Kylene Utah

Teaching Philosophy

IMPORTANT SKILLS I WANT TO TEACH MY STUDENTS

I hope to teach my students to be great problem-solvers. By the end of their year in chemistry, students should be able to look at a challenging problem and formulate a plan for how to approach solving it. My goal is to help students realize that they can use prior knowledge and experiences and apply these to any problem they may come across, even if it’s something new or different than what they have seen previously.

 TEACHING METHODS TO REACH THESE GOALS

In my classroom, students hone their problem-solving skills by working hands-on in groups to collectively work towards a common goal. This goal may range from a challenging mathematical problem, a POGIL activity, or an inquiry-based laboratory. I facilitate the process and help when needed. I like to take a step back and allow the students to try and figure out how to come to an answer on their own to further develop these problem-solving skills.

 MY FAVORITE PROJECTS

My favorite activities throughout the year are those that engage students and get them working hands-on in the lab. Chemistry can be applied to everything around us, and labs that help students see and understand that are my favorite. For example, we do a snack food calorimetry lab where students burn pieces of their favorite snacks to determine the energy content in the food, and then compare their findings to the accepted values on the nutrition label. Labs or activities that offer some sense of competition also tend to be extremely engaging. For example, in the Less than Zero lab students use their knowledge of thermodynamics to see which lab group can manipulate variables in a system to cool an aqueous solution to the lowest temperature.

 WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT TEACHING AT SEVEN HILLS

Seven Hills is such a special school. When I entered the school for the first time, I immediately recognized the respect and encouragement that exists between the students, faculty, and administration. There is an amazing sense of community at Seven Hills. In fact, every day students walk out of the classroom thanking you for the time you spent together. The students are passionate about learning, which makes my job fun!