1. Creativity - the moments of pure enjoyment
One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is finding and using examples from "real-life" situations to teach concepts. The students I teach don't usually have innate desires to immerse themselves in chemistry; the classes I have taught (101, 105, 106, 107, 223) are designed for non-majors. I can't rely on my students having prior experience with chemistry in a laboratory setting, but I can rely on my students having experiences in their everyday life which relate to chemistry. Here are some examples:
- I recently made measurements of radioactivity in my basement and my neighbors basement, and used the data as a test question.
- One type of "hand warmer" is a useful application of super-saturated solutions
- Scorpions fluoresce green under UV light
- The way molecules react with one another is much like dating.
- The way that roads are salted in the winter to melt ice is an example of important properties of solutions.
In other cases, I have written a program in order to illustrate the phenomenon. I have also enjoyed making animations to show step-wise progression of a processes. Then there are the simplest cases, where I just enjoy sorting through a complicated principle and reducing it down into small and simple steps that people can follow. These are the times when my creativity really gets to play in the sandbox.
The nice thing is that life is full of so many examples. I will never run out of ideas to explore. I already have my next two frontiers ready to go. I recently bought a book called the Biology of Spiders where I found many connections to chemistry. A few months ago I acquired, "Weeds of the West." It may not sound terribly thrilling, but there are chemicals concepts behind the toxicity of weeds that I want to find and use in class as examples or as questions on exams based in reality.
My goal is to have students see chemistry in reality, not just on paper. For example, a student may be asked on an exam, "What is the pH of 1.2M acetic acid?" But when they go home, they may never make the connection that the vinegar they are using to cook with, or consuming, is the very same species they were just tested on; the vinegar is food, not a chemical, right? So, I ask my questions in a different way, "You go into a kitchen cupboard, and you notice that the label on the vinegar states that it has a concentration of 5%. You learned from your chemistry class that vinegar is acetic acid, and now you are thinking . . . 'what is the pH of this solution?' " The same question was asked in both cases. But the latter emphasizes to students that chemistry surrounds them; that their chemistry knowledge is applicable in places they are familiar with. Of course, not everyone is curious, and the practical significance of knowing the pH of vinegar is debatable. But, you get the point. In case, you didn't get it yet, the point is life-long learning; my job is fun because I get to searching out and pursue things that I can be passionate about.
2. Problem Solved - a moment where the work pays off
I recently worked with a student who was confused about a step in a lab procedure. There was a little desperation in their voice, but the desire to learn was obvious. It was clear the student wanted to learn, to do the lab, and was willing to work for it, but it was like there was a brick wall in the way. The student had already tried several different ways to try and solve a particular problem, but without success.
A quick caveat in the story . . . It's important to me to have students go through the process of solving problems with only as much help as is needed. If too much help is given, a student can feel "babied." If not enough help is given, then the student can feel left in the dark, or abandoned. Alternatively, I could be branded as unhelpful or conceited. I don't get it right every time; sometimes I overshoot or undershoot. Now, going back to the story, this was a case where it worked just right. A look came across the student's face; it's a look of surprise that the answer was so simple, but also of excitement because they realize that they can successfully jump that same hurdle the next time they come across it. They feel ready to handle that same situation and they feel pleased and enthusiastic. That moment is extremely fulfilling.
3. Thrown out of the game - the tough moments
I was stopped in the hall recently by a student from last semester. They wanted to discuss their grade from last semester, was it calculated correctly? We walked back to my office, where he told me that a failing grade was posted for him. While errors in the posting of grades is not common, it has happened before. As I reviewed my records to double check the grade assignment, I determined that the grade was posted and calculated correctly. When I confirmed this information with the student, the student revealed more. Because they had failed the course, they would no longer be eligible to play sports for the University. The student asked if there was anything that could be done. Knowing that the student's percentage in the class was truly too low to justify enough chemistry knowledge to pass the course, there was nothing I could do. I watched as his demeanor changed, and he hung his head forward and stared at the floor. With few other words he stood up and slowly walked out. In the quiet moments that followed, I reviewed in my mind what had just experienced. While I knew that the grade assignment was accurate, and that I had a responsibility to the University to uphold it, I felt a small piece of the student's fresh burden pressing upon my own shoulders.
The students lack of effort throughout the semester had put them in a position that altered the course of his life. Even though I had invited students to visit me at my office hours many times in class, and provided at least an hour everyday, this was a case where the help was needed, the help was offered, but not utilized. This is the toughest situation for me; to watch the potential of a student be corroded by a lack of effort to result in regret at the end of the semester.
I should mention that unrealized dreams of good grades are not always within the control of students. I have met with students whose parents have died, or who are dying of cancer. For others, sibling have passed on. Others have lost an engagement, scholarship, or visa status. These are the tough heartbreaking situations for me.
