JU Physics alum begins teaching at Georgia Southern University

Congratulations to JU Physics alum Ashley August, who recently graduated with her Master of Science in Teaching at the University of Florida and is beginning a new job teaching physics at Georgia Southern University!

Many in the JU community will remember August as a member of JU's volleyball team and an exciting presence in the classroom. Now, she is looking forward to sharing that excitement with over 170 students at GSU this fall.

August says that she first became interested in teaching when she was a student in second grade and her teacher directed the class in a common exercise: Students exchanging papers to grade. "I don't know what happened," August says, "I just got so excited. I love grading papers." She later found an interest in physics, and found the two passions combine in a call to teach physics.

We asked August what she learned in her MST program that she plans to put to use at GSU. She says she learned that "if I didn't know something, which happened more often than not, I found that I was capable of learning on my own. I knew that before, but this was at a whole new level." She describes this new confidence as "quite a valuable lesson" that she plans to pass on to her students.

August also learned a great deal about teaching based on students' learning needs. "Everybody comes from a different background [with] different skills," she says. "It can affect a student... I think at GSU, it's going to be my job to be observant of my students and be willing to accommodate the learning style that each of them has."

We also asked August what she learned at JU that has been most helpful to her and that she plans to pass on to her students. She says she learned that one does not have to teach the same way every time: "There are no limits in the classroom... Being adventurous is a good thing because students see that it's new as well and get excited."

Through her interactions with JU professors outside the classroom, August also learned that "Teachers are people too... When you had us in office hours, it was like you still had that authority, but you became almost like a student and were welcoming and kind and wanted us to ask questions." From this experience, August says she wants students to understand that there are things that happen outside the classroom that affect one's academic performance.

Finally, August learned at JU that, when teaching, it's important to be oneself. "I need to be okay with learning what my teaching style is... and try to have some fun!" She says that, in doing so, teachers will "inspire and motivate in any way that we can."

We thank Ashley for talking with us about this next adventure and wish her the best!

Welcome! About Phys dot JU...

Welcome to Phys dot JU! The purpose of this blog is tied to the twofold meaning of its name: 

First, the "dot" connotes a Web presence, as it has for a few decades now. This blog represents the Web presence of the JU Physics Department. We use this space to discuss class topics, announce department events, and share news about our faculty & alumni.

Second, to physicists (and mathematicians, engineers, etc.), "dot" also references the dot product (AKA scalar product) between two vectors. The dot product is an extremely useful tool, as it shows you how much two vectors overlap (or, "how alike they are"). (It's so useful, quantum mechanics extends it to infinite-dimensional vectors and even functions!) This blog is also a venue for our physics faculty and students to explore the overlap between their studies at JU and research & news from the broader physics community.

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