Minie James

Physics

I am delighted to be part of the McLean School community and to bring my love of physics into the classrooms here. My teaching path has spanned four decades and three countries, and along the way it has taught me that curiosity travels well — a student puzzling over motion or light is the same wonderful challenge whether the room is in India, UAE, or Maryland. I spent many years in a British-curriculum international school in the UAE, after moving from India where I taught undergraduate students. More recently I taught physics in a U.S. high school. What I enjoy most is helping every student find a way in building materials and explanations that meet different learners where they are, so that physics feels approachable rather than intimidating.

Outside the classroom, I love reading about gardening, astronomy, history of civilizations, and world’s religions — the big questions of where we came from and how we make sense of it all. I’m also deeply passionate about environmental sustainability, and I’m forever finding ways to upcycle both natural and manufactured materials into something new.