Memorable HBHS physics teacher moving on

Throughout his 14-year career as a physics teacher at Hollis Brookline High School, John Boucher has experienced and created several traditions. He founded the annual trebuchet project, has had several people stand on him and cinder blocks smashed on his chest while lying on a bed of nails, and shown students how physics surrounds them in their everyday lives. “Mr. Boucher always has cool demonstrations that go along with what we are learning,” senior physics student Mike Chase said. These demonstrations include creating loud sounds by placing tubes over Fisher burners during the sound waves unit, spinning students around on spinning tables for the rotational motion unit and blowing the bottom out of a glass bottle by simply hitting the top of it during the forces unit. Performing these demonstrations helps students see the relevant applications of the concepts they’re learning. “He is very engaging and explains concepts in ways that are easy to understand and remember,” senior physics student Felicia Lombardi said. Physics exams are known to be challenging, but students never blame Boucher for not teaching the material on the tests; rather, they see the questions as challenges that test their comprehension of the concepts covered. Boucher said his favorite memories of Hollis Brookline are the first Trebuchet Day, when students made trebuchets as tall as the third floor of the building and which had 500-pound counterweights, and when he was able to star in last year’s spring play, “Rumors.” Next year, Boucher won’t teach high school physics anymore, but instead will be science and math curriculum coordinator for kindergarten through eighth grade in Bedford. He’ll visit Bedford elementary school classrooms, helping teachers teach science topics and showing the students cool demonstrations, since many elementary school students aren’t exposed to science until late middle school or high school.