Back to School: Engaging Our Students
Well, classes are now back in session and of course my life is slowly becoming hectic once again! Every semester, I try to figure out the best strategy to engage my chemistry students. This is a real challenge for all educators, but I do try to use humor when appropriate. Recently, I gave a lecture focusing on atomic orbitals and I informed my students that I really like to ‘think of orbitals merely as a place where electrons like to hang out, just as I like to hang out at DSW because I like shoes.’ Immediately after I say this, the students (especially the young ladies) in my class began smiling and giggling. Ok, with this analogy, we can think of DSW as an orbital and myself as an electron, but that is not the point. The goal was to get their attention, so they will focus on the important stuff. Developing effective teaching strategies is not easy. It takes time, patience, and a lot of hard work. You also must keep in mind that every class is different. What worked for one class may