by Caroline Crocker | Jan 6, 2026 | Science, Teaching
This lab captured student interest, always a good thing. They were going to extract DNA from an onion and detect it with a reagent containing a strong acid. Since lab coats were not mandatory, I spent quite some time at the beginning of the lab explaining the...
by Caroline Crocker | Dec 16, 2025 | Science, Teaching
Working at George Mason University (GMU), even as an adjunct microbiology lab teacher, proved to be very different from NVCC. The course content was strictly regulated, there were weekly prep sessions, the methods of evaluation were standardized, and, oddly enough,...
by Caroline Crocker | Dec 9, 2025 | Science, Teaching
“Dr. Crocker, I don’t get it. Why’d you take a point off for my answer? I’m sure that all my calculations are right.” Samantha, a nursing student, was red-faced. Mathematical Thinking “Well, let’s forget the calculations for a minute and just think about your answer...
by Caroline Crocker | Dec 2, 2025 | Science, Teaching
The Sadistic Teacher “Class, give me your attention. For this part of the lab, you’ll be studying osmosis by observing water uptake by raisins. First, weigh a raisin while dry, then soak it in distilled water for 2 hours. Weigh it again and record the weight gain. At...
by Caroline Crocker | Nov 19, 2025 | Science, Teaching
A Variety of Students On the first day of the fall cell biology class at NVCC, my attention was drawn to a bright-eyed, attractive Persian student, Neshat. Seated in the front of the class, she nodded in comprehension when a concept registered, smiled at my jokes, and...
by Caroline Crocker | Nov 11, 2025 | Science, Teaching
It was my second semester at NVCC, and I’d been assigned Bio 102. Full of enthusiasm, I wanted to be the best college professor I could be. I pored over the course objectives for Bio 102 and the list of chapters to be covered: zoology, botany, and ecology. “Wow,...
