Dr. Natalie Machamer
Name: Natalie Machamer
Title: Principal Lecturer of Chemistry
Department: Chemistry
How long have you been teaching at UMaine? Since the Fall of 2015
SEATLE Award for: “The Catalyst for Clarity Award”
Meet Natalie
Courses you Teach
CHY 104 (The Chemistry of Food and Cooking), CHY 105 (Majoring in Chemistry), CHY 251/253 (Organic Chemistry I Lecture and Lab), and CHY 252/254 (Organic Chemistry II Lecture and Lab)
Tell us a bit about you
What’s a surprising fact most people don’t know about you?
I began college as a business major, but after taking organic chemistry, I fell in love with the subject and changed my major!
What’s something you have always wanted to learn, but haven’t yet?
Violin
What’s something you’d walk across campus in a snowstorm for?
My dog 🙂
If your teaching (or research) had a theme song, what would it be?
“You’re Gonna Go Far” – Noah Kahan
What’s the most surprising thing a student has ever taught you?
This isn’t really surprising, but if students know that you care, they will put in exponentially more effort into the course. It’s a good reminder during the tough parts of the semester.
What’s something you would secretly love to teach, even if it has nothing to do with your field?
Cooking/baking (mostly baking)…even though I kind of already teach that, but more of a focus on kitchen skills and not on the science.
What historical figure would you most like to co-teach a course with?
Justus von Liebig
Tell us a bit about your approach to teaching
How would you describe what you feel to be meaningful changes to your course design or approaches to teaching that have emerged as you have grown as an instructor?
My overarching goal is to make chemistry more accessible and less daunting. The lab videos I worked on with CITL have been the biggest addition to my lab courses. These short videos, which students watch before their lab period, allow them to see what they will be doing. The most common question in the lab is “is this right?” – these videos have helped to give students more confidence in an unfamiliar setting.
How would you describe the impact of these changes on the students in your classes?
This could be anything from learning, to engagement to retention. More confidence in the lab. The ability to focus on the chemistry and less on the unfamiliar glassware and equipment.
As a result of this work, what has changed for you as an instructor and/or colleague in terms of your own teaching.
The teaching assistants have found that they can spend more time focusing on chemistry and less time on the lab set-up. Students are also more confident asking questions, but also moving through the lab procedure independently.
What would be a piece of advice you might give a new instructor at UMaine?
Be transparent with your students. Students may not agree with a choice you’ve made, but if you can at least offer an explanation, they will be more willing to do what you’ve asked.