Grad schools emphasizing teaching

[Polluxy]

Hello all,

I'm looking for advice from people in any physics/astronomy/astrophysics graduate program. If you're short on time, please feel free to skip to the last paragraph; I would really appreciate any help. I did my undergraduate degrees in physics and math, and if you don't mind me tooting my own horn a little, I did really well. I had no trouble getting into a top-tier physics grad school and I was pretty excited to take that well-beaten track "grad school-->postdoc(s)-->tenure track at R1". Then my life fell apart. I won't go into too much detail, but a combination of severe personal problems and the sheer workload proved to be too much, my motivation and passion dropped to zero, and I made a right mess of things.

Anyway, two years in I took my Masters and ran. I was seriously depressed. Physics is the only thing I've ever wanted to do with my life (seriously --- my parents have videos of my 3-year-old self), and suddenly I found myself in a deep hole with seemingly no way to climb back up. But then my undergrad institution called and offered me a short-term teaching position. And coming back to the place that helped shape and develop my career so far has clarified a few things for me: I don't want to be at an R1. I don't want to have the publish-or-perish mentality and I don't need to do foundational research to be happy. My true passion lies in teaching, in those formative moments when a spark lights up in someone's eyes, in helping people to understand the subject that I love.

So I'm ready to go back, to a different institution, and finish my Ph.D. I want to focus on schools with a small to medium-sized department, with strong collegiality, where undergraduates are encouraged to research early and graduate students get strong teaching experience in addition to their primary research. Do any of you know of such an institution or have first-hand recommendations? I'm putting together my preliminary list of places to apply and I would really appreciate any input on the subject.

Thanks!
Pollux

 

[eri]

The University of Wyoming isn't too hard to get into, and they have a strong physics education department. A few friends of mine graduated from there and loved it. U of Arizona also has a great physics education program, but they are much harder to get into.

 

[Lavabug]

Sounds like the College of William & Mary is exactly what you're looking for. They have the only physics phd program that puts explicit importance on gaining teaching experience I have seen. Word of mouth I've heard from a my senior adviser corroborates this.

 

[Polluxy]

Interesting. William and Mary and Arizona were schools I looked into when I applied the first time around, but didn't actually end up applying to. I'll have to give all three a closer look. Thanks to both of you!

 

[Matrix0]

I completely understand and support your decision to focus on graduate schools that emphasize teaching. In fact, I believe that teaching is just as important as research in the field of science. Not only does it allow us to share our knowledge and passion with others, but it also helps to shape and inspire the next generation of scientists. Your experience highlights the importance of finding a graduate program that aligns with your values and goals. I would recommend reaching out to current graduate students or alumni at different institutions to get a better understanding of their teaching opportunities and experiences. Also, don't be afraid to ask about the department's overall focus on teaching versus research. Good luck in your search and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!