Dr. B: Making Science Come Alive

Beloved Bullis teacher Dr. Duruhan Badraslioglu shares how he creates science classes that students remember long after they leave. From hands-on experiments to real-world connections, his classroom is a place where curiosity drives learning. In this episode, Dr. B reflects on what makes science exciting, how he continually reinvents his courses, and what students gain when they’re encouraged to test, question, and discover for themselves.

Bullis Voices is produced by the Bullis Office of Communications in Potomac, Maryland.

Questions or ideas for future episodes? Email communications@bullis.org.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Bolus Voices, the podcast where we take you behind the scenes of what actually happens in our classrooms and why it matters. I'm your host, Mark Riffey, Director of Communications at Bolus. And today, I'm talking with Dr. Daruhan Badraslioglu, known to students simply as Dr. B. If you ask Bolus alumni about their favorite classes, Dr. B's name comes up again and again. For years, he's been known for creating science classes that are energetic, hands-on, and constantly evolving. Places where students are encouraged to ask questions, test ideas, and see how the concepts they're learning show up in the world around them. Dr. B teaches both physics and human anatomy and physiology. And one of the things that makes his classroom special is the way that he connects ideas across disciplines and brings them to life through experimentation. His lessons rarely stay on the whiteboard for long. Students are building, measuring, testing, debating, discovering for themselves how science actually works. What's perhaps most remarkable is that even after many years in the classroom, Dr. B is still constantly reinventing his courses, looking for new ways to make science feel immediate, relevant, and exciting for the students in front of him. Today, we're going to talk about what makes this classroom such a memorable place to learn, how curiosity becomes the engine of great science teaching, and why the best lessons are the ones students carry with them long after they leave BOLIS. Dr. B, welcome.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Thanks, Mark. Thanks for having me. Even after this introduction, I'm curious about myself.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Well, then this is going to be a fun journey for both of us. So I mentioned in the intro that students often call your classroom a memorable place to learn. Can you talk about what you think they're reacting to when they say that?

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Sure. I think the novelty never wears off in my classroom. I feel like every single day is brand new. Like I've never been to a science classroom. I'm very excited about it. And I think the kids feel that. I think it resonates with them. My excitement and my enthusiasm towards science. I'm I'm curious by nature. And hey, the animal within the teenager is curious also. So I think we have lots in common. And since I want to share the knowledge that I have, and they want to learn naturally, I think that's why every single day is full of energy. And you know, there's a lot of laughter. And I hear it all the time in my classes, where they're like, the class is over already. You know, they don't realize how much fun it is until the class is over. And I'm like, okay, guys, you know, pack up. It's time to go. And time flies when you're having fun.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Can you talk about your background in science? You're a medical doctor and you transitioned into teaching. And I've known you for a long time, but truthfully, I don't know a lot about that transition.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

You know, I moved from Turkey in 2001 and I studied medicine in Istanbul, Turkey. And then initially I wanted to practice medicine in the US. And then while I was getting ready for the United States medical licensing examinations, this was in Buffalo, New York, I was also teaching just to make some money while, you know, I live in the United States for all my costs and whatnot. So I realized I really liked teaching and specifically teaching science and specifically teaching anatomy and physiology and physics. And the more I taught, the more I realized I was meant to teach. Yes, my parents were disappointed that I didn't practice medicine, but I feel like I am fulfilling a promise almost to myself that you know I'm doing what I love doing, and I think I'm doing an okay job. And when my students say, hey, they love science, after taking the you know courses that I teach, I feel like I am fulfilling uh some sort of a duty, some sort of a responsibility. And as I said, hey, it makes me happy, and I think that's very important. And that's a very rare thing for an adult to say that they love what they do. And you know, I have two kids at Bullis now, and I want them to realize how you can create your happiness if you, I guess, work hard.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

One of the first classrooms I visited when I got here in 2012 was yours, and your students were creating these elaborate Root Goldberg machines, and it was really cool. They were really into it. And over the years I've spent more time in your classroom, and I've seen so many examples of hands-on work that really get students engaged and excited to learn. Has hands-on learning always been central to your teaching philosophy?

SPEAKER_01 4:56

I think my own personal experience as a student, you know, I had some great teachers. I learned a lot how to teach from these experienced teachers. And I've seen other teachers too, like that where I didn't really feel inspired or too excited about, you know, back in Turkey. And, you know, I think I figured out a certain algorithm, if or maybe a secret formula of how I can deliver perhaps you know, some might find boring and make it more interesting. They say, I'm trying to remember, a good teacher knows what to teach, a better teacher knows uh how to teach, and an experienced teacher knows when not to teach, and let the students discover for themselves. And I feel like I have got to that point where I figured out how to make the kids discover the secret, the fun, the mystery, the interesting, you know, things about what we teach, the content. So I think that's the kids really like that. And I feel like they realize it's not a maze where it's a puzzle and so confusing and it's challenging and it creates anxiety, but rather it's almost like a labyrinth. It's almost like a guided path where you know the treasure is at the end of that path. And my job is being the guide on the side rather than sage on the stage.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

I've also visited your classroom while your anatomy and physiology students are working on their uh their models, their clay models that they create throughout the year, and it's really cool to see those take shape.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

I think science is meant to be experienced, right? You can do slideshows and worksheets and PDFs and Google Docs, but I feel like science has to be felt. That's why I think a lot of things that I do is very kinesthetic. It's very hands-on and tactile, and that's why I think I like creating models. In my anatomy and physiology students, for example, they uh we each student gets an anatomical mannequin, and then we build systems as we cover you know units. If it's uh the musculoskeletal system or if it's the nervous system, I like that kids build the spinal cord from clay and put it on their mannequin. I want them to understand that every muscle has an origin and an insertion point. So they build it according to the facts. And that that hands-on aspect of every course that I teach, whether it's physics or anatomy and physiology or biology, I think that resonates with the kids. And they realize that science is very real, very applicable, and it's an experience. It's the journey is the destination, I feel like.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

Another of my favorite projects that your anatomy and physiology students do is the mask project. And I just saw the sixth-grade dancers using those masks in a performance that they did, and it was so cool to see what your students were doing in the classroom becoming part of the experience of the sixth-grade dancers and the people in the audience.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

I feel like every project that you know we do in my classes has a little story how it you know becomes the project itself. So I was walking in North Hall and I passed by an English classroom where I saw a mask, and it had nothing to do with science at the first glance. And then I said to myself, it will be so cool if we can use a paper mache mask and put the muscles and the nerves and the arteries and the veins, and then you know, make it look like the actual human face with without the skin. And from there, it took off. I consulted with our teachers. Obviously, because I'm not really sure where I was going with it, and it's never been done before. I asked, you know, history teachers about is it okay to use this mask in this kind of a context? And it, you know, the kids really, really liked building a mask that really looks like the human face, and it was Halloween time, which was very appropriate for the moment. And then, you know, I was talking to Kashi, who's the dance teacher for Lower and Middle School.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

Our guest last week. Make sure to listen to that episode.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Yes. And she really liked the idea, and because I shared with the faculty of the masks that we built, and she said, Hey, can we use the mask, these masks that your students are building in our dance performance? Since I think their theme was Beneath the Surface. And that made so much sense, and it looked amazing. When I watched the kids, the middle school kids, wear those the masks that we built and dance on the stage. It was it gave me goosebumps.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

I think it's fair to say that you are a master of engaging students. Can you articulate what it is that students need in order to become curious about science?

SPEAKER_01 10:05

It's interesting. I I don't think curiosity is acquired. I think these kids have already a natural curiosity. All we have to do is let that out. All we have to do is make that shine a little bit. When the kids learn a lot from your lessons, that means the lesson is literally, well not literally, but singing. I think the teacher needs to be very intentional. I think the you know way to deliver a lesson needs to be intentional. And the kids' curiosity is already there. So we all we have to do is guide it. All we have to do is show or use that momentum for something productive. And as I said, hey, science is very real, and the kids just need to see that what we teach in the class has applications in real life.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

Aaron Ross Powell Well, speaking of which, what do you hope alumni take from your classes and use in their lives beyond bolus?

SPEAKER_01 11:03

Um I mean, I we have now bullish parents that were my students and years ago. It's it's you know, it makes you feel a little bit older, but it it also makes me feel very proud. And you know, when we are talking about the past, they remember who set who did they set with in my classes, what labs we did, which I don't remember, you know, that was such a long time ago. But it was meaningful for them. And you know, I alumni stop by my class all the time when they are on campus. And you know, that they thank me for making them love science. You know, they've never considered a scientific career or something like that. And then they came, they come back and they say, hey, you know, after taking the anatomy and physiology or the physics or the biology class, they have realized that, you know, it's they're actually interested in it. So that makes me so proud that I'm like, this is exactly why I do what I do. And you know, this is exactly what brings me to Bullis every single day, you know, very excited. And you know, I hope to see the students that I teach now come back years from now and have the same, you know, similar conversations of how they have achieved their goals and they have become what they envisioned to become. And you know, that's exactly what a teacher does. I think we not only we teach them what we know, but we also help them become who they want to be.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

You've been an anchor of the upper school and of bolus and of the upper school science department for a long time. Do you consider yourself an elder statesman now?

SPEAKER_01 12:48

Well, it's I you it's funny that you're asking me that because at the supermarket about a month ago, some lady offered me senior discount, which is which you know stopped me on my uh tracks here. I do feel experienced, I do feel privileged, I do feel proud, but I don't feel old. I I feel like if you're working with teenagers, uh you better keep up with them. Um and that's probably why you know you feel energetic every day, because they are energetic and you feel young because they are full of life.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

Well, you are too, and I think this might be the most natural place that I'm gonna find to segue into talking about you as a drummer. Uh can you tell us about that?

SPEAKER_01 13:39

Sure. I have a drum set at Bullis, I have a drum set in my garage at home. I feel like you know, rock music is is life. I I feel like rock music is an inspiration for us all. So I and I I feel like everything has a rhythm, everything has a natural frequency, um, as we will say in physics. So playing drums is, you know, some might call it midlife crisis. Um I I call it uh passion. You know, I think of music a lot when I'm driving or uh when I'm resting, I still have this beat uh in the back of my head. I can hear ACDC or Bon Jovi or Brian Adams or Dame Matthews, you name it. I just love to hear drums. And I think everybody should have a hobby or a passion that they are interested and they follow through. And you know, that's why I tell my own kids, I said, you know, you guys are learning all these instruments, never quit. Because it is, I think it's inspirational for your for their own children, but it's it's also keeps the brain rested and energized.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Do you and your sons ever jam together?

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Um well they play classical music. I don't know how to play drums to uh Mozart or Beethoven, but one day I think they will realize that you know they can break that you know artificial barrier, and hopefully uh Henry will play piano and Leo will play perhaps some sort of a string instrument and or maybe bass guitar, please. One person needs to play bass guitar in my family so we can jam.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Well, you started a band here. Can you tell us about the faculty rock band?

SPEAKER_01 15:26

Sure. This year has been very quiet, but we've played at the gala before, we played at homecoming events uh multiple times out of campus. You know, it's about five years ago, I think I was thinking about hey, you know, I if I feel passion for drums, maybe other faculty members um also play instruments, you know, on their own, and maybe we can all unite and form some sort of a faculty rock band. And I know I don't think there is a faculty rock band out there at any school. Our band is called the Class Notes. A very clever name. Thanks. Very creative. Um well it was better than Midlife Crisis. I think that was the first initial name uh that we thought for it. But it is an outlet. I want the kids to see that we are not just educators in the classroom, but we are also humans and we also have interests and we also have talents that we don't necessarily show in our classrooms. And when we're on the stage just rocking, when I have a drum solo or something like that, I can see the kids saying, I did not know that adults can do this, kind of a look on their face. And it's it's a nice surprise for them that we are on the stage and playing instruments and singing to Taylor Swift or or Bon Jovi songs or Guns N' Roses or something like that.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

I know I didn't have that experience of watching my teachers on stage rocking out. Uh it's really cool. Does drumming in any way ever factor into what you're doing in the classroom? Is there any kind of connection there?

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Aaron Ross Powell Playing drums and teaching science in a classroom, I wouldn't say like on the first glance, have too many common elements. But at the same time, you know, they're both taking a risk. They're both challenging yourself. You know, in both of them, I feel like I seek excellence. Not perfection. Perfection uh causes paralysis, but excellence, I think everybody can seek for themselves where you try to get better at it. And that's I think one thing that I really like about teaching is pedagogy can be improved literally from class to class. Like if my A block, if I'm teaching something and I realize there's a better way of doing it, in my B block, I will immediately execute that. And my students sometimes will say, hey, you know, your A block had this, but your D block had this. It's because as I go, I realize there's always a better way of relaying a message that I wanted to share with them. So drumming is the same. I will watch a YouTube video, I'm like, oh, this is a better transition in the song, and I should do that. So as I said, I don't like settling down, and I don't teach anything that I taught last year or the year before. Again, the way I will do it is always I feel like better. And I think everybody should be aiming for excellence in whatever they're doing.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Your classroom, as we've established, is a joyful place, a fun place, a hands-on environment, but it's also a place where you have high expectations for your students. How do you balance those high expectations with creating that welcoming, joyful environment?

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Aaron Powell I think challenge definitely is necessary in science. As Einstein, I think, famously said, you can make it simple, but you can make it more simple, meaning that you I don't want to dumb down the science that we teach. They have to understand there are certain principles that need to be followed, and we can make analogies, but you can't make it less scientific. So the kids realize that, you know, it's all fun, but at the same time very challenging. I've never heard a student saying, hey, this was too easy, or anything like that, say in anatomy and physiology or in physics. They always come out from their assessments uh saying that that was hard, but I'm glad I studied for it, or I'm glad I reviewed the notes before the test. And as you know, you will guess, anatomy and physiology has thousands of terms that they need to learn. They need to put those, obviously, vocabulary in context, and uh somehow we do it because they like what we teach and how we teach it. And hopefully, like I have students who who will say, hey, when I go to my doctor, I start using the terms that we use, and the doctor is very impressed. And and I want them to do that because then they can obviously communicate with their doctors or whoever in a much more sophisticated way, and they can express themselves obviously better when you know what to say.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Is there any correlation between anatomy and physiology and physics, the two subjects that you teach?

SPEAKER_01 20:17

Excellent question, because I recently got back from Las Vegas where I gave a presentation on how physics applies to anatomy and physiology. I do see a lot of uh, you know, common elements. You know, I one of the things that I told the audience um at the American Association of Physics Teachers conference, I said, for example, the cardiovascular system is very similar to a parallel electric circuit where the element, you know, heart is almost like a battery, and the blood vessels are like the electrical wires, and every organ acts like a light bulb or some sort of a resistance in that electric circuit. And you know, I had audience members who are like, I've never thought about that before. Um, but I when when you start teaching these two courses, you start seeing patterns. You know, once is a they say a coincidence, twice is luck, but thrice is a pattern, and I see patterns everywhere. Um, I've written articles on this at the Physics Teacher Journal that is published nationally, where you know there are so many patterns that sometimes when you're in the trenches you kind of miss out, but when you kind of take a step back and see the patterns, then it makes more sense. I feel like that's the beauty of teaching for so many years. You you start seeing a more clear understanding, a better picture of the the things that you teach.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

When it comes to your classroom, it seems like you always have your eye on the present, but also your eye on the future.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

Uh yes. I feel like I'm always Thinking and I'm always thinking pedagogy, and I'm always thinking of how can we teach better, you know, out of the traditional way of doing it. That's why I send, I think I will say once a month, uh, mass emails to the faculty sharing something that we do uh you know different in my classes because I know that might inspire other teachers. I know other teachers can build up on it and make it even better. Uh, because why settle?

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Aaron Powell So give us a little sneak peek into what you have coming up in your classroom or or maybe something that you're working on that you're excited about right now.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

Aaron Powell Right now we're in the digestive system unit. And I was thinking about how can we show peristals, which is the sequential muscular contraction of how the food that we eat is moved in our digestive tract. And I was thinking about how we can make this some sort of a you know model that will show the students how during peristalsis behind the food is muscular contraction while in front of the food is uh relaxation. And uh so I'm thinking about a model that each student will work on, and uh I can't tell you more because it's a secret.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

All right, some suspense. I love it. So I wanted to ask you you are both a bolus parent and a teacher. What's that experience like?

SPEAKER_01 23:27

Being a parent and a faculty member is is an incredible experience. Like seeing your kids happy, seeing your kids challenged, and seeing your kids eat at lunch uh is uh is very fulfilling. And I think the reason why I have invested everything I have into this community is because I'm also a parent. Like why I care so much about what I do and why I seek excellence in what I do is because I want the best for this community. And that's I think comes with being a parent. The betterment of this community is the betterment of my children, is the way I see it. So I have a stake in the well-being of this community, is I I think is my personal feeling. It's it's it's a great experience. The way we commute to school and listen to Book on Tape and then discuss our day, daily adventures at Bullis, you know, I I cherish those moments.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

You've been at Bullis for a long time. I won't make you reveal the number of years unless you'd like to. Pause and Paulus.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

Uh I think this is my 22nd year now. Okay, wow.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

What do you hope never changes about Bullis? I mean, you've seen a lot of change, you've seen evolution of the school. What do you hope never changes?

SPEAKER_01 24:51

Aaron Powell at this point, after 22 years, feels part of me, right? Like I I you cannot I cannot see myself anywhere else, simply put it. And what hasn't changed about Bullis is the feeling of that that family. Like I I feel like I know everybody. I feel like it's a little village, you know, where when I walk from point A to point B, so many people say hi, so many people hold the door, so many people ask me questions, you know, our little short conversations is full of friendliness. You know you come to a happy place. You know you are safe here, you know you are cared for and people like you. And it's that that that is an incredible. I it's it means a lot.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

Well, Dr. B, thank you so much for coming on and telling us about all the cool things that you have going on in your classroom. And I can't wait until my next visit.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

Thanks, Mark. This was so much fun. Let's do this again.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

No doubt. Let's do it. That's our show for this week. Thank you so much for listening and be sure to check back in next week for our next episode.