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Dear Parent(s),
Hi! My name is Bill Heeren.
I am your son’s/daughter’s chemistry teacher this year.
I would like to just share
with you a few thoughts about chemistry. Traditionally, chemistry is a
very difficult course. It is a course that demands much discipline on the
part of students, both in and out of class. Not only does it require
abstract thought as students are asked to look at the world in a molecular
way, but it also applies numerous logical and mathematical skills, skills
that were difficult in and by themselves when they were first encountered.
It is understandable why chemistry has the reputation it does and why many
students enter the course with a great deal of trepidation.
It would be very easy to
perpetuate that feeling, the feeling that chemistry is a "bear"
of a course. It is my goal, however, to destroy it instead. I really don’t
feel that many people grow to love learning out of fear or when that
learning is unreasonably difficult. Everyone needs and appreciates a
challenge. That won’t be a problem in chemistry. What will be a problem
is when your son/daughter begins to feel great anxiety and begins turning
off of chemistry.
That is where I
especially need your help. If you would, please maintain open lines of
communication with your child (who just happens to be a young adult now)
and with me concerning chemistry. If you start to notice your child is not
bringing work home on a regular basis, please discuss that with him/her.
If you notice that he/she is feeling the need to cram unnecessarily before
exams, please address that too. If you son/daughter is responding to
chemistry like he/she does to a bad toothache, please intervene. In any
and all cases, please contact me via phone(715-359-6561 Ext4204) or e-mail
( bheeren@dce.k12.wi.us) as well.
Over the time I have been
at Everest, I have had the privilege to work with quite a number of
students in chemistry. In all of that time, I can honestly say that almost
universally, for those students that had great difficulty with chemistry,
the problem was not a lack of ability, that is to say chemistry was not
too difficult for the individual. Rather, the difficulty lay with problems
of self-discipline, attitudes, or other personal matters. I’m happy to
say though, that the vast majority have succeeded, have done extremely
well as they moved into the collegiate arena. I’m always amazed at the
different talents that everyone brings to the table. I expect with your
help, not only will your child succeed, but also he/she will excel in
chemistry. That is my goal. That is OUR goal!
To begin with, your
son/daughter will be given a number of handouts over the first few days.
Please look them over with him/her. Ask him/her what are the three main
goals of chemistry class. Periodically if you can, ask about what was
going on in class that day. You can really help – big time – by asking
questions that you have of the natural or physical world that might be
related to chemistry. The question/comment could be concerning health
needs, your hobbies, cleaning agents, the gardens… Send your child out
to find the information. If he/she can’t find it, we’ll do our best in
class to come up with some kind of guess.
I look forward to working
with your son/daughter and you this year.
Sincerely,
Wm Heeren
William Heeren |
