2023/2024 school year
The lectures were very good and well organized.
– Student
I think that this course is well-organized and thoughtfully created. I don’t have any suggestions to improve it!I especially appreciated the chapter block checklists and practice problems. Thank you for a really enjoyable year of chemistry, Mrs. S!
– Student
Some of the labs were difficult to complete for my student. Excellent course, rigorous and engaging.
– Parent
(What aspects of this course were most useful or valuable?) Lectures
(What aspects of this course were least useful or valuable?) Textbook
– Student
The textbook readings are good, but the videos made me understand it more. The videos were very useful, and the homework assignments helped me prepare for the chapter test. It was engaging and fun. The videos were helpful and Chemistry Mole and Avogadro were a nice touch. Thanks for teaching!
– Student
Mrs. Schwartz is an amazing teacher that has the ability to explain complicated topics in an understandable manner as well as provide well organized content. She is also super kind and engaging. Genuinely wouldn’t have gotten the grades I did if it weren’t for her outstanding abilities.
– Student
The instructor’s teaching methods makes understanding the content easier and clearer.
(Would you recommend this course to others?) Yes. I would definitely recommend this course to others and I honestly wish all my friends took this course haha.
(Do you have any other comments, kudos, questions, or concerns that were not addressed above?) Mrs. Schwartz, thank you so much for teaching me Chemistry this year! I really enjoyed learning from you (and Chemistry mole and Avogadro).
– Student
this was a really good class that truly taught me a lot
– Student
I had to help him set up only in the beginning and followed through the first week. He did everything the rest of the year by himself. This was his first time doing the scanning, submission and keeping track of his assignments, all by himself. Thank you so much for organizing the course well.
He loves chemistry at the end of the course, and he often tells that are a good teacher .
– Parent
2022/2023 school year
All expectations were clearly communicated and instructor was organized and provided timely feedback. Excellent course. My son feels like he gained a solid understanding of Chemistry. Extremely impressed and satisfied. I wish my son could take all of his future science classes with this instructor!
I have and will continue to recommend this course to others. My daughter will enroll when it is time for her to take Chemistry. This has truly been the best online class we have taken throughout our extensive homeschooling experience. The instructor provided clear and thoughtful expectations and was available for questions. I wish all classes were as organized and thoughtfully executed.
– Parent
I actually enjoyed it a lot and it became my favorite subject this year.
– Student
I took this course along with my student and learned tremendously. I found the videos super helpful and the material very interesting, I finally understand trans fats! Loved the organic chemistry section best. I loved this course. The instructor goes above and beyond to make this a good experience for the students. I have an older student who struggled through chemistry. Having completed this course, I wish she could have taken it. I think the general chemistry (not honors) would have been perfect for her.
– Parent
I often found the textbook reading (by itself) difficult to understand. However, paired along with the video lectures, they then made perfect sense. For me personally, I was able to gain the most understanding from the reading by skimming it once, watching the video, and then reading it again with more attention to detail. Sometimes I found the lab instructions (in the kit) to be somewhat vague. However, it never really interfered with my ability to do the experiments; I just had to reread a couple times. The video lectures were often the most useful part of the course. It was the biggest part of gaining understanding of the lesson and being able to complete the homework. Personally, I rarely checked/joined any office hour sessions. However, I’m sure they’re actually very useful/valuable in general, but I just rarely looked.
This was one of the first science courses I’ve ever done where the material actually makes sense. It was taught in a way that I could actually understand, which was an amazing feeling to have. I thought the lessons were well organized and easy to follow. Generally, I also really liked how the class was set up as a whole. Having it be asynchronous, with the ability to reach out and have a real live conversation, with set due dates was really helpful. I’d be able to complete assignments in my own time and have my own schedule, but also be able to manage my time accordingly to be able to make the soft due dates. This worked perfectly for me and made sure I didn’t procrastinate most of the time. Overall this was a really awesome class that made me feel like I could actually understand chemistry!
– Student
The course was so clear and well done that my child never needed to go to the office hours! My student learned a ton and gained a lot of confidence with general problem solving. (What aspects of this course were least useful or valuable?) I would say most aspects were valuable, but because things made sense, my child didn’t need extra help sessions. (How would you improve this course?) I really can’t think of a way. It was the best path to get through that introductory content of high school chemistry! (What are your overall impressions of the course?) My child loved it and never complained (always a sign of excellence!) My child really enjoyed the organic chem/biochem introductory chapters at the end. Not all high school classes cover that material, but I’m really glad that’s in there to give the kids an idea about those areas of study!
– Parent
(What are your overall impressions of the course?) I liked it, the assignments and tests summarized the content very well and the video lectures were very detailed.
– Student
A good course that deepened my understanding of chemistry while fulfilling graduation requirements.
– Student
I think it would be better for the lectures to be on YouTube instead of screencast. (*Note from Mrs. S: As the evaluations of my course are anonymously submitted, I couldn’t respond to this student’s comment. 🙂 For others reading here, my choice to host lecture videos on Screencast as opposed to YouTube was for the digital safety of students. If I host my video lectures on YouTube, I have no control over the ads that students might see during the lectures. By hosting on Screencast, I can ensure an ad-free watching experience for students. :))
(How would you improve this course?) Overall, I think it’s perfect, maybe just change the video lectures to youtube. One of my favorite courses I’ve taken in high school.
– Student
Well organized, accessible, clear.
– Parent
Teacher responsiveness was kind, considerate, fair, and consistent. Excellent communicator! My daughter loved Chemistry Mole. The mascot was fun and added some personality to an online course. She also loved the opportunity to earn bonus points. I think I have expressed my gratitude clearly in email messages. Not only did you show up for my student through chemistry, but also as an outside authority figure. She needed some of the “intangible” lessons learned through this course.
– Parent
I didn’t use the live classes (office hours) much but they were helpful when I needed them.
– Student
2021/2022 school year
The class was excellent! You were the most valuable part of the course. With multiple children, outsourcing and being a former public school teacher, I’ve been surprised and disappointed at how difficult it has been to find great teachers. We’re so happy to have found you! I would have loved it if an interactive discussion board among the students was a part of the class. We wish you offered AP Chem 🙂
– Parent
I think the videos were helpful, but also the review for the final exam and midterm were great. I loved this course! I feel like I learned a ton. I actually heard of this course from a recommendation of a friend, but I too now would recommend it to others. Nothing else! Thanks for a great class. 🙂
– Student
The lectures and checklists were the most helpful. If something in the book wasn’t making the most sense to me I usually understood it after I watched the video and the checklists help me keep track of what I needed to get done. The discussion forums were the least helpful because I prefer to send an email directly to the instructor. I would add videos for the labs so the instructions can be made more clear and we can follow along. I loved this course and I learned a lot. Mrs S is one of the greatest teachers. She always explained everything thing and made all the lectures fun so it was more enjoyable to watch everyday. I’m definitely going to miss this class and Chemistry Mole next year.
– Student
The course was very clear and easy to use, it made me really interested in chemistry. The lectures were extremely thorough and comprehensive.
– Student
The recorded lectures were extremely helpful. The textbook was difficult to understand sometimes, but the recorded lectures always explained what I didn’t understand. The labs were sometimes hard, especially because I didn’t really know what the results should look like. Because the class is asynchronous I don’t really know how to fix that, except maybe a reference video. This course was great, especially for someone like me who had never really taken chemistry before. Mrs. S is a great teacher, and I would highly recommend her to anyone!
– Student
I found the videos to be much more helpful in understanding and engaging with the material. The units on moles and stoichiometry were extremely helpful! All of the lessons that involved math were very easy to learn and I will take it with me as I go on with school! A lot of the first units were lessons I previously learned so I got less out of them as others. I don’t have anything I’d want to improve (in the course). This is a really well organized course and it made chemistry less of a stress for me which was amazing! Thank you again for this course!!
– Student
I really enjoyed the live office hours and recordings because it helped me solidify the concepts that were confusing to me! I came into this course with a pretty basic understanding of chemistry, and now I feel like I know a lot more! It was easy to access all of the information and assignments, and it was easy to understand as well. I really enjoyed this course, so thank you, Mrs. S!
– Student
Reviews for Chemistry
2020/2021 school year
Connie made chemistry the favorite subject for girls now 16 and 17. The most important was how fast she replied and graded work. It shows how much she valued their effort on homework and test taking. This was exactly what we needed for HS science.
Outstanding and thoughtful teacher. Our girls both declared this their favorite course and they are not going the science route. THANK YOU! CONNIE!
– Parent, Chemistry
I love that you have added an intermediate Chemistry course. Our son started in the Honors Chemistry (very rigorous) and moved to the regular Chemistry (maybe too easy). He would definitely have benefitted from the intermediate course! Good call!
Your organization was extremely helpful, especially the checklists. Wonderful for online learning to help students be organized. Highly recommend. Thank you! Your courses are outstanding!
– Parent, Chemistry
The office hours and screencast videos were the most useful parts of the course. The videos provided enough knowledge to complete the homework (and understand everything in the lesson), and the office hours were perfect for follow-up questions. I can’t think of anything to improve. The homework, office hours, textbook, and tests are excellent!! Thank you for such an incredible year, Mrs. S! I loved taking your course, and the material was really engaging and fun. I loved how you were so enthusiastic about the material as well – that really boosted my interest and excitement in the course! I don’t think I’ll go into chemistry later in life, but this was my favorite course this year. Have a great summer!!
– Student, Chemistry
I thought the course was very thorough. The instructor was enthusiastic about chemistry and it showed through her teaching. My student was not particularly excited about Chemistry before the course and now finds it very interesting. This is an excellent instructor whose expertise and enthusiasm was translated to her students. Mrs. S goes above and beyond to provide her students with support as they try to understand the material. She is a fantastic teacher who clearly invests herself in their success!
– Parent, Chemistry
I think the most valuable and useful thing of this course, after the course lectures, was without a doubt, the office hours. They are very helpful not just because you can ask questions, but because you can learn from what other students ask and the teacher’s response. There were none (aspects of the course) that I thought were the least useful. The course was well thought out and well structured, I did not encounter any problems in the time that I took the course. I really enjoyed the course and thought that both the students and the teacher were just great. I enjoyed how in the discussions the students shared news and stories about things happening in the chemistry world. I also liked how helpful and kind the teacher was. Lastly, I loved how Ms. Schwartz encouraged us students to research, learn, and explore other chemistry subjects, even teaching us things during the office hours that weren’t even in the course.
I would, without a doubt, recommend this course to others. I came into this class with no chemistry knowledge at all and now I am telling my family and friends cool things I learned. I really enjoyed seeing how everything we learned really was reflected in the world around us. I think this class is a fantastic class for all ages and that the teacher could not be a better teacher.
Thank you Mrs. S for teaching such a great chemistry class.
– Student, Chemistry
I thought Ms. Schwartz did a great job in simplifying complex concept and providing little ‘tricks’ that helped my student remember them. I appreciated that she also incorporated organic chemistry and biochemistry into the course. The course was well planned out and the material thoroughly covered the essential topics of Chemistry for high school. The office hours were helpful for reviewing topics/problems that were tricky. Ms. Schwartz was very quick to grade deliverables and very quick to respond to emails. Also, she sent the kids a few emails about animal sightings that they appreciated and enjoyed. She made Chemistry enjoyable and my child now loves chemistry and thinks its is cool. Kudos to a great class!! Wish you taught AP Chemistry.
– Parent, Chemistry
The course is wonderfully organized and all of the materials necessary to succeed were provided. My student learned a lot and will be very comfortable in his next chemistry course. (Overall impression of the course): It’s fabulous. Can’t wait for my next son to take it, and only sad that my oldest son missed out!
– Parent, Chemistry
My twins got a full semester’s worth of learning from the class, and I did not have to supplement or scaffold the work at all. Exactly how I feel a well run, outsourced class should operate.
– Parent, Chemistry
I appreciated how organized all the modules were! I do well with routine, and knowing week after week how my work was to be structured help me to stress less and immerse myself in the material. I think the recorded lectures were a great part of this class. I liked being able to go back and hear you explain things again. Also, if the textbook reading was a bit confusing to me, I always understood after watching you explain and expand on it. I dove into this course knowing only a little about chemistry through my biology course, but I’ve come out it with a solid base of knowledge from which I can expand in more science classes. My overall impression is that this is an engaging, challenging course that provides a solid understanding of basic chemistry. So, very positive impressions! 🙂 Thank you so much for this class, Mrs. S! I hope to see you again in your higher level chemistry classes.
– Student, Chemistry
I feel that I know all the chemistry I will ever want.
– Student, Chemistry Note from Mrs. S: This comment intrigued me. 🙂
Very good! This course really piqued my interest in chemistry and beyond that the material was well-organized, explained in a very approachable way (coming from someone who hasn’t had a ton of experience with STEM), and overall interesting and enjoyable!
-Student, Chemistry
I found that the online recorded lectures were invaluable. They were presented in a natural and familiar way that made the concepts very easy to understand and demonstrated the problems exactly the way they were expected to be shown on the homework and tests. They were also easy to go back to and clearly discussed all of the topics we were expected to know. I also really appreciated the review documents that were provided at the midterm and final. This was not something that I expected to be offered to us and it was a very pleasant surprise. Studying was much easier and more efficient with the provided resources. (Overall impression of the course) It was great! I came into this class with a mild interest in chemistry from my biology class and through this class I’ve really come to love it. This course made chemistry a fun and engaging class rather than simply a high school credit. I especially loved how ready you were to offer support or assistance. Constant replies to discussion chats and notes on the homework assignments were really great.
– Student, Chemistry
My student ended this course saying that he loves chemistry. He is even thinking about taking another of your courses after next year. Wonderful course.
– Parent, Chemistry
2019/2020 school year
Mrs. Schwartz is an incredible teacher, she has found her passion and it shows. She fluently describes chemistry in a fun engaging way and I will never forget about Chemistry Mole and Avogadro!
-Student, Chemistry
Kudos to you for hosting such an amazing class and having such a good connection with the kids. That is hard to do, but you were amazing!! Thank you so much!
-Student, Chemistry
This class was really great. My daughter loved your class and you as a teacher. Thank you so much for offering this class. My daughter is going to miss you.
-Parent, Chemistry
I loved it a lot! It was nice to have an online class and have the teacher around 24/7 if you need help. (Note from Mrs. S for posting in “Reviews”: I don’t know that I’d say I’m available 24/7 🙂 but I do tend to be a night owl and so am at my computer when many teens are doing their work. ;)) Absolutely a fantastic course. Definitely recommend! Thank you Mrs. Schwartz for being a wonderful teacher! And thank you Chemistry Mole and Avogadro for being my cheerleaders throughout this course! 🙂
-Student, Chemistry
Great course! Challenging but doable and it made me very interested in chemistry 🙂
-Student, Chemistry
Well-organized and easy to pace work around a very busy student’s schedule. Excellent teaching of difficult concepts. Excellent introduction to chem. My student thought she would dislike it, but your course changed her mind. She’ll definitely take another chem course at some point. Love your enthusiasm and joy for teaching. You were a bright light in my student’s 2019-20 school year. Thanks for sharing your talents with us this year!!
-Parent, Chemistry
Mrs. Schwartz certainly has a skill for making the most difficult problems clearer. Her responses were in the course of one business day, and she took the time to explain a question in full. I am not a fan of chemistry, but I genuinely enjoyed many aspects of it as a result of her teaching. Thank you for a great year, Mrs. Schwartz!
-Student, Chemistry
He had zero interest in chemistry (just took it because mom told him it was a requirement to graduate) until he took the class and now he is loving it! The class was enjoyable and he really learned a lot and is interested in taking additional chemistry, maybe biochem.
-Parent, Chemistry
This course was a great experience overall. We signed up for this on a leap of faith solely based off the comments I read on The Well Trained Mind forum by Connie and by others whose children had taken her course last year. I’d emailed Connie last winter with a long list of questions…all of which she answered completely and in great detail. I was slightly leary of signing up for an online chemistry course (would there be enough instruction? help? how to do labs?) but Connie has absolutely nailed it with this course. I personally did not have a good experience taking chemistry in high school nor college. I don’t have a strong background in chemistry. I had no idea how I was going to teach my son chemistry. This course was the perfect solution. It was rigorous enough that I have full confidence that my son will be able to easily transition into a college chemistry course in a year or so. The feedback was individualized and given on a regular basis. Connie really does care about her students and does a great job of establishing a relationship with them. My son would talk about things he’d learned in her lectures at random times so that tells me it really stuck with him. I am already planning on my youngest son enrolling in this course when he is ready. You do need a good bit of personal discipline to take this course…it is all on the student to be sure to get the schedule and map out how he will get all the work finished.
-Parent, Chemistry
This course turned out to be great for one of my kids. He really loved it. It was terrible for the other one, who really struggled with the material for various reasons. Not having a live class was an absolute killer for him. He just could not connect with the material.
-Parent, Chemistry
Remarkably well put-together, organized, and clear. Balanced workload and curriculum.
-Student, Chemistry
The format worked really well for my student. I was unsure about asynchronous lectures but having a definite due date for all coursework and stretching it out over 2 weeks worked really well for my kid. She liked the flexibility of her work schedule but she still needs the pressure of a due date. She also liked that she could go back to the lectures and re-watch whenever she needed to review something. Finally, the reference packet your provide is very generous! It allowed students to focus on the concepts without having to worry about all the extra stuff they may/may not remember, like the polyatomic ions and solubility rules. Great course! I really enjoyed watching my daughter learn chemistry this year. She really enjoyed the class.
-Parent, Chemistry
This course was really great, and I don’t think I would actually change anything as it worked very well for me and my learning style. It was a very interesting course that ignited some interest in Chemistry in me. I hope to use it in my future schooling/career.
-Student, Chemistry
You’re one of the best teachers I’ve ever had, and I absolutely loved your class.
-Student, Chemistry
2018/2019 school year
Clover Valley Chemistry is wonderful…I can’t recommend it highly enough. My daughter, a motivated homeschooler who’s taken dozens of online classes and can be a tough critic, loves the Chemistry course. Ms. Schwartz is an ideal teacher—personable, professional, enthusiastic, and organized. The readings, coursework, labs and lessons are interesting and effective. Ms. Schwartz is quick to grade and return assignments and is always responsive if my daughter has a question or needs something. She’s obviously a pro who loves what she does. I strongly recommend this class. It’s what all online classes should be.
-Parent, Chemistry
My student HIGHLY enjoyed this class and Mrs. Schwartz was fabulous – if only she taught every single subject !! Thank you !!
-Parent, Chemistry
VERY well done, and I would recommend the course enthusiastically!
-Parent, Chemistry
By far my most enjoyable class this year. Thanks, Mrs. S! And tell Chemistry Mole I’ll miss him.
-Student, Chemistry
Very well organized course. Thank you for your time and effort in putting together such a great Chemistry course for homeschool students!
-Parent, Chemistry
A really good course, that had a great teacher that kept things interesting.
-Student, Chemistry
I’m so glad my daughter was in your class. She learned so much in this positive and supportive online forum. I would recommend this class to others without hesitation. Thanks for being such a patient, caring instructor.
-Parent, Chemistry
My son is enrolled in the Clover Valley Chemistry regular Chemistry course. This was our first year using an online science course, and it has surpassed all our expectations. Connie Schwartz is gifted at teaching chemistry. She is enthusiastic, encouraging, and makes complex concepts simple and relatable. She is incredibly knowledgeable and just a general pleasure to work with. The course is well organized, with expectations and a course syllabus provided at the onset of the course. Students work independently, but receive as much support as they need to get a complete understanding of the material covered. There are dedicated discussion boards to communicate with one another, office hours once a week for questions, and Mrs Schwartz is very responsive through email. I honestly could not have asked for more in an online class.
-Parent, Chemistry
“This course has been exactly what we needed. Connie made chemistry interesting and understandable. It was a great introduction to high school science for my 9th grader to experience labs, exams, midterms, and managing time wisely from a friendly and supportive instructor. I would recommend it to anyone.”
-Parent, Chemistry