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Dan
Burns
Workshop Leader
Los Gatos HS (retired)
PASCO Scientific and LLNL
 Dan
has been teaching high school
physics since 1992. He has been a
member, officer, and contributor
with NCNAAPT. He works with the
SETI Institute, USGS, AAPT, SJSU,
and serves as the Faculty Scholar
at the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory. Recently,
Dan has accepted a position with
PASCO Scientific as their new
Physics and Physical Science
Curriculum and Training
Developer.
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Tom
Shefler
Workshop Leader
Granada HS,
Livermore
 Tom
teaches physics, math,
engineering, and astronomy at
Granada High School in Livermore.
He has a physics degree from
Western Michigan University and a
Masters in astronomy from Cal.
While working on his Masters, Tom
discovered Supernova 1998DT. Tom
works as a Faculty Scholar at
LLNL where he helps conduct the
Fusion/Astrophysics Teacher
Research Academy and the popular
Science on Saturday
program.
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Dave
Rakestraw
Workshop Leader
Photo and bio coming
soon.
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Robert
Kathan
Outreach Coordinator
Photo and bio coming
soon.
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 PTSOS
is made possible by a grant from
The Karl L. Brown Memorial
Scholarship Fund.
*Food, beverages, and snacks are
provided by a grant from
Bernard Cleyet.
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Join
the PTSOS
Group
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Get
the latest announcements and
updates on PTSOS! For more
information email
Abigail Plemmons:
PTSOSrocks@gmail.com
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PTSOS
is brought to you by The Northern
California and Nevada Section of
The American Association of
Physics Teachers.
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Photos
of Past
Workshops
PTSOS
Workshop
1/31/09
PTSOS
Workshop 1/22/11
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PTSOS
is a free
workshop and
support program
for new high
school and
middle school
physics
teachers in
Northern
California. We
offer 3 all-day
Saturday
workshops
during the
school year. In
addition to
learning about
the details of
the craft of
physics
teaching from
experienced
teachers,
participants
receive a
continental
breakfast,
lunch, and
physics
equipment for
use in their
own classrooms.
The PTSOS
program is
recognized as
one of the most
effective
programs for
training and
retaining new
physics
teachers.
Welcome!
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This
is
our
22nd
year
of
PTSOS
workshops
sponsored
by
the
Karl
Brown
Memorial
Fund!
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posted
2/22/2026
PHYSICS
ROCKS!
PTSOS
Workshop
#3
SIGNUPS
OPEN
The
THIRD
New
Teacher
Workshop
of
the
2025-26
school
year
will
be:
Saturday,
March
21,
2026
9:00
am
-
4:30
pm
Granada
High
School
400
Wall
Street
Livermore,
CA
94550
-
map
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Hi,
folks!
This
workshop
will
focus
on
thermo,
waves,
sound,
light,
and
E/M.
We'll
show
demonstrations,
talk
about
labs,
discuss
different
teaching
styles,
and
generally
celebrate
how
much
fun it
is to
teach
physics.
We
cannot
WAIT
to see
all of
you!
There
are
limited
seats
available,
so
sign
up
before
it
gets
filled
up!
If you
have
colleagues
and
friends
who
might
be
interested,
feel
free
to
share
this
information.
The
workshop
is
free,
thanks
to our
main
benefactor,
the
Karl
Brown
family.
We
have
continental
breakfast
and an
on-site
lunch.
If you
want
to
come
but
aren't
sure
you
can
make
it,
please
sign
up
early
and
then
let us
know
for
sure
later.
That
makes
logistics
a
little
easier
on our
end.
Please
follow
the
link
below
and
fill
in
your
registration
information.
Registration
will
prioritize
early
career
teachers
and
those
who
have
not
attended
this
Workshop
before.
It's
good
to
register
early
but
it's
also
important
to
cancel
your
registration
if you
can't
come
(we
get
very
cranky
when
we
leave
people
on a
waiting
list
and
then
some
people
don't
show
up).
We are
thrilled
for
you to
join
us
whether
you
are
currently
teaching
physics,
planning
to
teach
physics
in the
future,
student
teaching,
or
looking
for a
physics
teaching
position.
Do you
like
to
teach
physics?
We
like
to
teach
physics!
Let's
hang
out
and
talk
about
teaching
physics.
Link
to
Register
After
you
have
filled
out
this
form,
you
should
receive
confirmation
of
your
place
on the
list
(either
signed
up or
waitlisted)
within
a
week.
If you
do not
hear
back
after
a bit,
please
email
Robert
Kathan
at
this
email
address
(PTSOSrocks@gmail.com)
to
check
that
your
registration
went
through
before
you
try to
register
again.
If
you
have
attended
any
workshop
before
and
your
information
has
not
changed,
you
will
not
have
to put
in
your
contact
information
again.
If you
have
attended
this
particular
PTSOS
workshop
(Workshop
#3)
before,
you
should
register
"Repeat
Attender."
Repeat
Attenders
are
last
in
line
for
goodies
but
get
all
the
fun,
food,
and
shop-talk
they
can
handle.
Location:
Granada
High
School
400
Wall
St.
Livermore,
CA
94550
(Approximate)
Schedule:
8:30-9:00*_Doughnuts,
coffee,
name
tags,
and
socializing
9:00-12:00_Demonstrations
and
discussion
12:00-1:00_Lunch
(provided
on
site)
1:00-4:30_More
demonstrations
and
discussion
*If
you
arrive
before
8:30,
you
might
be
asked
to
help
carry
things
and
get
things
set
up.
Registration
Fees??
Don't
be
silly.
Thanks
to the
generosity
of the
Karl
Brown
Foundation
and
other
donors,
this
workshop
is
totally
free,
including
breakfast
and
lunch!
Food
Issues
_A hot
breakfast
and
light
continental
items
will
be
provided.
_A
sandwich
from
Togo's
and
chips
will
be
provided.
_We do
not
have
vegan
items,
but we
do
have
vegetarian-friendly
items
available.
Since
we are
providing
food
from
outside
vendors,
we
cannot
be
responsible
for
allergens.
Other
questions
Please
ask
Robert
via
email
(PTSOSrocks@gmail.com).
Dan
Burns,
Tom
Shefler,
Dave
Rakestraw,
and I
are
looking
forward
to
more
fun
physics
at
Granada
High
School
in
Livermore!!
Cheers,
Robert
Kathan
PTSOS
Outreach
Coordinator
PTSOSrocks@gmail.com
Directions
to
GHS
Copy
of the
GHS
Map
can be
found
here.
Files
and
Resources
Workshop
1:
Mechanics
(September
27,
2025)
Workshop
2:
Waves,
Sound
&
Heat
(January
31,
2026)
Workshop
3:
Electricity,
Magnetism
&
Light
(March
21,
2026)
We
did a
PTSOS
"lite"
workshop
at the
summer
AAPT
meeting
in
Sacramento
and we
got
the
band
back
together
for
it.
Left
to
right:
Dean
Baird,
Dan
Burns,
Paul
Robinson,
Stephanie
Finander
Check
out
this
cool
video
by
Leah
Luchsinger
of
Workshop
#2 on
February
3,
2018.
Check
out
some
fun
things
from
our
March
11,
2017
workshop!
See
participants
at
PTSOS
having
fun
while
learning
(QT
movie)
s...to
demonstrate
how
mechanical
energy
is
converted
into
heat.
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Some
of the 38 participants from the
Sept 28, 2019 workshop show
off
their "everybody wins" raffle
goodies and the many items
donated by @pascoscientific
including 10 Smart Carts!
Teachers
in the Sept. 15th 2018 PTSOS
workshop, hold up some of the
goodies
they received in the "everybody
wins" raffle. Thanks to our many
donors,
@pascoscientific,
@pearson,
@ArborSci,
Joe Marasco, and
The
Karl L. Brown Memorial
Scholarship
Fund.
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PTSOS
participants hold up their Peer
Instruction books,
one of the many goodies they
received.
~
Physics Teacher SOS
~
Where Northern California's
new and newly assigned physics
teachers
are mentored by successful,
experienced physics
teachers...FOR
FREE!
 Fifty
Percent of New Teachers Leave
Teaching Within Five
Years...
The
call to recruit new teachers is
heard across the nation. Efforts
to retain new teachers are
sporadic or non-existent. It's
tough enough being a new teacher.
Being a new physics teacher
involves a special set of
challenges.
•
You have very little laboratory
apparatus
• Some of what you do have
is a complete mystery
• You're confused about
content standards and statewide
assessments
• Your physics enrollment is
low
• Worst of all, there's no
one you can ask for physics
teaching guidance
That's
Where Physics Teacher SOS Comes
In!
Physics
Teacher SOS (PTSOS) offers
workshops, mentors, and online
support for new and newly
assigned physics teachers in
Northern California. There is no
cost to individual teachers or
 their
schools for these services. Any
teacher newly assigned to teach
physics within the last five
years is encouraged to
participate.
PTSOS
Workshops
Workshop
leaders guide new teachers
through a variety of activities
and discussion topics,
including:
•
effective demonstrations (and how
to demonstrate them)
• how to deal with
paperwork
• minimizing lecture
• lab group management
• funding and how to be
prepared for it
• how to increase physics
enrollment
• content standards and
statewide assessments
 •
managing apparatus
• integrating technology
into curriculum
• effective presentation
(PowerPoint) techniques
• topics brought up by the
new teachers in
attendance
***Attendees are given a variety
of support materials at the
workshops (lots of free
goodies!).***
PTSOS
Mentors
New
teachers are paired with
experienced, local physics
teacher mentors. The mentors are
there to provide one-on-one
guidance where needed and to
answer questions that come up
throughout the school
year.
PTSOS
Online
Community
Physics
Teacher SOS maintains an online
discussion group. Workshop
leaders and mentors monitor the
messages and add to the ongoing
discussion of topics as they
arise. To join the group, go to
our PTSOS
Google Groups signup
page
or email our Outreach
Coordinator, Abigail Plemmons, at
PTSOSrocks@gmail.com.
PTSOS
Workshop
Signups
To
signup for a workshop look for
registration instructions posted
on this website when the dates
become known. For more
information, contact our Outreach
Coordinator, Abigail Plemmons, at
PTSOSrocks@gmail.com.
Space is limited so signup early
to reserve your spot!
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Join
The
PTSOS
Google
Group
Discussion
List