Maybe it's the frequent explosions. Or the spectacular experiments that cause students to gasp aloud. Maybe it's the chipper recordings of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" that greet and bid farewell to students.
Perhaps, most of all, the appeal the Advanced Placement physics classes of Steve Jackson lies in his outstanding teaching abilities.Jackson, a teacher at View-mont High School in Bountiful, makes science come alive. He also has the enviable record of having 99 percent of his students pass the rigorous AP physics exam. He thinks all of them will pass this spring.
Jackson, a veteran teacher and unabashed showman, keeps students enthralled despite the demanding nature of the subject through exotic demonstrations.
"He never gives us an equation without demonstrating it. He shows how things work in real life, not on the chalkboard," said student Gerron Dover.
"He does a lot of demonstrations and he makes it real to us," agrees student Erika Edwards. "It shows us the practical uses of what we're learning."
For Jackson, his approach is simple: "I like to teach."
Despite the fact that he's been in the classroom for many years, Jackson shows up at a local cafeteria at 5 a.m. each day to plot out what to do in his classes that will bring things home to students.
"I like to show everything we do - it makes it more interesting," Jackson said.
His philosophy? The principles of physics are evident everywhere and there's no reason why teaching them has to be dreary.
One principle can be demonstrated by filling balloons with hydrogen and oxygen and setting them moving systematically before exploding them with darts. "You can actually compute when to send a `slide' to hit a moving balloon. A fraction of a second can make a difference. The kids like the explosions - it keeps them awake."
Jackson also thinks it is important that students see how physics applies to real life and gives them credit for being able to understand more than many people think.
"You get more out of kids if you stimulate them. If you make it exciting, they take hold," Jackson said. "We're starting to find out there are more good kids than was previously realized. Give the kids a chance and they perform."