with President Gutmann


As a part of the doctoral program in the chemistry department we are required to spend at least two semesters as teaching assistants, while many of my peers and even the faculty regard this requirement as a burden I grown to love the experience. Teaching has allowed me to share my passion for chemistry with undergraduates, and hopefully spread my enthusiasm so that they will have some fun while taking such a serious course.

My teaching assignments for the past two years have been general chemistry 1 recitation in the fall followed by general chemistry 2 in the spring. This unique combination gives me an opportunity to have many students for both semesters, which helps provide continuity and is conducive to building a strong mentor to student bond. When given the option to change courses for spring semester I always decline, electing to remain with students who have grown to trust me. The trust and continuity provided by remaining with the same group eases the transition between courses and topics because they are already familiar with my manner of teaching and are comfortable enough with me to ask just about anything.

In the classroom I try to bring a high energy and enthusiasm level to a course that is often confusing, boring, and slightly frightening. By keeping the mood light and not taking myself too seriously I am able to draw most students out of their shells. If I am not concerned with being wrong, or looking silly it helps to relieve their self-consciousness so they can talk more openly in class. I have found that most students are too embarrassed and intimidated to ask questions in front of others, but the casual atmosphere I promote always results in almost all of them willing to jump in with questions, answers, or just silliness. This relaxed style is aimed at helping to make recitation not only beneficial but also fun to attend. Based on the attendance of my sections compared to other teaching assistants’ it seems to be effective. Many students have commented that my class is the only one they find themselves laughing in.

Another reason why I try to keep the students relaxed with me is so that they are comfortable enough to seek me out when they need more help then I can provide in recitation. I strive to be widely available outside of class to provide necessary support to anyone who would like it. This is especially important because most of my students are freshmen that are still adjusting to the college lifestyle and still need more individualized attention then their professor can provide. I try to take an active interest in each of my students so that they know that someone here cares about them and their performance. Because I care so much about my students, every semester I have gone beyond my required duties using review sessions, answer keys, and review sheets as tools to help reach as many students as possible because there are such a variety of learning styles. By exposing them to these different study techniques I hope to foster their independence in future courses.

My ability to develop and test my ideas for teaching has been entirely dependent on the cooperation of my students. Without their willingness to act as my guinea pigs and overall good nature I probably would not have been interested in honing my teaching ability.