March 2012

# A chemistry teacher’s pet peeves

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Jean Hein

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The following two pet peeves were sent in by Mira Soni, John F. Ross Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Guelph ON.

One of my pet peeves is the modelling and use of "dummy triangles" in academic level classes, but even more-so in senior level classes. Honestly, is it too much to expect students to be able to learn how to rearrange three-variable equations and/or use unit analysis to figure out which way the wind blows….

Oh yes, another pet peeve is how much curriculum has been uploaded into 12U Chemistry (in Ontario, “U” indicates a course for university-bound students). The course now includes the basics of hydrocarbon nomenclature, formerly part of 11U Chemistry. For the 12U, there is already an awful lot to get through in a thorough and thus meaningful way — especially given what students bring to the table these days compared to just 10 years back.

[Thanks Mira for starting us off. One of the first-year lab instructors mentioned her dislike of C1V1 = C2V2 after reading Mira’s comments. Send in your pet peeves and/or solutions to Jean Hein in order to share and commiserate with other chemistry teachers. ]

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