Teacher
of the Year makes physics fun
Wednesday, October 19, 2005 •
BY JOHN MOONEY • Star-Ledger
Staff
To see what makes Robert Goodman a
successful teacher, don't watch him at the head of the
class. It's better to watch -- and listen to -- his
students.
As the physics teacher at Bergen County
Technical High School bounded from his ninth-graders to his
white board and back again, 13-year-old Suchita Ghumwala
jotted down every "net applied force" and
m/s¯.
A table of girls worked through one
equation together. Frankie Bieniek's hand was in the air
from another table, ready for the next parry of questions.
And when Goodman announced it was time for the class to get
out their physics problems on Newton's Second and Third
Laws, the room actually cheered.
"He makes physics easy," said Frankie,
14.
Goodman yesterday was named as New
Jersey's Teacher of the Year for 2005-06, and although they
are not official judges in the statewide contest, his
students concurred with their judgments about "Mr.
Goodman."
Common were words like "nice" and
"personable." Others said he's always there for extra help,
and his sense of humor is a big plus. And, most of all, he
makes physics, well, understandable.
"When I took it over the summer, it was
really difficult," said Dale Yeng, 14. "But he makes it
simple. He's a good explainer."
Goodman, 51, won the annual award over 21
other finalists, representing each county and the state's
institutions. He was chosen for the top prize by acting
Education Commissioner Lucille Davy and will be feted by the
state board of education today.
"Robert Goodman is an innovative,
tireless teacher who is committed to his field and to the
students put in his charge," Davy said in a
statement.
Goodman came to teaching as a second
career, first working as an engineer and then corporate
executive in several large high-fidelity sound companies.
But he said he had an epiphany in his late 30s when he ran
across his old physics textbook.
"I realized I had forgotten the joy of
doing basic physics problems," he said.
Goodman started teaching a decade ago at
a school on Long Island, and then after a short stint back
in the private sector, the Ridgewood resident returned for
his master's degree and started teaching again in 1999 at
the Bergen County school in Teterboro.
The county-run school was transforming
from a special education school back to a more
career-centered school, and Goodman helped develop the
curriculum, including moving physics to the first year of
high school, rather than the last.
"My first impression was this was an
incredibly intelligent man with a lot of energy," said
Andrea Sheridan, the school's principal.
Goodman conceded it was a tough
transition in the beginning, not to mention a steep pay
cut.
"I was president of a $250 million
company with 1,000 employees," he said. "That's a different
world than being in a classroom and a 14-year-old tells you
you're an idiot in one form or another. Nobody ever does
that when you're president of a company."
But each year got easier, and he
continued to go to school himself to refine his new trade.
He builds his classes around a "social constructivist"
approach in which students build on their knowledge by
working with one another.
Goodman's prize comes with a six-month
paid sabbatical to pursue his interests and speak around the
state to other teachers and schools.
That's a mixed blessing for New Jersey's
latest Teacher of the Year. "I've told them even if I'm not
paid to teach, I'll come to teach anyway," he said. "I don't
want to leave the kids in a lurch."
John Mooney covers education. He may be reached at
jmooney@starledger.com, or (973) 392-1548.
© 2005 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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