Never in a million years would I think I would walk out of a chemistry classroom actually enjoying the material. I only chose to take the class because it’s what everyone takes their junior year. But Mrs. Koch, my chemistry teacher, taught in such ways that related to my life.
Mrs. Koch is passionate about her teachings. She strives to create stories that relate to real life to explain how they’re present in the chemistry world. One afternoon, she was teaching us about a new topic, p-orbitals in electron configurations and what they look like. “Charlie, you and your friend Jordan are going to get ice cream at the local shop,” she begins to explain. “You arrive, and they have any flavor imaginable. What would you two choose?”
“Mint chocolate chip,” Jordan shares with the class.
“And for you Charlie?” Mrs. Koch says.
“Peanut butter cup sounds good!” says Charlie.
“Now you two receive your ice cream in gigantic waffle cones with two huge scoops on top, that sound okay?”
“Yumm that’s delightful,” the two agree.
“Alright. Now if you each take your ice cream cones and flip them sideways so their pointed-ends of the cone touch, that is what a p-orbital looks like,” Mrs. Koch says.
Mrs. Koch’s driven attitude towards helping students fully understand the tough curriculum of chemistry is definitely worthy of recognition. Her stories connect to the students so vividly that everyone understands the material and can picture what’s happening. The best part is, Mrs. Koch begins each unit with yet another relatable story for all of us to enjoy.
Mrs. Koch’s dedicated time and effort to chemistry truly shows how much she cares about her students, especially me. Her smiling face and huge heart is always available for extra help on top of listening to the typical teenage troubles. Mrs. Koch is not only willing, kind-hearted, and smart, but she is also one-hundred percent devoted to her teachings.