Angelique Scheuermann
PhD Student in Chemistry
In chemistry education, our aim is to provide a clear foundation in chemistry and teach students scientific reasoning and analytical problem-solving skills from a molecular perspective. That is the most important goal of our teaching, but the way that I present myself and interact with the students will vary depending on the type of class I teach. I believe that you develop a teaching persona that incorporates parts of your personality, but can be distinct from who you are as a person. My results from taking the Big Five Personality showed me that I had high scores in the ‘extroversion’ and ‘agreeableness’ category. My personal preference is to connect with my students outside of just the material and to be as approachable as possible.
"..... the way that I present myself and interact with the students will vary depending on the type of class I teach."
When I act as a lecturer in front of 300 students, I take on an expert and formal authority to create a calm environment in which the focus of the class is on the presentation of information. I want students to feel like the lecture has a clear direction and that I am a trustworthy authority on the material. My extroversion helps in my confidence in front of students, but I have less of a personal connection with the students.
My approach changes when I teach a discussion section or lab section. In these classes, we usually have a small lecture for 15-20 minutes in the beginning of class, but the rest of the time is occupied by the students completing a laboratory or challenge problems. I still try to maintain ‘expert’ status in these classes, but I’m able to form more personal with students so that they feel more comfortable coming to me with concerns and questions during the class period. I can also encourage students to be more collaborative and use tactics like “think-pair-share.”
I think the most variation that comes in our field comes in how we prefer to interact with our students. We should aim to be approachable as instructors, but the amount of personal interactions we have with students can be tailored to our comfort level. The most important goal in chemistry is to provide this foundation of chemical and scientific reasoning, and as long as we as teachers and scientists have worked towards that goal, we can adapt our teaching style to our however we feel both most comfortable and efficacious as educators.
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