PACIFIC SOUTHWEST ASSOCIATION O F CHEMISTRY TEACHERS SALESMANSHIP I N CHEMISTRY TEACHING' J. RAE SCHWENCK Sacramento Junior College and Sacramento State College, Sacramento, California
Y o u can't sell chemistry as a teache: unless you are sold on teaching! You and I have a commodity to sell. Do we make the most of our opportunity and obligation? It is my conviction that a chemistry teacher must use salesmanship just as skillfully as do the hook-men who call upon us, or the representatives of the apparatus companies They make us want what they've got even if we have to go through the painful operation of writing and justifying requisitions to get it. We chemistry teachers have a tremendous advantage and challenge. The advantage exists because our subject has found its way as a requirement in our college curricula. Oursubject has been popularized as the science that has provided "better things for better living." Consequently, when Tve signed on at our respective schools t o teach chemistry me knew that there would be classes waiting for us on the opening day of school. We also knew that, in spite of us, many of our students would stay om until the end of the term. They had to have credit in chemistry and they were determined to get that credit regardless of the mixture in the dish that we set before them. All too frequently the courses set before our young men and women are like inexpensive prepackaged ice rream-full of froth and flavor, without enough body for the aspiring young scientists to set their teeth into. I t is far better that they he given a heavy hash of problems, equations, and theory; those mrho survive such a course will at least have nourishment. But it seems to me that t o be truly effective our courses and textbooks should provide a balanced menu. There should he a scientific hors d'oeuvre t o whet the appetite; the entrd must be of solid demonstratable facts; the salad, of vitamin-rich theory t o insure proper growth; well-prepared garden-fresh problems and questions d l serve as vegetables for this meal; for the student who has time and capacity it is well to provide a pie-a-la-mode of outside reading and special assignments and experiments. Yes, I also consider it very wise to supply an occasional sip of humor, for the wine of laughter is a great stimulus to mutual respect and understanding. I
Presented before the PSACT on November 3. 1951.
It is well that our students he thoroughly satiated at the close of the hour in our classrooms so that they will have plenty to digest before they come again. When we provide this sort of menu our students will he sold; they will he glad to come again t o another feast. At the end of the term when they leave our classrooms they will anticipate the more rigorous fare of advanced courses and individual creative work. From the point of view of the junior college and the liberal arts college the problem is considered to be d i e r ent from that of the university with a large graduate department. It would be wise t o grant the existence of a difference in degree only. Wherever chemistry is taught it should be done with the greatest skill and salesmanship. The realization of this fact mould result in more effective teaching in all types of institutions. A greater nnmher of promising students would select science, and specifically chemistry, as their major, thus insuring our nation of an ever available supply of technically trained personnel. In order to reach some concrete conclusions regarding the selling of a serious interest in chemistry to our students, let us evaluate four areas of influence: (1) the college, (2) the pedagogic technique, (3) the subject matter, and (4) the teacher. Since ideas regarding the relative merits of these four items are obviously somewhat controversial I will present my views in the hope that they will a t least provoke thought, t o the end that each one of us 1viIl strive to teach better. (The preparation of this short paper has already brought into focus a numher of respects in which I have not been doing as effective a job of selling chemistry as I should.) Let us then consider the institutions that do the best job of selling science to their students. In the July, 1951, Scienfifce American is an article entitled, "The Origins of U. S. Scientists." Heading the list of 50 institutions whose male recipients of bachelors' degrees have gone on t o obtain the Ph.D. in natural science, is Reed College in Oregon with the amazing number of 131.8 out of each thousand graduates. I n vain I scanned the list for Northern California's two great universities. The fact that they mere not 368
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included was softened however by the discovery that our California Institute of Technology a t Pasadena mas second on the list with 70.1 per thousand graduates. Note that this is only slightly more than half of the number for Reed. Then. I sought my Alma Mater, finding t o my surprise that two small colleges, one to her north and one to her south, ranked 25th and 32nd respectively, hut Utah was absent. I further noted with satisfaction that the pioneer spirit of the West plays its part, for a far higher percentage of the possible schools of the West made the list in comparison mith eastern colleges and universities. Space will not permit extensive discussion of this article. It is significant, however, to quote briefly regarding two points. In discussing Reed College the article states: Since its founding in 1911 Reed has had s. brilliant record of achievement. During 1925 to 1940 it has produced 12 Rhodes seholsrs. . . Thoueh salaries (at Reed) have heon relativelv " low., many top-notch men have come to Reed to teach and have stayed there, di~dainingmore lucrative positions. Among the etudents. the campus hero is the scholar. The curriculum is individuality of instruction, organized to foster a maximum and traehcrs and pupils alike carry an a tradition of disputatious ness which in man" institutions might be a sign of disorganizsr tion and dissatisfaction.
~h~ article furthermore desckihes the typeof instructor who is most effective: Statistical examination of the ratings assigned by students and by the investigator indicated first that a successful teacher is not especially distinguished for his mastery of superficial pedagogic skills. Rather, the successful teachers are marked hy three cardinal traits: masterfulness, warmth and professional dignity. ~t would amear that tho success of such teachers rests mainlv upon their capacity to assume a father role to their students,-inthe best sense, and to inspire them to an emulation of the teacher's
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The conclusions reached in this article indicate that the most fertile soil in which to set the feet of a young man who would he inspired to scientific achievement is found in the smaller liberal arts colleges. One obvious question is "Why?" May I he so hold as to suggest the answer as "inspiration rather than mass-production"? So much for the colleges! Second, let us glance at the pedagogic techniques to be employed in the selling of chemistry to our students. Extensive training in methods of teaching is not essential. I n fact, it is notable that the presidents and most of the faculty members of most of our great universities and liheral arts colleges have never had wch courses. According to school law these men are not qualified t o teach in our secondary schools, never having plowed through the mumbo-jumbo of the required courses in education. On the junior college and high-school level there seems t o he the conviction that nearly any credentialed individual is qualified, through the divine guidance of courses on the techniques of teaching, t o present the subject matter of any course. Yetevery teacher knows that there are successful teachers who have never been exposed t o courses on how to teach. All of us have developed many of our own techniques through experience as the
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need arose, and through the emulation of outstanding men under whom we have studied. I n chemistry instruction there are certain classroom techniques that have become traditional. They are typical sales techniques. The salesman spreads his wares before the prospective huyer so that the buyer will see, admire, and desire. We have all been influenced by the spread put out on our living room floor by the Fuller Brush man. We know that our students are influenced by the effective use of demonstrations, charts, chemical displays, films, and apparatus set-ups. Chemistry teaching, to be most inspirational, needs these visual aids. They should be relatively simple, easy t,o follow and to understand. They may be dramatic. Fundamentally, however, they must illustrate scientific principles and clarify facts. Do you and I use these visual devices to their best advantage? From a consideration of the department in which I serve. I know that me do not. I susnect that most of you do not. I t takes a lot of time and effortto prepare effectivedemonstrations for a chemistry class. I n this respect the professors of our large ~niversitieshave a tremendous advantage because they are vrovided mith the services of student assistants: many teachers in smaller colleges - are similarly fortunate: Because of heavy teaching loads and lack of adequate facilities, we in the junior college and in most state collews fall far short of makinz" the most effective use of these devices. Yes, and some of us am too lazy, Most Of us do better. ~t is my conviction that every chemistry lecture demonstration. Can we convince our hoards of education that we need time allowed in our class schedules for orenaration? An opportunity forcloserassociationwithonrstudents is the advantage of the smaller schools. A chemist acquaintance ofmine who is well on his way to his first million states. "I wasn't a verv " zood st,udent. hut one of my profs gave me all the personal aid that I needed. He is largely responsible for my success." Contrast that experience with the lecture section of 500 broken into 25 lab groups which are supervised by student assistants whose own superior ability in chemistry makes them unsympathetic with the difficulties of their charges. Discussion on the points of pedagogic techniques could go on indefinitely, but such discussion is not necessary. Each of us can afford to do a little self-evaluating on this point. Perhaps we can diplomatically influence our colleagues! Third, let us focus our attention on subject matter. In whatever chemistry course we teach, the essential subject matter of that course should he covered. I t was with great regret that I was unable t o attend the meetings of our organization when the topic for discussion was "What can we throw out of the course in general chemistry?" Knowledge about chemistry is so voluminous that it is easy to lose sight of the fundamental principles of the science in the unlimited maze of facts through which we must strive t o lead our students. Our textbooks have become so large that
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they are cumbersome and often discouraging. I have ened by a condition that has become alarmingly prevaoften felt that they have been written with the motive lent in the last few years. Many potential M.D. and of showing how much the author knows rather than D.D.S. candidates, unable to secure admittance to with the desire to impart fundamental knowledge t o medical and dental schools, are deciding to become high-school and junior college science teachers, saying, the student. It is my conviction that we in chemistry must criti- "No, I don't particularly care for teaching but . . . ." cally select the fundamental principles that are essential There are numbers of such young people attending our to the courses that we offer,and that we must use these State Teachers Colleges. They are capable young principles as the basis of our teaching. We cannot hope people but for them teaching is a compromise. Let to cover all of the related facts. Facts should be drawn us hope and pray that someone with whom they come from as wide as possible a range of applicable industrial, in contact will be able to make teaching become truly social, and historical data, but their function should be their first love, and not just a stop-gap job. If they are to establish the few fundamental principles. If we to be sold on the vocation of science teaching as one of can successfully weed out the extraneous subject matter the most worth-while tasks it must be done by science we will be more successful as teachers. It is notable teachers. I cannot conceive of that inspiration being that western institutions have taken the lead in teach- gained from courses in education! We who are their ing "principles." science teachers must show them by example that our It is poor sales psychology to expect the student to vocation is worth while and that we.love our work. carry around a textbook that is obviously too large t o We must always play the game. The standing of our profession is frequently weakbe mastered during the semester or the year allotted for the course. One great disadvantage of larger books is ened by our colleagues who do not play the game. I that the teacher must skipassign; this cannot be done recall the students' lack of respect for a teacher who without the loss of continuity in subject matter and in would not admit and correct an error in his explauathe scientific philosophy that is being developed. tion; the disgust for a biology teacher who doped I t is also poor sales psychology to require the student every solution to be sure of getting a digestion reaction; to buy a textbook in which assignments are not made. the fear of a teacher who belittled the capacity of his One freshman chemistry teacher, a user of the splendid students; the hatred of a teacher who consistently drove Frantz lab manual, said to me, "I find this manual the poorer students from his classes and embarrassed entirely adequate for the course. I don't make three those remaining; the pity for a teacher who constantly assignments in our selected lecture text during the whole fumbled because he did not know his subject matter; term." Then I heard a student comment, "Yea! the indifference to the teacher who was bored with his Then why'd he make us buy the darned thing-it job. One final criterion of the success of a chemistry teacher is that he has not only inspired the chemistry cost $4.75." Another disadvantage of the large text is that the majors, but that also the general students in his classes conscientious teacher and his students become bound to have found chemistry to be an approachable and underit in the attempt to justify its purchase. This removes standable subject, worthy of the student's respect. The salesman who comes to your door must possess the teacher's greatest opportunity for salesmaushipthe privilege of inspiring the student by drawing from certain personal traits. He must be diplomatic. If personal experience and from the splendid storehouse of he expects to come again for a repeat sale he must be chemical literature to enrich his course with current honest. He must display versatility, adaptability, factual information that illustrates the principles that and resourcefulness. To he really successful he must he is teaching. know his commodities thoroughly and must believe The literature of the field of chemistry, i. e., articles in their value. Above all, a salesman must never lose to he found regularly in the various periodicals are sight of his objective, the siguature on the dotted line. excellent reservoirs of inspiration to use in selling interest So it is with us. A chemistry teacher must never to the general student. lose sight of his objective-lthe absorption by the stuFinally, let us consider ourselves, the teachers who do dent of knowledge and of inspiration to such an extent the selling. My opening sentence was, "You cannot that he, the ~ t u d e n t may , be better equipped to face sell chemistry as a teacher unless you are sold on teach- the future. If we as teachers do not give our students ing." Stated otherwise, one can best sell an interest both knowledge and inspiration we will be wasting much in chemistry if he is sincerely interested in teaching, if of our time and theirs. When we do give both knowlteaching chemistry is his first and greatest interest. edge and iuspiration the rewards to us, although often The effectivenessof our teaching profession is threat- intangible, are rich indeed.
