They deserve the trip. In less than a week, Van Oast has squeezed free plane tickets from America West and enough pledges from local energy companies, the student council, the PTA, and other sources to finance the four-day capital visit. Finally, she has time to sit down and talk about professional development. But first she has a class to teach. It's late May, the weather's perfect, and the hormones are perking.
Teachers work in two-hour blocks at Newcomb.
Van Oast's class of 35 is half Anglo, the rest a mix of black, Hispanic, and Asian American kids. But Van Oast is about to demonstrate that a single teacher with the vocal control of a drill sargeant, the mental alertness of a talk show host, and the patience of a Buddhist monk can teach science to four dozen adolescents for 120 minutes on a summery day. Van Oast's classroom is filled with science projects and posters. Balancing scientific equations leads off today's activities. While most students earnestly bend over their task, Van Oast moves from one to another, offering tips and asking leading questions.