Some key points to consider when teaching IB Diploma Chemistry

Vary how you teach

No matter how well you implement a particular style of teaching students will begin to switch off if you do not vary both the pace and the method of delivery. 60 minutes is a long time to ask students to concentrate. Lighten up for some of that time and engage them in different tasks during the lesson.

Consider how you ‘teach from the front’

There are times when we do have to ‘teach from the front’. If you use powerpoints then use them sparingly and look at them afresh from the point of view of the audience. Keep words to a minimum, use large fonts and plenty of images and video links. Learn from the professionals. I’m not suggesting that we are salesmen but it is worth watching  the video below which analyses how the late Steve Jobs of Apple was so successful at presenting.

  Presenting like Steve Jobs

Encourage self-learning

With the strong current emphasis on examination skills (see Teaching styles) many teachers tend to ‘spoon feed’ their students. I see teaching the 16-19 age range as the transition between spoon feeding and self-learning. Students at this age do still need guidance and direction but increasingly they must learn to take responsibility for their own learning. Sometimes teachers say there is nowhere near enough time for them to cover everything in the syllabus. In fact there is as you do not need to ‘dot every i’ and ‘cross every t’ – let the students do some of it themselves. If you insist on teaching them absolutely everything they will flounder when they get to university when suddenly there will be no one standing over them telling them exactly what they must do.

Get students to work in groups

This may sound obvious but I still see many classes set out in the traditional sets of rows with each student facing the front (teacher) but not their fellow students. One of the best ways for students to learn is to interact with each other. The stronger students will find out if they really understand it if they have to explain it to a weaker student and the weaker students will be encouraged to explore their difficulties. Many Chemistry teachers do this as a matter of routine when they pair up students for practical sessions but how often do you do it during theory lessons?

Get students to present topics individually

In a way this follows on from the above statement. Instead of you ‘teaching’ the whole of every topic from the front get them individually (or perhaps in small groups) to teach small parts of it. This will encourage them to research it first and will very much increase their understanding as they will have ‘ownership’ of the sub-topic. It will also help to develop their communication skills and the idea will not be new to them as they will have to do it for their TOK presentation. You can be an active member of their class and at the end review their presentation and hopefully praise it whilst gently pointing out any important areas which they may have missed or been confused about.

1-2-4 exercise

I learnt this technique from another teacher and have found it very useful. Ask students to make bullet points on important aspects of a discussion, argument or topic without talking to anyone else. After a few minutes ask them to highlight what they think are the two most important points. Then pair them up with another student. They should then discuss what each has come up with explaining why they think their points are the most important then they must agree between them just the two most important points. Finally put two pairs together and repeat the exercise. One spokesperson from each group of four then gives their two points and a list can be made on the board of all the two points that each foursome comes up with. You can then review their findings and comment and add anything else you feel they have missed. The point about this is that everyone has to be fully involved (they can’t just be sitting in your class daydreaming of the night before or whatever…), they have to be selective and they have to be able to listen and to negotiate. Finally no one is made to appear stupid and yet everyone has had to contribute. One of the interesting outcomes is that usually between the whole class they do actually cover all the salient points.

Encourage time for both reflection and creativity

This perhaps follows on from the first point. When introducing a topic ask students to reflect upon what they already know. Build upon existing knowledge and encourage them to think critically. During the teaching of the topic make links to other areas (both within chemistry and elsewhere) to stimulate creativity and inquiry. Give them time to reflect on what they have learned at the end of the topic. The video below shows Sir Ken Robinson questioning whether schools are killing creativity.

  Ken Robinson on creativity

Don’t stick to ‘lesson plans’

Some years ago I had the Chief UK Government Inspector for 16-19 year olds observing one of my classes. He had come to learn how the IB works. After the lesson we were chatting and I said that I would have failed his ‘inspection’ as I have never written a lesson plan in my life. He laughed and said that recently he had been in a school and the Chairman of the Governors had asked him, “What is all this rubbish about lesson plans. If I had to go into hospital to have an operation and the surgeon had to write a lesson plan I‘d run a mile?” I can see that lesson plans might be good for a new teacher but an experienced teacher should know what he or she is trying to achieve during the lesson without needing to write it down. The problem with a written lesson plan is that teachers are often afraid to deviate. I have observed several new teachers ask a question and then ignore answers from students that are not the answer they want. Students whose answers were ignored sometimes made very perceptive comments or suggestions but because their answers did not fit the lesson plan they were passed over. A skilful teacher should go with and explore all answers and comments that students give to end up eventually with what they want to achieve in the lesson rather than follow one set pathway to the goal without any deviation.

Get students to tell you what you are going to say next

At a university you may be one of five hundred students attending a lecture and the lecturer does simply have to lecture. I try never to ‘lecture’ when I am teaching. I see teaching a normal sized class as a dialogue between the teacher and the students. By continually questioning them and asking for their opinion a skilful teacher should be able to train students to work out for themselves what is coming next. I know it does not always work but the skill is in asking the right leading questions to guide your students in their thinking.

Train students to ask questions not just answer them

This follows on from above and is perhaps the hardest skill to impart in your teaching. It is not answering questions that show real understanding it is asking them. Every so often in my career I have been stopped dead in my tracks by a student asking a question that I have never thought of before. Sometimes the questions seem blindingly obvious to ask and yet the answers are not simple to come by because no one has thought that way before. When that happens you know that teaching is simply magic and so worthwhile!

It is worth spending then minutes or so watching the following video of a TED talk by Ramsey Musallam, a chemistry teacher, talking about the three rules of good chemistry teaching.

  3 rules to spark learning

Know your own body language

Be aware of not only what you are teaching but also how your students perceive how you teach. If you can get someone to video you teaching and then look at it as it is played back you can learn much about your own characteristics that you may currently be unaware of. It may be worth you searching on the Internet as there are several YouTube videos on poor teaching techniques.