New to OHS, Dr. Steiner
Dr. Steiner is a new science instructor here at OHS, holding a Ph.D. in biochemistry from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, researching methods for targeted delivery of cytotoxic agents to sites of cancer. Ali Alaoui learns more about OHS' new addition in the interview below.
Pixel Journal: What previous experience do you have teaching before coming to the OHS, and what courses did you teach?
Dr. Steiner: I have been tutoring, supervising, and coaching since high school. Sharing skills, knowledge and information is my passion! Fortunately enough, I made the choice to pursue teaching as my career, I got a degree in education and have been teaching chemistry and biology at different levels for four years.
PJ: How is the OHS different from the previous schools you have taught at?
DS: I have never taught online before coming to the OHS! Not meeting many of my students in person is definitely a different experience. Also, in my first weeks at OHS I was sitting at a table when teaching, but then I realized that it was too different from my brick-and-mortar experience, and kept me from using my hands when explaining something. I changed to standing, so now I stand in front of a book shelf where I place my computer and writing pad, so that I am not confined by a chair and table.
PJ: What is your favorite part of teaching at the OHS, and what is one challenging aspect?
DS: I like how motivated and committed my students are. I admire them for all the work they do in and out of school. Also, I teach an early morning session, and I am grateful for not having a long drive to get to work. One of my constant challenges is to increase participation, because I have no means to encourage individual students to contribute by looking at them directly. In general what makes me the most happy is to have or see “aha moments”, when we overcome misconceptions or get insights into something that was unclear before.
PJ: What interests you most about AP Chemistry, and why did you decide to teach it?
DS: AP chemistry provides a good understanding of underlying principles in chemistry, and chemistry explains so much of what we experience in the world around us. Understanding in detail why things behave the way they do is fascinating, isn’t it? It answers questions such as “why do we put salts on the roads in the winter”, “where do we get energy from”, “what makes water such a special substance”... I could keep going and going and going - for a full AP chemistry course and beyond :-)
PJ: What do you like to do when you are not grading papers?
DS: I like to explore my surroundings, be it traveling the world, or hiking and bird watching in California. Also, I play the flute, and I am taking a Spanish course. I also maintain a cooking blog, but it is in German. Currently, I am needlepointing a 3D globe while listening to podcasts, and I am always grateful for good recommendations. By the way, cooking is a wonderful hobby for chemists, and you can even eat the results of your experiments!
PJ: You also mentioned that you grew up in Switzerland, how is it compared to where you live now?
DS: Yes, I grew up and studied in Switzerland! The quality of life is very comparable, but Switzerland is a very small country without an ocean or a desert (it has mountains though, and four official languages). I like how here in Silicon Valley - despite being a recent immigrant - I have never felt like a stranger, and the national parks in the West are just beyond words.
Edited for length and clarity.