The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

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Samantha

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Noyce Scholar Profile

Samantha Espolt

Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biology

Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: High School science

Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar

Name of Noyce institution:
Robert Noyce Scholarship

Current academic or teaching status:
5th year at CSULB

School and school district:
Jordan High School LBUSD

Background:

After graduating from high school in La Verne, CA; I moved to Long Beach to attend CSULB. At this point I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew I loved science so I dove into that. I started to pursue a degree in Biology, and decided to apply to the single subject credential program. During my 5 years at CSULB, I was fortunate enough to get some great opportunities. I was a teacher at the Young Scientist Camp for 3 summers, I went to a 2 week NASA workshop in Fresno, and the Forestry Institute for Teachers. Experiences like these have gotten me so excited about teaching as well as providing me a good set of materials to start building my curriculum from.

Why do you want to teach:

I feel that teaching will be a very rewarding job for me because I really enjoy sharing my passion for biology, and other science disciplines. Someone once told me that the key to being a good teacher is having a passion for the subject and sharing that passion with your students. I am also drawn to teaching because it is always evolving and there is never a dull moment.

Describe a memorable teaching experience:

In high school I spent six months volunteering at an after school program for autistic children. During this time I was able to get to know some very special children. One kid was always very skittish about doing the most simple things. I made a point to work with him on this by trying to focus his attention on the small steps instead of the whole thing. For example, when doing hopscotch, focus on 1 jump at a time instead of getting to the end. The group went on a field trip indoor rock climbing. This child was actually excited to try. After about an hour and some coaching, he found his way to the top. At this moment, I realized how much influence I could have on a person. As I turned around to see his mom shedding a tear, but so happy, I realized how much this influence could mean to someone.

What does the Noyce program mean to you:

The Noyce program has been a great source of inspiration as well as a place for support and collaboration. Through Noyce I have been to some wonderful workshops and seminars, including the biweekly ones we have on campus. Through these experiences I have met some very inspirational people whom I am able to keep in touch with and share my experiences with. I look forward to going to more workshops and meeting other Noyce scholars as we have a great deal to learn from each other.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant Numbers DUE-2041597 and DUE-1548986. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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