Teacher Spotlight: Dr. McKale
A favorite in the physics department because of his undeniably great personality, Dr. McKale is in the teacher spotlight this week. Zaid Badiger (contributor and Co-Editor) learns more about Dr. McKale in te interview below.
Pixel Journal: How did you decide to become a teacher?
Dr. McKale: The simple answer is that it was a result of talking to various mentors and the EnCorps STEM Teachers Program.
PJ: Why did you decide to teach at OHS?
DM: I had connections from many years ago to the Pat Suppes from my days at Computer Curriculum Corporation. In the summer of 2011, there was an opening because Raphey Holmes decided to take time off to go back to school. At first, I was hesitant because I thought it would be rich pampered smart kids who didn't really need me. All the recruiting videos about becoming a teacher were aimed at recruiting for at-risk schools. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWLKvRylNQc. I had just spent a year student teaching at Independence High School in San Jose. The OHS did not have a similar video but it did have an immediate need and I figured I could go back to the public schools if the OHS wasn't a good fit. What I have learned is that the OHS students need teachers who can teach at their level too.
PJ: Why did you decide to teach physics specifically? What most interests you about the subject?
DM: My background is as a solid state computational physicist. I was fortunate enough to do very significant work as a grad student, ride the wave of high temperature superconductors, and then follow my advisor into Silicon Valley and high tech. My attitudes about physics were colored by these experiences. I am much more interested in small science than big science. I see papers with 600 authors in high energy/particle physics. When I was working on high temperature superconductors we had a dozen authors. I like to work on small teams. It is still possible for very small groups to do significant science. I also love how easy it is to get into areas that are curiouser and curiouser as one explores them but which are still hard science in their rigor and reproducibility. Unlike many subjects, when I tell people that I teach physics, I can see the fear in their eyes as they back away.
PJ: What does your life look like outside of school?
DM: Becoming a teacher has changed my life outside. I used to be a voracious reader. I used to have a dog. I am still actively involved with live theater and concerts. I still manage to see between 40-50 plays a year.
PJ: What are your favorite books and movies?
DM: These things change with time. When I was a teenager, I was big into science fiction and even wrote a zine for many years. In college, I got into mysteries. I even owned part of a magazine devoted to them, The Drood Review of Mystery. Favorite band of all time is the Boomtown Rats. Favorite poem, The Revenant by Billy Collins. The one movie that I have seen most often is Rocky Horror which, along with La Cage aux Folles (in the original French subtitled), had a big influence on my view of the world.
Now I tend to read a lot more physics and education books. For example, I have been recommending to students and parents "Frank Bruni's"Where You Go is Not Who You Will Be."
PJ: If you could give one piece of advice to OHS students, what would it be?
DM: Be flexible, take chances, and sleep.
PJ: What is up with your grad students?
DM: Stanford has some great grad students.
PJ: What is the funniest thing that has happened in your class?
DM: Depends on your point of view. Parents tend to be the most common source of humor. Especially when they try to help off camera and are giving students wrong answers. I know of one family who watched OHS recordings MST3K style, including popcorn. I didn't see their results but just the image of that as the "school of the future" is great.
Edited for length and clarity.