Whether it’s performing a “gravity rap” in front of class, sliding clever physics puns into notes packets, or demonstrating Newton’s Laws with Star Wars music, teacher Emilie Cross always finds creative ways to engage with her students.
A new addition to the science department this year, Cross teaches both Physics and Honors Physics, bringing her talent for connecting with students to our school.
During college, Mrs. Cross spent a semester at sea, visiting 10 countries and even hearing Fidel Castro speak. After earning her undergraduate degree in physics with a teaching emphasis, she discovered that teaching was her true calling. Since then, she has taught physics for 21 years in public school at various levels, from general to the advanced placement level. Her past 19 years were spent at Smoky Hill High School in Denver, Colorado before coming to Marist.
Her passion for helping students learn meaningful concepts and develop lifelong skills is unmatched. Truly caring about her students’ development and future, Cross adopts a “hands-on” approach that not only deepens students’ understanding of material but also makes learning fun. “I love helping students reach that ‘Aha! moment’ of understanding physics and also of realizing that they can do hard things,” Cross explained.
From staying late after school to map out every path of a “vector-walk” lab around campus to filling up water balloons for projectile motion experiments, Cross goes above and beyond by designing interactive labs and activities to truly immerse the students in the physics world around them.
Ansley Cho, a current student in Cross’s Honors Physics class, shared her experience and Cross’s influence on her learning. “Mrs. Cross is such a kind teacher and is always willing to help us out,” Cho said. “Her class is super interactive, and the labs make learning physics really fun.”
Cross encourages small-group problem solving on whiteboards as well as large group collaboration to discuss challenging concepts. She saves the more difficult problems for in-class time as she believes students learn best when they can collaborate, ask questions, and support one another.
Recognizing that physics isn’t easy, Cross embraces its challenges with enthusiasm and inspires her students to do the same. One quote that resonates with her comes from President John F. Kennedy’s speech announcing the USA’s aspirations in the space race: “We choose to go to the moon . . . not because it is easy but because it is hard.”
Cross is off to a phenomenal start at our school, and we are so lucky to have her. Her wise words capture her teaching philosophy perfectly.
Cross offered some final reflections on her role as an educator. “More than remembering Newton’s laws, I hope my students remember that physics was a place to work hard, to support others or to be supported, and to be silly and embrace your inner nerdiness,” Cross said.
