Mixed Blessing
To remind all three of you reading this, I currently teach general chemistry (Chem 101), to mostly freshmen, and biochemistry, to mostly seniors.
Next semester, I am teaching neither of these classes. I was going to teach the second semester of the general chemistry series (which, at Gonzaga, is the first semester of organic chemistry, but that's really neither here nor there), and the print version of the course catalog indicates such. But we had a last minute changing of teaching assignments in the department, and now I'm teaching what is essentially a sophomore-level biology course instead.
I don't mind teaching the new class at all. I think it'll be interesting, and it'll be nice to see some new faces. There are other benefits to teaching it as well, but again, neither here nor there for the current discussion. I'm finding more and more, as spring semester registration hits full swing, that I'm sad to be leaving my students from this semester behind. I've had several of my freshmen ask why I'm not teaching organic next semester, and they seem to be disappointed that I'm not. At the very least, they wanted to take my section of organic, and that has to say something, right?
There's a similar thing in biochemistry. There are two sections of the first semester in the series, and I teach one of them. But not everyone goes on to take the second semester of the series, and traditionally there's only been one section of that class. I'm not teaching it. A number of my biochem students have, again, asked why I'm not teaching biochem next semester, and seem to be disappointed that I'm not.
This whole type of situation was one of my few disappointments about my job last year. I had two sections of general chemistry fall semester, but the second semester, I only taught biochemistry. I had quite a few gen chem students express disappointment over that, and I was disappointed too. I liked my students. I wanted to see them again. I didn't quite realize how important that was to me this year until it was too late. At least I'm going to be here next year, and I can still encounter some of those students later on in their academic careers. I'm really looking forward to that.
Next semester, I am teaching neither of these classes. I was going to teach the second semester of the general chemistry series (which, at Gonzaga, is the first semester of organic chemistry, but that's really neither here nor there), and the print version of the course catalog indicates such. But we had a last minute changing of teaching assignments in the department, and now I'm teaching what is essentially a sophomore-level biology course instead.
I don't mind teaching the new class at all. I think it'll be interesting, and it'll be nice to see some new faces. There are other benefits to teaching it as well, but again, neither here nor there for the current discussion. I'm finding more and more, as spring semester registration hits full swing, that I'm sad to be leaving my students from this semester behind. I've had several of my freshmen ask why I'm not teaching organic next semester, and they seem to be disappointed that I'm not. At the very least, they wanted to take my section of organic, and that has to say something, right?
There's a similar thing in biochemistry. There are two sections of the first semester in the series, and I teach one of them. But not everyone goes on to take the second semester of the series, and traditionally there's only been one section of that class. I'm not teaching it. A number of my biochem students have, again, asked why I'm not teaching biochem next semester, and seem to be disappointed that I'm not.
This whole type of situation was one of my few disappointments about my job last year. I had two sections of general chemistry fall semester, but the second semester, I only taught biochemistry. I had quite a few gen chem students express disappointment over that, and I was disappointed too. I liked my students. I wanted to see them again. I didn't quite realize how important that was to me this year until it was too late. At least I'm going to be here next year, and I can still encounter some of those students later on in their academic careers. I'm really looking forward to that.