I knew I wanted to do something with physics. Every so often he would stay after school and go through a couple of things with me. In the sixth grade, my teacher knew I was bored with the science and math we were doing, and he actually went and got a high school physics book and gave it to me. VONDRACEK: As far back as I can remember, my parents would tell me that I would not stop asking questions about how things work. PT: How did you first get into physics? And what drew you to teaching? Physics Today's Toni Feder spoke by phone with Vondracek.
Today he continues to devote 60 to 70 hours a week to his students. In the process, though, he realized that he was more passionate about teaching than research. He worked on the Collider Detector at Fermilab. Vondracek earned his PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for work in experimental high-energy physics. Vondracek and the other finalists met in Dubai in March to discuss practices and policies to improve teaching globally. Launched by the UK-based Varkey Foundation, whose motto is "changing lives through education," the $1 million prize is intended to raise the status of teachers. In 2014 he was among 50 finalists in the inaugural year of the annual Global Teacher Prize. Vondracek's 21-year teaching career is studded with nearly two dozen awards. "I am convinced that we severely underestimate what teenagers are capable of." And if they get a paper sent out, great." The level of student projects is amazing, he says. The students work on these projects for fun. Many of his students have won recognition in the Intel Science Talent Search, math modeling contests, and other science and engineering competitions.īut Vondracek says the competitions are "just gravy. Vondracek's students at Evanston Township High School outside Chicago have built basswood bridges, taken part in research at nearby Northwestern University, and analyzed data on exoplanets. Credit: Office of STEM Education Partnerships, Northwestern University
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