Noyce Scholar Profile
Delia Herman
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Middle Grades Education
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Math and Language Arts, grades 6-9
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of North Carolina Wilmington/STAR Scholarship
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
New Hanover County
Background:
I am originally from New Jersey, and came to North Carolina for college. During the summer I work as a counselor at a day camp for six and seven-year-old children. I am studying to be Middle School Math teacher, and my additional teacher field is language arts. I am also a music minor and enjoy playing the saxophone, piano, guitar and singing.
Why do you want to teach:
While growing up I was never a big fan of school, especially math. I found the whole system grueling and tedious. Every once in a while I would come across a kind and patient teacher who would inspire me to reach my full potential. As I got older I realized that school is not a mechanism to frustrate children, but an exciting means of challenging the mind to reach great heights. With the frustration of school comes the excitement of learning and understanding new ideas and concepts to create a better future for everyone. I look forward to becoming as inspiring as some of the teachers I have encountered over the years, and for the opportunity to help students on their journey through middle school education!
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I used to tutor a 12 year old girl in math during the summer. Every Saturday morning I would go to her house, and we would work on her summer math homework. This was challenging because the last thing this girl wanted to do on a Saturday morning was math homework. From this experience I learned that the more enthusiasm I put into tutoring, the more excited the student would be. I would bring manipulatives that I had learned about in college to use as tools for teaching, and the student loved it. Watching a student get excited about math on a Saturday morning in July was one of the most rewarding teaching experiences I have ever had!
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce Program has showed me that North Carolina understands the importance of providing quality secondary education in math and science. Especially as a female, it is important to set an example to young girls that math and science are not only for boys, despite the popular stereotype. It means a lot to know that I have support in my quest to offer a superior education to middle school students.
