Like thousands of teachers throughout Illinois, veteran St. Joseph-Ogden science teacher Robert Glazier is enriching young minds in an environment they never imagined.
Glazier, who retired two years ago after a 30 year teaching career at SJO, is teaching two physics classes from his home via video conferencing software. When he began teaching 35 years ago the internet, formally referred to as the world wide web, did not exist. Now he using it as he primarily tool to communicate with students in a virtual classroom.
The Sentinel caught with one of the student body's favorite teachers and observing strict social distancing fired off five questions with the help of Twitter to get a snapshot on how home teaching was going for long time assistant Spartan football coach.
Sentinel: Is this the first time you have taught classes via the internet? Glazier: Yes.
Sentinel: Is it easier or harder to teach high school physics via video/web communications software? Glazier: Much harder. Physics is a lab class and requires demonstrations, labs and etc. Plus, I enjoy the interaction with students as I lecture. That doesn’t happen as well on line.
Sentinel: I totally forgot about physic lab experiments. How have you been handling those in the new e-classroom environment? Glazier: Honestly, I haven’t. This is all very new to me. I told the kids when this started, we will learn together this way. We will get through it though.
Sentinel: In numerous Spartan Spotlights students have mentioned your name as one of their favorite high school teachers. It seems you genuinely care about your students and seeing them succeed. What do you enjoy about teaching? Glazier: The interaction with them is always fun. They have fresh ideas. New ways of looking at things. I just enjoy being around them.
Sentinel: Hypothetically, if students have to return to the e-learning environment for classes this fall, and now that you have more experience under your belt, what would you change to enhance their education? Glazier: Find more YouTube videos to help with the lectures and lack of labs.
Sentinel: Is this the first time you have taught classes via the internet? Glazier: Yes.
Sentinel: Is it easier or harder to teach high school physics via video/web communications software? Glazier: Much harder. Physics is a lab class and requires demonstrations, labs and etc. Plus, I enjoy the interaction with students as I lecture. That doesn’t happen as well on line.
Sentinel: I totally forgot about physic lab experiments. How have you been handling those in the new e-classroom environment? Glazier: Honestly, I haven’t. This is all very new to me. I told the kids when this started, we will learn together this way. We will get through it though.
Sentinel: In numerous Spartan Spotlights students have mentioned your name as one of their favorite high school teachers. It seems you genuinely care about your students and seeing them succeed. What do you enjoy about teaching? Glazier: The interaction with them is always fun. They have fresh ideas. New ways of looking at things. I just enjoy being around them.
Sentinel: Hypothetically, if students have to return to the e-learning environment for classes this fall, and now that you have more experience under your belt, what would you change to enhance their education? Glazier: Find more YouTube videos to help with the lectures and lack of labs.
