Noyce Scholar Profile
Kim Bigioni
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Ph.D. Psychology, program in Neuroscience and Animal Behavior
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Life Science, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Teaching Fellow
Name of Noyce institution:
University of Toledo
Current academic or teaching status:
Long-term substitute
School and school district:
Toledo Public Schools
Background:
I’ve had considerable experience doing research and have taught at the undergraduate level: twelve years of research experience in neuroscience, was a postdoctoral fellow in the NIDA Drug Abuse Research Training Program at the University of Chicago, four years of experience teaching several undergraduate psychology courses at various academic institutions, including Emory University, Oglethorpe University, Oxford College of Emory University and Furman University. This includes courses in Biopsychology, Human Development, and an upper level seminar on Brain Plasticity and Behavior that I created, developed and taught at three different universities.
Why do you want to teach:
Since the first time I was a teaching assistant for Elementary Statistics at Emory University, I knew I wanted to teach. There are many components to teaching that drew me in. I love to learn, to help others and to challenge myself. Teaching is truly a learning experience and requires one to be a life long learner. Teaching provides opportunities to positively impact students’ lives by helping students learn to solve problems more effectively and look at the world from different perspectives. Teaching challenges the instructor to accommodate different learning styles, different base levels of knowledge and understanding, and to find ways to motivate students. Teaching is also rewarding, especially when you can observe the development of critical thinking skills, when students progress from knowing something to really understanding it, and when students find inspiration for a career path based on what they learned in class.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
My favorite time of year is graduation. Seeing the students get their diplomas and celebrate with their proud families is a very moving experience, especially knowing the challenges they faced to complete their education.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The NOYCE program at the University of Toledo is a great way to obtain an Ohio Alternative Educator License. It is an opportunity to learn valuable teaching skills from faculty who are actively engaged in preparing tomorrow’s teachers.
