Michael Jansen's blog

Michael Jansen offers one of his favorite demos - producing liquid CO₂ from dry ice.

Michael Jansen contemplates his student's reaction to a last minute switch to an old school delivery of a lesson.

Michael Jansen reflects on a very common empirical formula lab that asks students to determine the empirical formula of Mg_xO_y. He then explains how he continues to use it as a "successful failure", how he demonstrates an alternate procedure and leads his students to an important lesson.

To the point; no fluff. Communication so succinct that the message lands. Pardon the pun to Chemistry, but too many words dilute a message. The result: students remember nothing.

Good day, gentle readers:

Let me start by telling a story that, at first blush, has nothing to do with chemistry teaching.

We were converted; we saw the light. No more playing with a balance. Reverence, dude. Without a balance we got nuthin’.

Boredom needs no explanation; we were all (Chemistry) students. A bored student is not an engaged student, and likely not a student who wants to learn. How can we make our lessons more engaging?