I am so grateful, that, although in my student and early years, I did not have the Wisdom to choose Teaching as my Career, in my Real Life, Teaching Chose Me!
Musings on my Decades of Teaching 1974 – 2017
From Chalk Boards to Smart Boards
Slide Rules to E-Security Rules
Ditto Machines to I-Phones Snail Mail to Tweets The Delightful Constant in all my Decades at NOVA
The Joy and Love of Teaching My Students Near & Far!
Then
Deans were Chairs, Webs were spun by Spiders
Worms were Outdoors, not in our Computers
Pods were on Trees and not Cast & not Streamed
Amazon was in South America, Java in Indonesia, & Blog was What?
Students in Bell-Bottoms, Peace Symbols, No Worries
Faculty in Leisure Suits & Reva Savkar wore Sarees
Now
A New Century, A New Millennium, Social Media and 3-D Glasses
Blogs, Hybrids, Face-2-Face & Flipped Classes
Same Urgent Student Queries using all possible Media:
“Help, Is this Important, Is it on the Exam, Please May I See You, I am a Mess!”
Reva Savkar said: “Call Me, Come See Me, Any time, Any place, Yes, Yes, & Yes!”
Follow the Yellow Brick Road Wandering and Curving as it Goes
Through Clouds and Data Streams On and On
How Lucky am I, whom Teaching Chose!
In 1974, armed with the confidence and optimism of youth, and my MSc. Degree in Organic Chemistry, with no prior teaching experience, I met with Dr. Merriam Jones, Assistant Division Chair, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), who said he could offer me a full time or part time teaching position. I happily accepted the part-time teaching position, as I wanted to be active in Chemistry, and also wanted flexibility and time to raise my two children, Lina and Vikram. On a humorous note, 43 years later, at my retirement party in 2017, one of my longtime Chemistry colleagues shared that Dr. Jones had told them in 1974 “I just hired Miss India”.
As I started teaching I quickly discovered that I felt honored, privileged, and excited at being part of my students’ journeys! Over the next 15 years as NOVA Adjunct Faculty, with a three year absence when we moved to Germany, for 12 years I taught a wide range of Chemistry courses. I loved teaching, guiding, and helping students discover the beauty of Chemistry and the Laws of Nature, believing it to be a wonderful, albeit, a temporary path, as I raised my children.
During those 12 years as Adjunct Faculty, at two different times, when a full time Chemistry Faculty position opened up, my administration asked me to apply, I made the decision to not apply, as my children were my priority. In 1988 I earned a MS in Computer Science from VA Tech, specializing in Compilers and Simulation, planning a career in the rapidly expanding and exciting Computer Science field. I received some rather interesting career opportunities in CS, and although I was considering them, my passion for teaching had been ignited, and suddenly, it all became completely clear to me – I did NOT want to leave Teaching.
Very fortuitously, at that time, a full time Chemistry Faculty position opened up at NOVA, I applied, and fortunately was selected! Thus began my 28 year full time teaching career, from 1989 through 2017, when I retired.
For a total of forty years (12 adjunct and 28 full time faculty) I taught and guided tens of thousands of students in a wide range of Chemistry and Computer Science courses – more than 5,000 lectures, 5,000 labs sessions, 8,000 office hours, 10,000 cyber communications, countless moments of informal interactions with students in my office, in the hallways, on the campus grounds, and a lifetime of Joy, Guiding and “Aha Moments”! I was their teacher, counselor, challenger, confidant, and facilitator, helped them to “uncover” so that they could “discover”, and I was never an enabler, adversary or bystander. And I was always grateful and happy that “Teaching Chose Me”.
My memories include August 23, 2011 when an earthquake struck in the early afternoon, on the first day of lab – we quickly evacuated the building, and I held lab safety & orientation outdoors until the all clear when we resumed class in the lab.
And October, 2012, when an armed intruder ran into my office and collapsed in my visitor chair, as I asked him what I always asked each person who entered my office “Hello, may I help you, are you OK?” Followed in a few minutes by two armed NOVA Police Officers, their weapons drawn, who silently but urgently signaled me to quickly exit my office, which I did. About 20 minutes later, when I saw them escorting the intruder out of my office, I entered my office, gathered my teaching materials, lab coat and goggles, and went off to teach my scheduled three hour lab session.
And the never-to-be forgotten morning on September 11, 2001, in my classroom, when a knock on the door, brought the devastating, incomprehensible, tragic news about the attacks on the Twin Towers, NY, the Pentagon, and Flight 93 in PA.
In my decades of teaching, using my Chemistry and Computer Science degrees, I was fortunate to be a pioneer in computer-based learning, and was a member of the US faculty team that developed the first Chemistry CD-ROM. In 1994 – 1995 I developed the first US online Chemistry course for science majors, and then developed two more online and hybrid Chemistry courses, with simulations and web-based learning modules. I taught these web-based courses, as well as face-to-face courses, until I retired, and I mentored many of my NOVA Chemistry colleagues in teaching online Chemistry courses. As Chair of the Science Seminar Committee for 21 years, I invited leading researchers and practicing scientists, including two Nobel Laureates, to give presentations on scientific discoveries, advances and practices, and technology innovations, to our NOVA academic community.
Students, colleagues and administration have honored me with awards for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty of the Year, SGA Golden Apple Award, and the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
In 2015, during President Barack Obama’s Administration, I was invited to be the speaker at the White House National Teacher Day Celebration.
White House Speech With Secretary Arne Duncan
Most of all, I cherish the words of my students, who have said in visits, letters, emails, and phone calls, sometimes even decades after they graduated from NOVA, “Thank you Prof. Savkar, you held me up to a high standard, you believed in me, you made me believe in myself, you taught me to think”.
I am so grateful that Teaching Chose Me!