The physics department at Jefferson is entering a new phase, marked by a merger between traditional and fresh approaches. With long-standing faculty members continuing to guide the program and new teachers joining the department alongside innovative new procedures, the department holds a promising and bright future for students and educators.
Sheila Condino is the newest addition to the department, bringing over 32 years of experience with her. Condino started as a teacher in the Philippines as a university professor, moving to the United States in 2002. She continued in Texas at the high school level for 13 years before moving to Northern Virginia where she taught Advanced Placement (AP) Physics at Oakton High School for seven years.
“I am very passionate about physics,” Condino said. “I love it so much and I have so much in my head that I want to share with students. Because I’m very passionate about physics, I want to make it enjoyable for students. Physics is so beautiful—so, so beautiful.”
Condino’s first encounter with Jefferson occurred when she was a sponsor at the student rocketry program at a school in Texas, competing against Jefferson.
“I told myself, if I leave Texas, there’s no other school to go to, and that’s Thomas Jefferson,” Condino said.
Typically, AP Physics C is split into two year-long courses: AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. However, at Jefferson, the two courses are combined into one rigorous year-long course covering the subjects of both courses in half the time. As Condino transitions into the quicker pace of Jefferson’s AP Physics C program, she said she is impressed by the ability of her students.
“Amazingly, the kids are picking it up so fast,” Condino said. “[They] are the best in the country. I told myself that if I retire, I want to ensure I retire from TJ.”
On the other hand, Dr. Adam Smith, who has been with the Jefferson department for 14 years, is the longest-standing teacher in the physics department. Smith has seen Jefferson’s physics program change firsthand.
“I was not just new to TJ, but I was new to teaching physics. So, I’ve learned a lot since then,” Smith said.
Over the years, Smith has grown into a mentor for incoming teachers, helping them navigate the unique environment of Jefferson.
“The teachers we’ve gotten new in the last couple of years have had teaching experience elsewhere,” Smith said. “I’ve mostly helped them acclimate to TJ and understand the TJ population,” he explains. “They don’t know everything about TJ. They don’t know everything about our students, so I’m helping them get acclimated to what it’s like here.”
He said that while the core material taught in physics hasn’t drastically changed, the teaching methodologies have evolved, especially with the influx of new teachers.
“There’s a lot more class participation type activities,” Smith said. “A lot of the new teachers have more group work and structure and stuff like that than a lot of the older teachers do.”
Despite his preference for a more lecture-based style, he sees great value in these new methods.
“I feel like often students respond well to group-oriented activities, but it depends on the student. Some do, some don’t,” Smith said. “I’ve also had people say that they like my way of doing it, which is a little more lecture-oriented. I think it’s really just down to the individual student.”
Adjusting to these changes, however, isn’t something that happens overnight.
“I wouldn’t mind if there was a little less change than there has been over the last two years,” Smith said.. “New ideas are always good. I think that the teachers we have are very good at taking what was good about what we used to do and merging that with new ideas.” Looking into the future, Smith believes in the department’s continuous growth.
“I think we can always improve,” he said, echoing a sentiment shared by his colleague.
“The only thing that’s constant is change,” Condino continues, “and in the future, I’d like to be part of that change for the better.”