Karishma V.

I believe the most important thing that I can do to help my students learn is to come to every
class with enough creative preparation and organisation so that I may present an engaging,
coherent and intuitive lecture.
During the entirety of my academic career, I’ve had both amazing teachers who have inspired
my interest in and respect for their subject and other teachers who have made learning an
unbearable chore. Although a cheerful and energetic lecturer is always appreciated, the
difference between these two types of teachers may have nothing to do with the friendliness
or disposition of the person. I believe what makes a great teacher is the ability to present
information in an organized and intuitive sequence, the art of relating one’s excitement about
this information in a way that students can relate it to their own experiences.
In the field of Chemistry, teachers face the particular challenge of presenting subject material
that is often far removed from the tangible experiences of the students. In my career as a
teacher I hope to capture my students interests by not only sharing my knowledge, but
showing them why it is interesting and relevant. For example, the topics of thermodynamics
can perhaps seem difficult. However, if a student can apply both of the above topics to their
experiences, then the topic becomes tangible, and naturally more interesting. One of my goals
as a teacher is to relate my excitement about science to my students by showing them how it
is important to their everyday life.
The important step toward bridging experience and abstract scientific principles can also be
accomplished through classroom demonstrations, seminars and hands – on laboratory
sessions. These components are fundamental to learning in science and I believe they should
be integrated as much as possible in a student’s everyday education. Learning is
accomplished at a much better rate through active doing and seeing, than by passively sitting
through a lecture. It’s through my experience that I have learned that when it comes to most
students showing them chemistry in action is a much more valuable and effective than telling
them about it.
I believe that since science is logical and systematic, when it is presented in an organised
fashion that is more conductive to learning, students tend to be more capable of grasping the
otherwise difficult material. It is my goal as a teacher to be organised and that through my
lectures my students will have the best chance of grasping the material. I believe that the
most important thing I can do to help my students learn is to come to every class with enough
creative preparation and organisation so that I may present an engaging, coherent and
intuitive lecture. This will act as a foundation to translate my excitement and interest in the
subjects that I teach in order to promote my students learning and increase their interests in science.