Volume 3, Issue 1
Fall 2009
“High Caliber Chemistry Talent” by Jonathan Luke
Miss Anna Malinskaya has started her first year of teaching in Cedar Grove High School. A Cornell University graduate, Miss Malinskaya majored in the harder of the two chemistry divisions called Standard Chemistry.
As most people know, Cornell is one of the famous eight Ivy League colleges, including Yale and Harvard. Accomplishing this feat is not easy and gives her an even greater qualification to teach chemistry. Miss Malinskaya’s previous jobs include working in research and development for L’Oreal. She has also worked in a more math-oriented environment, including the financial engineering firm known as Moody’s Corporation.
Having practical experience with chemistry and mathematics, CGHS is lucky to have a teacher with her credentials.
The transition from the financial atmosphere to teaching can be rough, but she is adapting quickly, a factor that distinguishes Miss Malinskaya as a true chemistry teacher.
Ever since the seventh grade, she has loved chemistry. One can call it a fate that when she went to college, Miss Malinskaya was accidentally placed in a chemistry class which reignited her passion from childhood. As she said, “Being able to see or picture the inside of an atom that all life is based on is truly an amazing thing.”
Why did she choose to teach when success was present in an adult oriented atmosphere? Miss Malinskaya has the desire to teach the younger generation.
“I feel teenagers are more open to learning new ideas compared to adults, who are more close minded, which is the main difference I see between working in industry vs. school.”
There is no doubt Miss Malinskaya believes in all of her students’ learning capabilities. She hopes to impress her passion for the sciences upon even the most obstinate student.
To make chemistry class more interesting, Miss Malinskaya plans on bringing real world applications of the science into class.
By seeing how chemistry is involved in everyday life, she plans on having students gain a more profound view of the science. As teaching is a completely different job for Miss Malinskaya, she plans to learn and improve each and every day.