(which will give a student another 1 pt. out of a possible 4 to 6 pts.)

• • While some problems can be solved by reliance on two or even three fundamental concepts, the first step is identifying the BEST ONE to use, and then following through with a solution consistent with that concept.

    • Students will receive full credit for successfully solving the problem with any approved method, 

    • but it will cost them time if they don't identify the BEST method at the outset,

    • and it may result in errors if they choose a solution strategy that requires a more complex solution (length and complexity carry risk)

  • If your child is well practiced evaluating and solving problems based upon the fundamental concepts in Physics, 

    • they will very quickly be able to determine which concepts will underlie a successful solution, and, more importantly,

    • which solution strategy is the simplest and takes the least amount of time.

  • This will increase their speed and accuracy in problem solving, and lead directly to higher assessment scores in class, and higher AP test scores.

I have hundreds of officially graded AP Physics problems available to assist students in understanding how to maximize their score on the test, by determining the most efficient approach to each problem  before  beginning to solve it.

Degrees & Certificates:

B.A. from New York University with a double major in Physics and Computer Science

M.A. in Educational Administration and Supervision from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. 

NJ  K-8, HS Physics, Principal, and Supervisor certificates.

Give me a call today, or send me an email, and I would be happy to discuss an initial, exploratory meeting with you and your child.