So, I was browsing the Life Science Facebook group and I saw that someone posted about how Dr. Lock is not teaching Chemistry this year because she is on maternity leave. Is this true? Can anyone confirm this? I really wanted C01 because Lock was teaching it. But now, grr, some other person (a high school teacher) is teaching the course, which upsets me. How are the other professors for Chemistry? Are they any good?

I can't vouch for anybody else, but I had Berti for 1AA3. I thought he was fantastic!! He explained everything REALLY well. He didn't "baby" us too much, but he was patient, and took the time to answer questions. He really tried to make sure that we understood what was going on, instead of just blazing through the material. If anything, I liked him WAY more than Lock! (Lock is awesome but I liked him more!). I remember I really despised his handwriting but I can't remember .. this was 2 years ago. It was also his first time EVER teaching 1AA3, and his first time ever teaching a FIRST YEAR course! I'm sure he's even better by now.

I can't say much about how he is when you go up to him individually though. I felt really awkward going to him and Lock for individual help, because my sister is friends with them, and I feared he would report back to my sister about the stupid questions I would ask, or would start comparing the two of us (I was not super studious and I wasn't good at chem, whereas my sister has a PhD in chem lol .. sigh .. ). However, looking back, I wish I had gone to office hours and gotten more individual help, since he seems extremely approachable and actually seems to care if you understand what's going on!

Also, I actually think that it's GREAT that you have a high school teacher! If anything, it will help reduce the weird transition from high school (where the teacher is really careful to make sure you are caught up and know what's going on), to university (where, at least stereotypically, the prof doesn't really give a shit sometimes and doesn't know your name). Especially with a topic that many people find difficult, like chem .. it would be great to have a teacher who is more used to teaching high school students, so it would help with the transition. Many people like Lock, since she cares, goes through the material slowly, and walks you through all of it. Maybe that's why they got a high school teacher? (Other than the fact that they can get away with paying her very little, lol). Personally, I think the WORST profs are often the ones with tenure, who have some giant research project, and teach "on the side". I think the BEST teachers are the ones that Mac hired for the SPECIFIC PURPOSE of teaching or other education-specific purposes (like Kim Dej, Lock, Kaijuira, etc.), or even sessional profs/instructors .. because they actually give a shit about you. So I would actually go for the high school teacher!


Anyway that was just my (very long) two cents, sorry for the lengthyness of the post!

The other profs are fine, but your teacher will have a PhD I'm sure.

Originally Posted by macsci

The other profs are fine, but your teacher will have a PhD I'm sure.

No PhD. I looked him up on the Ontario College of Teachers database and all he has is a BSc and a BEd.

I don't think you need a PhD to teach the stuff they teach you in 1st year though! Much of it you may have touched on in high school anyway, if I remember well. For first year I think it's more important that the prof knows how to teach than whether or not they have a PhD or something .. and having a PhD is no indicator of whether not somebody can teach. However if the teacher has gone to teachers college and teaches as a profession (rather than doing RESEARCH as a profession) then I think they would be way, way, wayyy better for first year chem.

As you can see I am severely dissatisfied with the quality of teaching I have recieved at McMaster by "actual" professors =P.

Oh man >.< I mixed up my whole schedule just to get into Lock's section :(. Anyone know anything about the other profs, Goward, Britz McKibbin, and Valliant and Stover for 1AA3?

Also, Lock's section is now empty under the master timetable:S?

Stover did not teach last year but Valliant is Awesome for 1aa3! i had 8:30 classes with him and a lot of ppl would agree he made it completely worth it. it was like he woke u up in the morning... lol
as for 1a03, i had britz, and he's a lil bit unsure at times and spent entire classes on some one person's simple question... but i never heard tht Goward was alot better. they're both still good though considering they hav been teaching this course for many yrs now
generally most ppl find the second course better structured and more interesting, with better profs overall...

oh, and if Lock's two sections are empty it probably means they're figuring out who's gonna teach them...

Thanks for your post, and so fast too at a time like .. now. Someone on the Life Sci facebook group said that the teacher will be "Hatala" who's a high school teacher, or something. I'm guessing nothing is finalized yet though

I know most would disagree with me but I thought Britz was pretty good too.

Stover taught me Orgo! He's awesome, he has a crazy German accent and he tells a lot of funny jokes. I walked with him a couple times after class and all he would tell me was chemistry jokes! Good teacher too.

dont freak out! paul hatala (the replacement for lock) is honestly the best instructor ive had so far at mac (he has taught both courses in summer for about 5 years). He knows his material extremely well, and has the best ways of explaining it (ie he brings in jub jubes for like demonstrations of sn1 and sn2 mechanisms)

you guys should consider yourselves so lucky!!

Stover is good : ).

We had awful profs for Chem 1A03/1AA3 - but we managed to tough it out.

Somebody had informed me that all Chemistry professors really know their stuff and that a first year is fine with any of them.
Another important thing to remember is if you don't like your professor's teaching style, you are always welcome to sit in another lecture.
You can also switch your courses around the first few weeks if you find a different professor allows you to understand the material better.
That being said, this is reassuring for the people in other sections who felt screwed without Lock.

Edit: In a voice mail message I called Dr. Britz-McKibbin "Philip". I didn't know he had a PhD. I was almost certain I would never have my Chem 1AA3 conflict resolved until I wrote him an email 10 days later, addressed him properly and was directed to a person who could assist me