Chemistry by: Spencer Hill

                As of late, my blogs have been quicker, more anecdotal, and less all-encompassing. I haven’t tackled any huge topics like grading or technology in a while. I have some topics on my radar, like stress and homework, but I haven’t found the time to buckle up and grind out a blog. Although I haven’t been swamped 24/7 with constant work, I’ve been busy. I’m trying to take back control of my sophomore year, working on my chapter for the upcoming #bowtieboys book, and wrestling my procrastination. I decided that I should get a blog out and, surprisingly, I was enticed to write about my chemistry class. I had never really thought about it before, but I realized I could roll with a class analysis. In fact, I decided that this could even be a recurring series on my blog: Class Analysis.

                Overall, I would rate my chemistry very positively. The assessments, in-class work, and homework are all very reasonable and balanced. My teacher is a great class leader who knows how to engage body of students. They are helpful and charismatic, so even if the assignments feel boring or repetitive, the teacher can keep the class alive.

                The assessments are very standard; multiple choice and show your work questions. I’m not a very picky student and like I said earlier, the assessments feel quite fair. Chemistry is similar to math, in that it is often a very linear class. It’s not as open-ended as English, so it makes sense that the assessments are right-and-wrong, just like the class itself. There are occasional research projects too, which translate to researching a topic and making a presentation for it. If you’ve read my work before, then you know that I am a big fan of projects. When the class was doing a unit on elemental structure (like in model A), we researched notable chemical spills. Chemical spills were the perfect way to tie what we were learning to real world events, the perfect balance of research to background knowledge, and an appropriate amount of time and points. The labs, however, are the element (badum tssch) of chemistry that make it so great for me. Unlike most classes, the majority of my grade in chemistry comes from my labs rather then tests. Because the labs are so frequent (nearly every other class), the students come into class knowing that they can recover from any mistakes they make. The labs aren’t just good for grading, they also provide the chemistry’s signature explosive, acidic fun.

                Labs are the core of chemistry that most of the classes resolve around. We often take notes during the front half of the class and have labs in the second part. Although the notes aren’t very different from any other class, my teacher has them filled with great analogies and metaphors. I’ve beaten around the bush for a while now, but the labs are what solidify everything tough concept that we learn. What better way to understand water reactions than by creating reactions with water? It’s the ultimate visual. We can see everything nearly everything we learn I first person. Honestly, the labs are the only things in the class that keep my grade up, through their face grade and preparing me for the test.

                My chemistry teacher is what ties the whole class together. Hard classes often lead to kids despising every aspect of the class. But my teacher manages to keep the duration of the class stress-free and fun even though some students are struggling and don’t know what’s going on. They accomplish from the use of an abundance of humor so cheesy, that I can’t help but laugh. The other factor that leads to their success is simple conversation. She’s open to side conversations and discussions during the class, which keeps the mood light. They’re a likeable person who really cares about engaging us and that is very clear.

                Although chemistry is one of the hardest and most stressful courses on my schedule, I love almost every piece of it. I’m very comfortable with the grading scale and number of points in the book. I have chances to recover from my mistakes and I know that no single assignment will permanently destroy my grade. The general safety and state of mind contributes to me being able to perform to my fullest. The teacher threads every small aspect of the class together to make one stress-free, fluid experience.