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| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Sauer |
I have posted a few stories of extraordinary people that we can use for motivation in our daily lives as teachers. It is perhaps time to do so again, and this time around, I thought that we must highlight the life of Joachim Sauer, one of the world's most prominent quantum and computational chemistry researchers, who received his first doctorate in chemistry (Dr. rer. nat.) from Humboldt University in Berlin at the age of 25 in 1974.
Back to Joachim Sauer. In 2019, the American Chemical Society (ACS) published an article about this extraordinary man. This article highlights a few things that we as teachers can use to make sure we do the best in our Physical Science classes. Please read the article of the ACS (I have highlighted a few sentences for you) and notice how Prof. Sauer referred to the role of "teachers" in his life:
Who is Joachim Sauer? He is the husband of Angela Merkel, of whom we have heard a lot recently when she stepped down as the first female chancellor of Germany. She served as chancellor from 2005 until recently.
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| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel#Education_and_scientific_career |
Everybody knows her as a formidable politician. However, you might find it interesting, in case you do not know it, that she speaks Russian fluently, and that she also holds a doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) in quantum chemistry, which she received in 1986, a few years before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Before entering politics, she worked as a researcher and published several papers.
Back to Joachim Sauer. In 2019, the American Chemical Society (ACS) published an article about this extraordinary man. This article highlights a few things that we as teachers can use to make sure we do the best in our Physical Science classes. Please read the article of the ACS (I have highlighted a few sentences for you) and notice how Prof. Sauer referred to the role of "teachers" in his life:
- Somebody that exposed him to practical work.
- Somebody that made sure he took part in Chemistry Olympiads.
- The role of an inspiring teacher.
- A teacher that was interesting.
Scoop up these noble qualities and become such a teacher in 2022. Inspire your learners, teach them to develop their abilities as much as possible, do practical work, and expose them to the best possible opportunities.
The link to the original article of the ACS is here. The pdf copy in which I have underlined a few sentences is available here. Apart from that, work through some of the Chemistry info to develop an appreciation for the talents some people have. There is a lot of further information available on the internet.
I trust this means something to my readers!