Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary

Description

Teach courses pertaining to the chemical and physical properties and compositional changes of substances. Work may include instruction in the methods of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Tasks

Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory performance, assignments, and papers.
Supervise students' laboratory work.
Prepare course materials such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and chemical separation.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Establish, teach, and monitor students' compliance with safety rules for handling chemicals, equipment, and other hazardous materials.
Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
Select, order, and maintain materials and supplies for teaching and research, such as textbooks, chemicals, and laboratory equipment.
Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
Serve on committees or in professional societies.
Act as advisers to student organizations.
Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
Perform administrative duties such as serving as a department head.
Prepare and submit required reports related to instruction.
Participate in campus and community events.
Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.

Knowledge

Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Work Activities

Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Work Context

Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Public Speaking: How often do you have to perform public speaking in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets: How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?

Interests

Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Work Style

Analytical Thinking: Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Leadership: Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Innovation: Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Work Values

Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Related Occupations

Natural Sciences Managers

Chemists

Materials Scientists

Nuclear Monitoring Technicians

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Lay Titles

Analytical Chemistry Teacher

Chemical Educator

Chemistry Department Chair

Chemistry Faculty Member

Chemistry Instructor

Chemistry Lecturer

Chemistry Professor

College or University Faculty Member

College Professor

Food Technology Teacher

Industrial Chemistry Teacher

Inorganic Chemistry Teacher

Instructor

Math and Science Division Chair

Natural Sciences Professor

Organic Chemistry Professor

Organic Chemistry Teacher

Pharmacognosy Teacher

Physical Chemistry Teacher

Professor

Science Professor

Sciences Dean

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $0.0 hourly, $71,140 annual.

Employment (2008):: 20,430 employees