Noyce Scholar Profile
Alexander Cardenas
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Secondary Education
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology, grades 6-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Towson University
Current academic or teaching status:
Post-Graduate
School and school district:
Student teaching - Reservoir High School and Murray Hill Middle School
Background:
I was born in Lima, Peru and have lived in Wheaton, Maryland since moving to the U.S. when I was in elementary school. I attended the University of Maryland-College Park, where I received a dual degree in General Biology and Criminology and Criminal Justice. Afterward, I received an M.A.T. degree in Secondary Education at Towson University. Currently, I am enrolled at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where I am pursuing a certificate in the TESOL Program.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach because I like Biology and enjoy explaining it to students. I also like it when I catch a student in that “ah-ha” moment when they finally understand something that I teach them. Another reason why I want to teach is to create a community within my classroom and my school amongst both students and faculty.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I was able to relate the topic of taxonomy to my students’ lives by comparing it to music and music categorization, something they know a lot about. This showed me and my students that anything in Biology can be made personal and interesting to students’ lives.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has given me the chance to interact with other fellow educators and share new ideas and methods that can be implemented in the classroom. It has also given me the chance to work with other teachers in creating projects to educate school children during the weekends.
