The Great Santini
@fisicahulk.bsky.social
Previously: US Army (25 years active duty)
Currently: High School Physics T
Committed user of the Oxford comma, double spacing, and semicolons.
Peace!
Currently: High School Physics T
Committed user of the Oxford comma, double spacing, and semicolons.
Peace!
Turkey trot! Let’s gooooo!
November 26, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Turkey trot! Let’s gooooo!
I love my school, but my leaders are all in on AI (really not sure of the driver). We’ve had three PDs on AI this year, and I’ve yet to find an honest use for it.🫤
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
I love my school, but my leaders are all in on AI (really not sure of the driver). We’ve had three PDs on AI this year, and I’ve yet to find an honest use for it.🫤
Nothing to see here. He’s been pardoning turkeys all year.🫤
November 25, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Nothing to see here. He’s been pardoning turkeys all year.🫤
I tell my students that understanding momentum can save your life (why airbags, why seat belts, etc.).
They remember years later.
Good stuff, Sir.😎
They remember years later.
Good stuff, Sir.😎
November 25, 2025 at 11:31 AM
I tell my students that understanding momentum can save your life (why airbags, why seat belts, etc.).
They remember years later.
Good stuff, Sir.😎
They remember years later.
Good stuff, Sir.😎
His mind is still trapped in middle school.🫤
November 24, 2025 at 6:53 PM
His mind is still trapped in middle school.🫤
It’s a superb book, Sir. I still have mine from grad school sitting on my reference shelf.😎
November 24, 2025 at 6:51 PM
It’s a superb book, Sir. I still have mine from grad school sitting on my reference shelf.😎
No, you cannot.
You’re not a restaurant, you’re a host.
If you want someone to bring something, fine. You could even do a stone soup thing.
Peace!
You’re not a restaurant, you’re a host.
If you want someone to bring something, fine. You could even do a stone soup thing.
Peace!
November 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
No, you cannot.
You’re not a restaurant, you’re a host.
If you want someone to bring something, fine. You could even do a stone soup thing.
Peace!
You’re not a restaurant, you’re a host.
If you want someone to bring something, fine. You could even do a stone soup thing.
Peace!
I tell all that will listen: yes, military health care really is socialized medicine. We - and our families- were well cared for, and I can bet it was a LOT more cost-effective than the civilian world now.
Were there some individual issues? Sure, but in the aggregate it was good stuff.
Peace!
Were there some individual issues? Sure, but in the aggregate it was good stuff.
Peace!
November 24, 2025 at 11:55 AM
I tell all that will listen: yes, military health care really is socialized medicine. We - and our families- were well cared for, and I can bet it was a LOT more cost-effective than the civilian world now.
Were there some individual issues? Sure, but in the aggregate it was good stuff.
Peace!
Were there some individual issues? Sure, but in the aggregate it was good stuff.
Peace!
We - the royal we - HS Ts and admins - totally own this.
Rampant grade inflation and refusing to challenge students in order to boost GPAs has led us here.
Some of us continue to hold the line, but there’s not many of us left.
I really don’t know how any college can take HS GPAs seriously.🫤
Rampant grade inflation and refusing to challenge students in order to boost GPAs has led us here.
Some of us continue to hold the line, but there’s not many of us left.
I really don’t know how any college can take HS GPAs seriously.🫤
November 24, 2025 at 11:49 AM
We - the royal we - HS Ts and admins - totally own this.
Rampant grade inflation and refusing to challenge students in order to boost GPAs has led us here.
Some of us continue to hold the line, but there’s not many of us left.
I really don’t know how any college can take HS GPAs seriously.🫤
Rampant grade inflation and refusing to challenge students in order to boost GPAs has led us here.
Some of us continue to hold the line, but there’s not many of us left.
I really don’t know how any college can take HS GPAs seriously.🫤
You remain a legend, Sir - good stuff you’re doing.😎
Much respect for: “One of the main reasons our books have been successful is because they’ve been written by practitioners, and I’m no longer one.”
Agreed.
My view: when you’re out of the fight, one becomes nostalgic vs practical.
Peace!
Much respect for: “One of the main reasons our books have been successful is because they’ve been written by practitioners, and I’m no longer one.”
Agreed.
My view: when you’re out of the fight, one becomes nostalgic vs practical.
Peace!
November 24, 2025 at 11:41 AM
You remain a legend, Sir - good stuff you’re doing.😎
Much respect for: “One of the main reasons our books have been successful is because they’ve been written by practitioners, and I’m no longer one.”
Agreed.
My view: when you’re out of the fight, one becomes nostalgic vs practical.
Peace!
Much respect for: “One of the main reasons our books have been successful is because they’ve been written by practitioners, and I’m no longer one.”
Agreed.
My view: when you’re out of the fight, one becomes nostalgic vs practical.
Peace!
Sadly, this is the method used to “teach” math in many classes.
1. Learn the algorithm.
2. Repeat the pattern multiple times so it’s memorized.
3. Move on.
🫤
1. Learn the algorithm.
2. Repeat the pattern multiple times so it’s memorized.
3. Move on.
🫤
November 23, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Sadly, this is the method used to “teach” math in many classes.
1. Learn the algorithm.
2. Repeat the pattern multiple times so it’s memorized.
3. Move on.
🫤
1. Learn the algorithm.
2. Repeat the pattern multiple times so it’s memorized.
3. Move on.
🫤
2. Colleges let HS know they sent unprepared students.
HS lives in absolute fear they’ll be called out and their applications not taken seriously.
Because of grade inflation, SAT tutors / super scoring, all recognize admissions are now arbitrary. Being on a list of “bad” schools strikes fear.
HS lives in absolute fear they’ll be called out and their applications not taken seriously.
Because of grade inflation, SAT tutors / super scoring, all recognize admissions are now arbitrary. Being on a list of “bad” schools strikes fear.
November 23, 2025 at 10:53 AM
2. Colleges let HS know they sent unprepared students.
HS lives in absolute fear they’ll be called out and their applications not taken seriously.
Because of grade inflation, SAT tutors / super scoring, all recognize admissions are now arbitrary. Being on a list of “bad” schools strikes fear.
HS lives in absolute fear they’ll be called out and their applications not taken seriously.
Because of grade inflation, SAT tutors / super scoring, all recognize admissions are now arbitrary. Being on a list of “bad” schools strikes fear.
What is to be done:
1. Colleges demand class ranking with GPAs when students apply. When a student has a 4.30 gpa and is #95 in the class you get a measure of the inflation. (many HS no longer do this because they’d know be revealed).
1. Colleges demand class ranking with GPAs when students apply. When a student has a 4.30 gpa and is #95 in the class you get a measure of the inflation. (many HS no longer do this because they’d know be revealed).
November 23, 2025 at 10:48 AM
What is to be done:
1. Colleges demand class ranking with GPAs when students apply. When a student has a 4.30 gpa and is #95 in the class you get a measure of the inflation. (many HS no longer do this because they’d know be revealed).
1. Colleges demand class ranking with GPAs when students apply. When a student has a 4.30 gpa and is #95 in the class you get a measure of the inflation. (many HS no longer do this because they’d know be revealed).
I straight up tell my many students they have been lied to (I teach HS physics).
I really don’t know how any admissions officer can trust any school’s gpa.
I’ve been holding the line, but - alas! - my enrollment has dropped 40% from just last year.🫤
I really don’t know how any admissions officer can trust any school’s gpa.
I’ve been holding the line, but - alas! - my enrollment has dropped 40% from just last year.🫤
November 23, 2025 at 10:44 AM
I straight up tell my many students they have been lied to (I teach HS physics).
I really don’t know how any admissions officer can trust any school’s gpa.
I’ve been holding the line, but - alas! - my enrollment has dropped 40% from just last year.🫤
I really don’t know how any admissions officer can trust any school’s gpa.
I’ve been holding the line, but - alas! - my enrollment has dropped 40% from just last year.🫤
“Plus this, minus that.”
November 22, 2025 at 8:56 PM
“Plus this, minus that.”
From discussions at this summer’s AAPT, many (most) students are apparently using AI for their graded HW anyway…and that is also obvious on cumulative assessments when they crash and burn.🫤
November 22, 2025 at 6:53 PM
From discussions at this summer’s AAPT, many (most) students are apparently using AI for their graded HW anyway…and that is also obvious on cumulative assessments when they crash and burn.🫤
I do low stake quizzes twice a week in each of my courses to lock in skills (~5 min)
I do not collect HW for “points.” The incentive for my students is if they don’t work through the practice that will show up on their unit assessments. Haven’t collected HW for 13 years.
I do not collect HW for “points.” The incentive for my students is if they don’t work through the practice that will show up on their unit assessments. Haven’t collected HW for 13 years.
November 22, 2025 at 6:51 PM
I do low stake quizzes twice a week in each of my courses to lock in skills (~5 min)
I do not collect HW for “points.” The incentive for my students is if they don’t work through the practice that will show up on their unit assessments. Haven’t collected HW for 13 years.
I do not collect HW for “points.” The incentive for my students is if they don’t work through the practice that will show up on their unit assessments. Haven’t collected HW for 13 years.
Our class mascot is a spherical cow toy named mu…because that’s the sound cows make.😎
She even has a name tag mu.😉
She even has a name tag mu.😉
November 22, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Our class mascot is a spherical cow toy named mu…because that’s the sound cows make.😎
She even has a name tag mu.😉
She even has a name tag mu.😉
Nicely done.😎
My students (HS physics) have no knowledge of Sagan, but I feel compelled to introduce him when I can (Voyager record, etc.)
I do a lesson on pseudoscience right before Christmas break, and we take on flat earth beginnings with his clip on Eratosthenes.
Peace!
My students (HS physics) have no knowledge of Sagan, but I feel compelled to introduce him when I can (Voyager record, etc.)
I do a lesson on pseudoscience right before Christmas break, and we take on flat earth beginnings with his clip on Eratosthenes.
Peace!
November 22, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Nicely done.😎
My students (HS physics) have no knowledge of Sagan, but I feel compelled to introduce him when I can (Voyager record, etc.)
I do a lesson on pseudoscience right before Christmas break, and we take on flat earth beginnings with his clip on Eratosthenes.
Peace!
My students (HS physics) have no knowledge of Sagan, but I feel compelled to introduce him when I can (Voyager record, etc.)
I do a lesson on pseudoscience right before Christmas break, and we take on flat earth beginnings with his clip on Eratosthenes.
Peace!
Many of us are fighting the good fight to maintain high expectations.🫡
(but a HUGE push to remove almost any stress from HS in many cases as well)
(but a HUGE push to remove almost any stress from HS in many cases as well)
November 21, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Many of us are fighting the good fight to maintain high expectations.🫡
(but a HUGE push to remove almost any stress from HS in many cases as well)
(but a HUGE push to remove almost any stress from HS in many cases as well)
The money quote:
“Or maybe students have stopped achieving in math because schools have stopped demanding it of them.”
I have seen things, friends. Shocking things.😳
(I maintain a personal hall of fame of egregiously badly done mathematics)
“Or maybe students have stopped achieving in math because schools have stopped demanding it of them.”
I have seen things, friends. Shocking things.😳
(I maintain a personal hall of fame of egregiously badly done mathematics)
November 21, 2025 at 11:22 AM
The money quote:
“Or maybe students have stopped achieving in math because schools have stopped demanding it of them.”
I have seen things, friends. Shocking things.😳
(I maintain a personal hall of fame of egregiously badly done mathematics)
“Or maybe students have stopped achieving in math because schools have stopped demanding it of them.”
I have seen things, friends. Shocking things.😳
(I maintain a personal hall of fame of egregiously badly done mathematics)
We certainly have issues in HS as well.
Many Ts feel compelled to skew grades in response to (mostly) parent pressure for high grades. Many Ts are bullied into this.🫤
Some of us met w/our school leader yesterday & she recommended this book on the culture:
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-enou...
Many Ts feel compelled to skew grades in response to (mostly) parent pressure for high grades. Many Ts are bullied into this.🫤
Some of us met w/our school leader yesterday & she recommended this book on the culture:
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-enou...
Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic-and What We Can Do About It|Hardcover
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The definitive book on the rise of “toxic achievement culture” overtaking our kids' and parents' lives, and a new framework for fighting backIn the eve...
www.barnesandnoble.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:39 AM
We certainly have issues in HS as well.
Many Ts feel compelled to skew grades in response to (mostly) parent pressure for high grades. Many Ts are bullied into this.🫤
Some of us met w/our school leader yesterday & she recommended this book on the culture:
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-enou...
Many Ts feel compelled to skew grades in response to (mostly) parent pressure for high grades. Many Ts are bullied into this.🫤
Some of us met w/our school leader yesterday & she recommended this book on the culture:
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-enou...
Absolutely something going on with our younger HS students.
I don’t think it’s post covid effects directly.
Personally, I think we’ve neglected some important skill building for younger students (Elem, MS), and we’re seeing it play out badly in HS.🤔
I don’t think it’s post covid effects directly.
Personally, I think we’ve neglected some important skill building for younger students (Elem, MS), and we’re seeing it play out badly in HS.🤔
November 21, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Absolutely something going on with our younger HS students.
I don’t think it’s post covid effects directly.
Personally, I think we’ve neglected some important skill building for younger students (Elem, MS), and we’re seeing it play out badly in HS.🤔
I don’t think it’s post covid effects directly.
Personally, I think we’ve neglected some important skill building for younger students (Elem, MS), and we’re seeing it play out badly in HS.🤔