Teaching Chemistry in Graduate School

摘要

If you are an academic reading this commentary, then you already have teaching experience. Most likely, you have spent several semesters in front of the classroom, and you could probably teach any given lecture from your course(s) with your eyes closed. But think back to your first semester as a faculty member when your teaching skills weren't so polished. Did you feel lost as a teacher? Did you ever wish that you had received the opportunity to teach earlier in your career? If you are like any one of the dozens of faculty members I know, then you had a shaky start in the classroom followed by better years. Now, you are a pro—a teaching veteran who has seen it all. This trend in teaching skills can be troubling, especially to a graduate student such as myself who is interested in pursuing a career in academia. Why do the shaky years have to fall within the tenure window, when everything a new faculty member does is under the magnifying glass and scrupulously analyzed by peers who are already professionals at juggling the faculty trifecta—teaching, research, and service? Why isn't there additional training for teachers in graduate school?