As 2025 comes to a close, I am stepping down from my role as Editor-in-Chief of Chemical Education Xchange (ChemEd X). It has been a privilege to serve this community, and the experience has been both professionally meaningful and personally rewarding. IMHO, chemistry is the most difficult subject to teach. I have tried to support those who opted to make chemistry education their careers. I hope that those who have find ChemEd X useful.
Before looking ahead, I want to recognize the chemistry teachers and educators who have made ChemEd X what it is—Chemistry Educators Xchanging lesson ideas, classroom activities, reflections on teaching, and thoughtful takes on what works (and what does not). Their willingness to open their classrooms to others has given ChemEd X its practical value and sense of community. Simply put, ChemEd X exists because teachers choose to Xchange.
I especially want to thank the community editors and team members who worked alongside me. Their time, judgment, and care were essential to everything we did. Together, we focused on making ChemEd X a safe and welcoming place for chemistry teachers at all career stages and across all teaching contexts. We worked to encourage practice-centered writing, and strengthen connections between ChemEd X and broader chemistry education conversations through participation in conferences. None of that happened without a passionate and committed editorial team. Thank you.
Looking forward, I am very happy to welcome Jack Barbera as the new Editor-in-Chief of ChemEd X. Jack is widely respected in the chemistry education community for his work on learning, assessment, and evidence-based teaching. More importantly, he cares deeply about supporting teachers and helping them think carefully about their practice. Jack brings a thoughtful, inclusive perspective, and I am confident that ChemEd X will continue to grow as a useful, teacher-centered resource under his leadership.
As ChemEd X moves into this next chapter, I encourage you to stay engaged—Xplore widely, Xperience generously, and Xtend yourself, perhaps by contributing your own work. ChemEd X values contributions that are grounded in classroom experience, thoughtful about student learning, and written to help other teachers try, adapt, or reflect on ideas in their own contexts. Whether you are sharing a classroom activity, a teaching insight, or a reflection on practice, your voice and experience matter.
Thank you to everyone who has read, shared, commented on, reviewed, or contributed to ChemEd X in any way. ChemEd X has always been about chemistry teachers Xchange with one another. I am grateful for the chance to help guide that work, and I look forward to continuing to be part of the ChemEd X community in new ways.
Thank you for the conversations, the ideas, and the shared commitment to better chemistry teaching.
Jon Holmes
Former Editor-in-Chief, Chemical Education Xchange