Teaching Physics for Every Learner

Physics can feel intimidating to a lot of pupils. Some walk into the room already convinced they are “not physics people”. Some expect a lesson full of equations. Others think physics has nothing to do with their real lives.

That is why small moments matter.

Michael Heppell talks about “wee wow” moments: small, thoughtful touches that make an experience better than expected. In teaching, this does not mean turning every lesson into a performance. It does not mean setting fire to something every Tuesday or trying to compete with YouTube.

It means building in small moments that make pupils think, smile, wonder, or feel, even briefly, “I can do this.”

In physics, that can be powerful.

Start with something they can see

Physics often asks pupils to understand things they cannot see: charge, energy, fields, current, radiation and forces. Before we rush into definitions, it helps to give pupils something real to look at.

A balloon sticking to the wall before a lesson on static electricity.

A magnet moving iron filings before talking about magnetic fields.

A bouncing ball before discussing energy transfers.

A slinky before explaining waves.

A bulb, a cell and one wire before teaching complete circuits.

None of these are complicated. They are not there to impress the class for the sake of it. They are there to create a small moment of curiosity.

Once pupils are wondering, the explanation has somewhere to land.

Give the explanation a reason to exist

One of the problems with physics teaching is that we sometimes answer questions pupils have not yet asked.

We begin with the definition.
Then the equation.
Then the worked example.
Then the practice.

That can work for some pupils, but others need the question first.

Why does your hair stand up near a Van de Graaff generator?
Why does your phone get warm when it charges?
Why do you lurch forward when a bus brakes?
Why does a black car get hotter in the Sun?
Why does a ball never bounce back to exactly the same height?

These questions do something important. They make the physics feel needed. Pupils are no longer just learning a rule because it is on the specification. They are learning it because it explains something.

That is a wee wow.

Keep the moments small

A wee wow does not need to be a huge practical. In fact, the best ones are often quick.

A strange object on the desk.
A surprising image on the board.
A 30-second demonstration.
A wrong answer to improve.
A question that makes the class pause.
A real-life example that makes pupils say, “Oh yes, that happens.”

The point is not to fill the lesson with gimmicks. The point is to make the learning feel a little more alive.

A good wee wow should lead somewhere. It should open the door to the physics, not distract from it.

Use mistake spotting

Some of the most useful wee wows come from showing pupils something wrong.

For example:

“Current gets used up as it goes around a circuit.”

Pupils often enjoy spotting the mistake. It feels less threatening than being asked for the perfect answer straight away.

You can ask:

What is wrong with this?
What should it say instead?
How could we improve it for two marks?

This works because it tackles misconceptions directly. It also shows pupils that physics is about improving thinking, not just memorising sentences.

Other good examples are:

“Heavier objects fall faster.”

“Voltage flows around a circuit.”

“Energy disappears when it is wasted.”

“Insulation makes things hot.”

“The Moon has no gravity.”

Each one creates a useful moment of tension. Something sounds believable, but it is not quite right. That is where good teaching can happen.

Make pupils feel successful

A wee wow is not always a demonstration. Sometimes it is a comment.

“You chose the right equation there.”

“That explanation is much clearer than your last one.”

“You remembered the unit this time.”

“That is a really good use of the word resultant.”

“You have made a proper physics point there.”

These are small things, but they matter. For pupils who find physics difficult, success often needs to be pointed out. They may not notice their own improvement.

A well-timed comment can change how a pupil sees themselves in the subject.

Not every pupil needs praise for everything. But many pupils need to know that effort, accuracy and improvement have been seen.

Return to the wee wow later

A wee wow is more powerful if you come back to it.

If you start with a bouncing ball, return to it at the end:

“Now explain why the ball does not return to its original height using energy transfers.”

If you start with a balloon sticking to the wall, return to it later:

“Use the words friction, electrons and charge to explain what happened.”

If you start with a bus braking question, return to it after teaching inertia:

“Now explain why the passenger keeps moving forward.”

This turns the moment from a hook into learning. Pupils can see that the strange or interesting thing at the start now makes sense because of the physics they have learned.

That is a good feeling in a lesson.

Use real life, but keep it honest

Real-life links are one of the easiest ways to create wee wow moments in physics.

Seatbelts and momentum.
Trainers and friction.
Kettles and energy transfer.
Phone chargers and power.
Sunglasses and light.
Microwave ovens and waves.
Rollercoasters and energy stores.
Stars and red-shift.

The link does not need to be forced. Pupils can usually tell when an example has been added just to make the lesson sound relevant.

The best real-life links are simple and natural. They help pupils realise that physics is not just in the lab. It is in kitchens, cars, phones, sports, weather, music, space and the human body.

Make invisible ideas easier to imagine

Some physics ideas are hard because they are invisible. Wee wow moments can give pupils a picture in their heads.

Use iron filings to show the shape of a magnetic field.
Use a rope to show wavelength and frequency.
Use a line of pupils passing a ball to model energy transfer.
Use a trolley to show inertia.
Use a thermal image to discuss heat loss.
Use a ripple tank or tray of water to show waves.

These moments do not replace careful explanation. They give the explanation something to attach to.

Later, when pupils meet the exam wording, they can think back to what they saw.

Do not overdo it

There is a danger with any teaching idea that it becomes another thing teachers feel they must do all the time.

That is not the point.

A physics lesson does not need constant excitement. It needs clarity, practice, questioning and feedback. Sometimes pupils simply need to sit quietly and work through problems.

Wee wows are not there to replace that. They are there to add small moments of interest, connection and confidence.

One strong moment in a lesson is enough.

Make the classroom feel more human

The best wee wows are not always the most dramatic ones. Sometimes they are the moments that make pupils feel noticed.

Using a pupil’s answer in your explanation.
Showing a piece of improved work.
Remembering a question someone asked last lesson.
Choosing an example linked to something the class cares about.
Saying, “Lots of people find this bit hard, but we are going to break it down.”

These small things affect the atmosphere of the room. They tell pupils that physics is not just something being delivered at them. It is something they are being helped into.

The main point

Wee wow moments are small, but they can change the feel of a physics lesson.

They can make pupils curious before the explanation begins.
They can make abstract ideas easier to picture.
They can help pupils feel successful.
They can make physics feel connected to the real world.

They do not replace good teaching. You still need clear explanations, careful modelling, practice, questioning and feedback.

But they can make physics feel less cold and more human.

And for a pupil who thinks physics is not for them, one small moment of curiosity or success might be the thing that opens the door.