Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad

July-December 2017

CY 5011 Organic Practical

CY 8997 DNA nanotechnology: Structure and applications

As Teaching Assistant: Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur 2008-2010

o General chemistry-organic (CHM 101); assisted students in class with home-work problems or material they found difficult to understand.

o Chemistry laboratory-Theory (CHM 101N); teaches chemistry theory behind lab experiments

o Organic chemistry-I Laboratory (CHM 401); supervised and instructed students in organic chemistry techniques. Emphasized on writing complete and accurate scientific notes.

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching chemistry can be challenging for many reasons, an important one being student’s preconception. For example, some students get puzzled by the sheer number of reactions or the visual structural complexity in organic chemistry. My initial role as an instructor is to clear misconception and to provide them with the knowledge, tools, and skill required to overcome their apprehension of chemistry. Once this is done it is important to guide them through the learning process of chemistry itself and stimulate them to use the reasoning acquired to solve complex problems. I also believe, that progression from introductory to the most complex should be followed by the current development in the field which keeps the course material fresh and up-to-date for the student and for the instructor. Teaching methods should be innovative and interactive; for instance, using models in organic chemistry or classroom seminars might enhance student’s comprehension of the material and makes learning more interesting.

I also feel that the laboratory experience is important to the education of chemistry student to better illustrate the basic concepts and a better understanding of the subject could be developed. At the higher level, the students should be given the opportunity to work in a research laboratory and handle true research problems, part of which should include writing a rough draft of at least parts of the manuscript as well as discussing their results at an appropriate platform.