How to teach university-level chemistry well

For Ben Lear, the most rewarding aspect of being an educator is helping students overcome various challenges. ‘When a student has been struggling to understand something, and you help them root out the source of their struggle, that’s the most satisfying [part],’ says Lear, a professor of chemistry at Pennsylvania State University in the US. Moreover, he says, teaching provides ‘a chance to practice explaining things’. After all, scientists have to explain the value of their research to their trainees and colleagues daily.

Here are some helpful suggestions for teaching chemistry in a way that helps students appreciate the subject and cultivate a genuine interest in it.