Instilling a Love of Learning - One Chemistry Class at a Time

Infusing the Love of Learning and the Love of Chemistry

One early morning to my students,  these words recently came out of my mouth, "I like Chemistry."  A student in my class could have commented in their head with a reply to this, "Duh, like you are teaching this class."  Luckily without any comments from them though, the attention of the class was caught with anticipation of where this was going. 

"I like Chemistry" I said again.  With a short piece on the history of my personal discovery of liking chemistry that goes back to junior high days and a seeing a friend learn her elements using her own mnemonics, to my interest grow through the years, the students rested back into their seats, until this comment hit them, "But, THAT is not why I am here." 

That next phrase would empower them to recognize that there was a greater good of why they were here today.  Their paths are of course of utmost importance.  On average students at this college are 21 years old.  They are here to gain a solid start to college, at a community college price (or even better running start price) and then obtain a degree down the road that will shine well on their resume as they seek out the start of their careers.  Yes the grades are important for the transfer programs.   But what else is at stake here?  What will they remember from this experience and this class overall 10 years down the road?  Is it what is put in front of them or is it what they discover on their own?

"My mission here is to instill a life-long love of learning", I expressed to the now attentive class.

Chemistry takes discipline to dig into the material. Regular quite study sessions to read and "do" the problems on ones own.  Whether students paths includes chemistry or not, this discipline once put into this class to master the subject, can similarily put into other disciplines.  What can motivate our students to putting in the discipline to learn the material for reasons beyond grades?

As ususal this is time of the quarter where students are shifting into the presentation portion of the class.  What aspects of Chemistry interest them most?  They have regular activity sessions to feed off of each other all quarter.  Now what are they going to share with the class in formal presentation mode?

Students interests range from:  the positive chemicals released from a long outdoor jog, to the latest of green technology, to consumer goods like the chemicals in cosmetics to what is happening in the environment and the Chemistry behind it. 

The Molecule responsible for Runner's High - Similar to what is released from THC

They shine as they shift from what 'Chemistry has been presented to them throughout the quarter' to what 'Chemistry related topics they have personal interest in them'.  The spark is in their eyes.  What fuels them, and what fuels the direction of society overlapping together in a way that they can feel part of this subject.

A class period or two after this impromptu message, a student came up to me after the class session.  With a spark in his eyes, he described how he personally related to Chemistry through the hobbies he is doing.  The ranged from using alternative fuels in the gasoline tank to his excitement of preparing for his upcoming presentation.  Student's like this gain doubly when they can personally relate to the subject and their passions can fuel a life long love of learning for all things Chemistry and beyond.

Photo Credit for Anandamide: http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/web/2015/10/Exploring-Molecular-Basis-Runners-High.html