Elzbieta (Elizabeth) Cook

Office: 131 Choppin Hall

Tel: (225) 578-3574

Conversation: I constantly converse with my students during lectures. I pose questions and wait for answers, ask for questions from students, provide answers, or… answer with questions. By asking a question, students make the first step toward answering it. Questions inquiring ‘How’, ‘What if’, ‘Why’ or ‘Why not’ tend to be more important than those inquiring ‘What’.

Humor: By not taking myself too seriously, I feel younger and better connected to my students. Since one cannot have fun with chemistry without some prior knowledge, I walk a fine line between rigors of teaching science and the fun of knowing it.

Evaluation: How students perform in class reflects on how well I teach them and how I inspire them to learn. It evaluates me.

Math skills: I really appreciate mathematics. I therefore tend to give my students a brief overview of the necessary mathematics so that it does not become an obstacle in learning and enjoying chemistry.

Individuality: Each student is an individual with his or her emotions and one-of-a-kind history. In large class situations, individuality needs to be nurtured, but within reason. I strive to respect student’s individual needs, have compassion for student’s life circumstances, and help with student’s individual learning style.

Society: I know I am privileged to have received the gift of education. As my students mature, I wish for them to want to give back to the society by sharing their knowledge, mentoring younger generation and respecting the environment.

Trust: It is challenging for me to meet with a new group of students every semester and convince them to trust my ability to deliver my course at the right level. Failure is a real option, and I try to learn from it.

Reasoning: I show students that before conclusions can be made, there is a logical and sometimes lengthy process that must take place–to connect the dots, to show the ‘cause-and-effect’ relationship.

Youth: My students are my fountain of youth. It is my job to harness some of their youthful energy and channel it towards active learning.