When I decided to do Chemistry in college, it was based, on what I thought and still think, on very logical thinking. I was not going to spend hours memorizing biological names and had no inclination for math or physics. That left Chemistry and I believed that I sort of got it. I used the same type of rationale later to switch from Chemistry to Biochemistry.
But learning chemistry and teaching chemistry are two different ball game. Especially to a bunch of biologists who want to do only molecular biology. Especially when I left chemistry after completing B.Sc. Yet when my colleague fell ill, I jumped at the chance. It would be fun, I thought, to go back to one's roots and re-learn the entire thing. Plus I was bored of teaching the same thing again and again, year after year, and I felt that if things are left as it was, I, too, would resort to using the same notes- believe me after teaching the same subject for few years to a bunch of students who do not ask questions it really is tempting to use the same notes.
So here I am this year teaching physical and inorganic chemistry to the first year M.Sc students. It is scary because I do not know if I will do justice to the subject. But at the same time I am sort of thrilled at the opportunity.
Most of the students have had some chemistry in their undergraduation though it was appalling to know that some them have not even been exposed to physical chemistry. It promises to be an interesting semester.
This year, after much prodding from UGC, we have introduced tutorials for students. However, the onus is again on the teacher. We do not have any teaching assistants. So a 2-credit course with two classes per week essentially becomes a 3-credit course with three classes per week even though one of that class is optional. The tutorials are meant to help those students who are having difficulty with the subject but I do not know how it will pan out in the end.
But learning chemistry and teaching chemistry are two different ball game. Especially to a bunch of biologists who want to do only molecular biology. Especially when I left chemistry after completing B.Sc. Yet when my colleague fell ill, I jumped at the chance. It would be fun, I thought, to go back to one's roots and re-learn the entire thing. Plus I was bored of teaching the same thing again and again, year after year, and I felt that if things are left as it was, I, too, would resort to using the same notes- believe me after teaching the same subject for few years to a bunch of students who do not ask questions it really is tempting to use the same notes.
So here I am this year teaching physical and inorganic chemistry to the first year M.Sc students. It is scary because I do not know if I will do justice to the subject. But at the same time I am sort of thrilled at the opportunity.
Most of the students have had some chemistry in their undergraduation though it was appalling to know that some them have not even been exposed to physical chemistry. It promises to be an interesting semester.
This year, after much prodding from UGC, we have introduced tutorials for students. However, the onus is again on the teacher. We do not have any teaching assistants. So a 2-credit course with two classes per week essentially becomes a 3-credit course with three classes per week even though one of that class is optional. The tutorials are meant to help those students who are having difficulty with the subject but I do not know how it will pan out in the end.
You are the first, and perhaps the only biologist I've come across who actually likes chemistry - and is bold enough to teach it. A strong grounding in basic chemistry, especially organic chemistry, is essential for success in biology research, no matter which branch it is. It is a pity that most biologists do not appreciate this fact. Gets really frustrating when I have to teach basic chemistry fundas to people who have PhD's in the life sciences - right from what is a covalent bond onwards. One just cannot use high-end instruments like LC-MS, FTIR and the like, without a strong knowledge of chemistry - and one cannot hope to succeed in academic research either. Cheers ... SKS
ReplyDeleteWhen the Department of Biotechnology and the School of Life Sciences were set up, students from all branches of sciences used to apply, fostering inter-disciplinarity. Unfortunately, at some point some idiot decided to introduce B.Sc in Biotechnology, Microbiology, Genetics, Molecular biology... Later, they also decided to introduce Biotechnology and Computers as subjects in School. So we get students who have not done Math after 10th class. To compound the problem the biologists of today do not appreciate any other branch of science so the entrance exam question paper excludes chemists, physicists and mathematicians. It is such a pity how we ruined the biological field- which truly draws inspiration from other fields.
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