Teaching Profession

Physics Teacher Wows Harlem Globetrotters

By Liana Loewus — November 07, 2013 1 min read
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This is just plain fun.

David Hovan, a sixth-year AP physics teacher at St. John’s College High School in the District of Columbia, demonstrated a most impressive talent for his students—spinning a basketball on top of a pen while writing. A resourceful high schooler, of course, caught it on video:

Hovan’s feat, remarkable in and of itself, gets extra points for being academically relevant. Here’s his explanation, via USA TODAY:

“We had been talking about angular momentum and the formation of the solar system,” said Hovan, who has earned a pair of graduate degrees in education after studying physics and philosophy at the University of Maryland. “It’s something I’ve done every year. I’ve been able to do it since high school and when I got to teaching physics and astronomy, I knew it would amaze students.”

The clip, which USA TODAY reports was captured last year but only went viral this week, caught the attention of world-renowned basketball tricksters the Harlem Globetrotters. Handles Franklin, a member of the team, is scheduled to visit Hovan’s classroom today. The Washington Post reports that Hovan will then join the Globetrotters at the Verizon Center on March 5, 2014 to show off his skills for a slightly larger crowd.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Teaching Now blog.