Twelve years in the classroom, three countries, one goal: making chemistry click.

My story

I'm Ruchi — currently teaching the IB Diploma Programme in Chemistry (SL & HL) at Toronto French School, guiding students through the Internal Assessment and Extended Essay process every year. Before that, my classroom has spanned three countries: Chemistry and Physics at St. Stephen's School in Chandigarh, India; Chemistry at Al Khor International School in Qatar; and Chemistry across several schools here in Ontario, alongside SAT instruction and a stint as a Chemistry & Biology teacher at Queen's Elite Academy.

My foundation was built in India, where I completed my B.Sc. in Chemistry, M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry, and B.Ed. in Science before ever stepping into a classroom. After moving to Canada, I worked to earn my Ontario College of Teachers certification in Senior Chemistry — and I keep myself professionally current with how the IB curriculum evolves, year over year. I've also privately coached 7–10 students through SAT prep, every one of them landing a strong score.

Ru's Science Cafe grew out of a simple observation: the students who do best aren't the ones who memorize the most reactions — they're the ones who actually understand why a reaction happens. That's the whole philosophy behind every session I teach, whether that's a Grade 9 student just starting to build a foundation in chemistry, or a Grade 12 IB student finalizing an Extended Essay under deadline pressure.

My teaching philosophy

• Diagnose before teaching. Every new student starts with a 30-minute diagnostic session — not a test, a conversation — to find out exactly which concepts are shaky underneath the topic they're stuck on.
• Concepts before formulas. Equations are easy to memorize and easy to forget. I teach the reasoning first, so the formula becomes obvious rather than arbitrary.
• Close the loop with parents. After every lesson, I send a short summary email — what we covered, the whiteboard notes, and what to review before the next session — to both the student and their parents.
• Exam-literate, not just subject-literate. IB exams are external and marked strictly against command terms — "state," "explain," and "evaluate" all require different depths of answer, and precision matters as much as knowledge. I train students to answer exactly what's being asked, not just what they know about the topic, so they capture full marks rather than losing them to imprecise wording.

Where I've taught

• Toronto French School — IB Diploma Chemistry teacher, 2023–present.
• PrepSkills Inc., Ontario — SAT instructor.
• Queen's Elite Academy, Ontario — Chemistry & Biology teacher.
• Merrick Preparatory School, Ontario — Chemistry teacher.
• Al Khor International School, Qatar — Chemistry teacher.
• St. Stephen's School, Chandigarh, India — Chemistry & Physics teacher.