Spring 2021
CHEM 238, CHEM 241, HONORS 393,
HONORS 397, P BIO 499
CHEM 238/241
My success in CHEM 237 largely stemmed from diligently reading the textbook and doing every practice problem so I figured I could do the same with CHEM 238. But after receiving a lower score than I expected on the first exam, I realized I needed to take a different approach for this class. Instead of spending so much time with the textbook, I created detailed study guides based on the lectures and wrote out the reaction mechanisms over and over again until I committed them to memory. This ensured that I was actively applying what we were learning instead of blindly reviewing the textbook. The result was my first perfect score on an o-chem exam! My professor also gave us the opportunity to submit our own question for the final exam. In the process of writing my question, as shown on the right, I realized I enjoy writing exam questions because I get to compile all of the material we learned over the quarter into a fun scenario. This was also a great way to review for the final!
Although I was bummed about having to do the labs for CHEM 241 online, I learned a lot of analytical techniques that helped me better understand what I was learning in 238. My favorite one was NMR spectroscopy, a key concept that allowed me to determine the structure of a molecule based on a series of resonance signals. Making direct connections between these two classes also provided me with a stronger foundation when I did the lab reports, which was evident in the scores that I received. I'm proud of how far I've gotten through the o-chem sequence and I'm looking forward to completing it over the summer.
HONORS 393
This course was titled "Music, Birdsong, and the Limits of the Human" so I was expecting to make connections between birdsong and my passion for music, but HONORS 393 ended up affecting so many other parts of my life. A significant component of this course was observing birds in a "field site" and although I've always been fascinated by birds, I've never really been able to recognize any of them by their voice. Now, after an entire quarter of birding in my backyard, I am now able to identify over 20 different bird species by ear, some of which are captured in the photo gallery on the right. Whether it was hearing the chuckle of a Steller's Jay or the shrill of a Spotted Towhee, I enjoyed hearing the birds I share my home with and learning their names, something I wouldn't have done if it weren't for this course. Plus, after spending over a year cooped up in my house, it was refreshing to get outside every day and connect with nature. Our professor is hoping to plan a class field trip sometime in the future so I eagerly anticipate that experience but until then, I'll be continuing my birding adventures from the comfort of my backyard.
HONORS 397
My interest in teaching an HONORS 100 section as a Peer Educator stemmed from my passion for teaching as well as my desire to create a welcoming space for students as they navigate their first quarter at UW. Although I have had many teaching experiences in the past, HONORS 100 will be my first time teaching a class of students entirely on my own, which sounded both exciting and terrifying. However, as I took this seminar in preparation for being a Peer Educator, I was provided with the support and the resources I need to ensure that my section goes smoothly in the fall.
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One of the most valuable discussions we had was centered around the importance of self-care and modeling reflection in the classroom. This past year has been an especially difficult time for everyone but it was amazing to see how we plan to bring the experiences we have gained in our time at UW into the classroom. I decided to include at least one form of self-reflection in each of my lesson plans, whether it's through leading an activity or sharing a personal experience – as I wanted to show my students that college isn't all about the good and exciting things and that it's okay to talk about the difficult parts as well.
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Speaking of lesson plans, this has definitely been my favorite aspect of HONORS 397. At first, it was hard to imagine how I would plan out 6 hours worth of sections but because I love organizing and planning, I found that I enjoyed organizing my lesson plans into neat tables and figuring out how to make each section informative and engaging. The final product is almost 30 pages of icebreakers, presentations, and activities scheduled down to the minute. Of course, my lesson plans are bound to change but I'm proud of how detailed I was able to make them while incorporating the feedback I got from my advisers and peers.
We also had three opportunities throughout the quarter to practice our teaching skills, the first of which involved creating our own teaching tool that incorporated a specific component of the HONORS 100 curriculum. To the right is the teaching tool I came up with, a worksheet I designed to guide students through making their portfolios. Each box includes a key aspect of the student experience, making it easy for students to use it every quarter. So far, the section where we introduce the Honors portfolio is the one I'm most excited to teach because of my investment in my portfolio and it'll be interesting to see how my students incorporate aspects of this worksheet into their own portfolios.
As my time in this seminar comes to an end – signaled by my Peer Educator profile being posted on the Honors website – I continue to ponder over what it means to be an educator. A teacher who creates an environment that makes all opportunities accessible, a leader who ensures that everyone feels connected within a community, a friend who's always willing to lend a helping hand. Although my perfectionist tendencies compel me to take on all of these roles, I know that there's no such thing as a perfect educator. As I facilitate my lesson plans, I hope to accept that reality and understand that the process of becoming a great educator is one that never ends. So rather than trying to be the kind of Peer Educator I want to be, I aim to be the kind of Peer Educator that my students need as they begin their Husky experience. Overall, I'm so thankful to my fellow cohort and our advisers, Claire and Nadra, for making this seminar such a supportive environment. I'm incredibly excited to see how our sections will proceed in the fall, a period that will certainly be a new chapter for all of us!