Preceptors in Chemistry

In the last 500 years, the worldwide community of chemistry has produced individuals who attempted to synthesize a coherent view of chemistry that could be taught to actual students. The following essay is neither exhaustive nor definitive , but it does attempt to paint a picture of how particular chemists carried out this task in their own times. It also attempts to define the characteristics of good chemical preceptors. Even chemical geniuses can become so focused on their own work that they are not understood by the bulk of their contemporaries and cannot contribute to the synoptic view of chemistry needed for effective teaching. It is hoped that the insights presented in this essay will be of benefit to all current preceptors in chemistry.