Noyce Scholar Profile
Jessica Chriss
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics for Secondary Education
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics and either middle school or high school
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of Northern Colorado
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
Currently at Windsor Middle School in Windsor, CO District 4
Background:
My name is Jessica Michelle Chriss, but I prefer to be called Jess. I am a sophomore majoring in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Mathematics.
I was born in Anchorage, Alaska into a military family in the summer of 1992. Growing up I moved around to a lot of places eventually moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado in the summer of 2006. I then attended Sand Creek High School for the duration of my high school career.
On my spare time in high school, I enjoyed singing and participating in the school musicals and plays. While living with my parents, I have traveled to many different places: Germany, Croatia, France, England, Egypt, Canada, and a good percentage of the United States. On my spare time now, I am a Community Assistant at an apartment complex owned by the university, so I am usually working the desk or helping a resident out.
In high school, I participated in the math tutoring program for students who needed extra attention in catching up with their class mates. Many of my pupils complemented my patience; I was touted as the most successful student/teacher of the lot.
My math experience includes algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, discrete math, elementary probability theory, elementary linear algebra, modern geometry, abstract algebra, history of mathematics, and I am currently enrolled in mathematical modeling.
I have taken quite a few education classes such as Concepts of Schooling Context and Process and Educational Technology, Adaptation, Modification, and Integration of Curriculum for the Secondary Exceptional Learner, Tools and Technology of Secondary Mathematics, and Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers, and I am currently taking Methods for Teaching Mathematics.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to be a teacher because I am really good at taking initiative. I would like to use teaching as an opportunity to share my passion and knowledge of mathematics. With the enthusiasm I have for mathematics, I hope to encourage other students to have the same excitement I have with math!
My Aunt Cathy used to be an Elementary School teacher and her enthusiasm with teaching instilled in me the desire to go into teaching likewise. It wasn’t until I got to high school that I decided to go into mathematics.
In my years as a student I have actively participated in the teaching process.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I tutor a high school student and she was missing a lot of school one semester because she was sick. She asked me to help her catch up in her class, so we spent a good three hours on her math homework and classwork that she had missed. She personally told me that without my help she would not have understood the material, nor enjoyed it as much as she did. This is the main reason why I want to be a teacher and why it stands out to me. I am always striving to enhance students’ knowledge in mathematics while making it fun and enjoyable!
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
I just got into the Noyce program, but thus far I have felt truly welcomed into a group of people who have the same goals and aspirations as I do. This program has also allowed me to continue on in my college career without the worry of an even bigger debt after I graduate. I am so thankful that I was accepted into this family of fellow teachers.
