Instructor Qualifications for PHYS 1101W

The qualifications listed below reflect the minimum qualifications a high school instructor must meet before applying to teach the UMN course PHYS 1101W: Introductory College Physics.

Licensure

CIS instructors must have a valid Minnesota teaching license or an approved alternative

Experience and proficiencies (all required)

• Five years of experience teaching physics through inquiry and traditional scientific methods
• At least three years teaching advanced courses
• Evidence of teaching with current accepted best practices
• Evidence of currency/proficiency in physics

Demonstration of advanced, relevant content knowledge (select one)

1. Graduate degree in the field(s) of physics, chemistry, or engineering
2. Graduate degree in any field plus 18 graduate credit hours in field(s) of physics, chemistry, engineering, or science education
3. Graduate degree in any field plus six equivalent experience from options A through O, below
4. A bachelor's degree in physics or a related field such as engineering that includes coursework equivalent to or beyond the UMN’s BS in physics major requirements, plus nine equivalent experience from options A through O, below

Description of Equivalent Experience Options (only required if #3 or #4 is selected above)

A: Graduate credits in physics, chemistry or engineering

Credits need not have been taken as part of a graduate degree program.

• Three semester-length credits is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to nine times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of relevant graduate coursework. For each course include the title, where taken, and number of credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

B: Graduate credits in the field of mathematics

Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, Differential Geometry, Functional Analysis, Complex Analysis, Group Theory, Fourier Analysis, or Differential Equations. These need not have been taken as part of a graduate degree program.

• Three semester-length credits is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list relevant graduate coursework. For each course include the title, where taken, and credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

C: Graduate credits in the field of science education

These need not have been taken as part of a graduate degree program.

• Three semester-length credits is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list relevant graduate coursework. For each course include the title, where taken, and credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

D: Professional development workshops in the discipline

Specifically, this may include discipline-specific Advanced Placement trainings, International Baccalaureate workshops, Minnesota Writing Project institutes, Bakken Library summer study, Research Experience for Teachers (RET), “Modeling Physics” training workshops, AAPT meetings, or other relevant workshops, trainings, conferences, or seminars.

• 45 hours of professional development is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to six times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of each professional development workshop, the sponsoring group or organization, and total hours. Refer to Faculty Guiding Questions #1: Discipline-specific professional development.

E: Published textbook, journal article or essay

May include similar scholarly or creative work in the field of physics or physics education.

• Each publication is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe the significance of the work, particularly as it applies to the topics covered in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. Include a link to the publication or provide, with your application, an abstract or copy that lists your authorship.

F: Experience requiring regular use of physics

Includes performance of professional responsibilities such as judging science fairs or teaching modeling workshops. May include paid employment or volunteer work.

• Each year is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your experiences using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field.

G: Fellowships or awards for teaching physics

This includes recognition of high school or undergraduate teaching from school, district, state, regional, national, or international organizations.

• Each award is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your awards using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #8: Receiving an award or other recognition.

H: Participation in nationally normed assessment activity

This entails work related to physics such as Advanced Placement test grading, or serving as a National Board Certification assessor in science.

• Each year of participation is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your participation using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #10: Participation in a nationally normed assessment activity related to the field.

I: National Board Certification in Science at the Adolescent and Young Adulthood level

• Include a copy of your certification letter or certificate with your application
• Fulfills one option

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your certification using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #11: National Board Certification.

J: Years of successful and effective teaching experience in a course leading to undergraduate credit

These should be physics courses, including dual credit, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or teaching undergraduates on a college or university campus.

• Five years of teaching is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your teaching experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #3: Teaching of a course leading to undergraduate credit for students.

K: Scoring above the 50th percentile on the GRE Subject Test for Physics

• Other subject matter tests relevant to physics may also be considered
• Can be applied once

As part of your description, discuss the significance of the test, indicate the date taken and where taken. Provide documentation, such as a certificate or letter with your score.

L: Active participation in a professional physics or engineering organization

Specifically may include organizations such as QuarkNET, Project Lead the Way, AAPT, or PhysTEC.

• Each year of service is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

As part of your description, respond to Faculty Guiding Questions, #4: Discipline-specific leadership role.

M: Presentations at relevant conferences

These may include local, state, regional, or national workshops or conferences such as the American Association of Physics Teachers meeting.

• Each presentation on a distinct topic is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe presentations using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #5: Presentations.

N: Serve as a content or pedagogy trainer or coach, or student teacher supervisor

To apply this option, physics or related content must be embedded in pedagogy.

• Each year in role is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe roles using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field or to #7: Student teacher supervisor.

O: Field test or review curriculum

This may include working for a publisher or serving on a textbook review and selection committee for a postsecondary or secondary institution.

• Each distinct project is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe roles and responsibilities using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #12: Field test, review or edit curriculum for publisher or #13: Serve on a textbook selection committee for a secondary or postsecondary institution.