Physics Teacher Ryan Marsh joined the South Lakes team this year as a Physics 1 and IB Physics 1 teacher.

How do you like South Lakes so far?

I like it a lot. The students here seem to have a very good work ethic, there are no behavior issues and I don’t have to keep kids on task. Everybody knows why they’re here, and they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing. As a teacher that’s huge, and I’ve been really happy with the school so far.

Have you worked anywhere else before you came here?

Yes, I worked at a high school in Anne Arundel County for five years teaching physics and science.

What is it about physics that interests you so much?

The thing I like best about physics is the way that it lets you figure out how the world works. Say you learn something in chemistry or physics about gas laws. Then you can apply it to how an air conditioner works. You’re changing the pressure of the air, which forces heat out of the air, and then you can take the cool air and pump it back into the house. That understanding of how the world works and the way things actually are is what makes physics cool.

It sounds like you’re really interested in the world around you, and how it works.

Yeah, I’ve always been interested in the way the world works. When I was in high school I read books about black holes, the string theory, n-dimensional universes, and thing like that. I didn’t necessarily understand it all, but it was neat that there were people thinking about this stuff, and that the universe is more complicated than what we see on an everyday basis.

Is there anything that you would want to say to any student who’s interested in physics?

I think that the biggest thing is that physics intimidates a lot of students, and I don’t think it should. ‘Do you have to work at it to get good at it?’ Sure, but that’s just like anything else and I think that it’s a very rewarding subject if you’re willing to put in a little effort. The math is not as hard as everybody thinks it is and don’t be afraid to take the class just because everybody else says that it’s hard.

Are there any interesting facts that you would like to share with us?

Well, everybody is always surprised to learn that I play guitar and when we do sound, as long as Principal Retzer is okay with it, I’ve always brought my guitar in the past and I use that to teach the sound lesson.