Noyce Scholar Profile
Rachel Hubbard
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics Education
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
North Carolina State University
Current academic or teaching status:
One Year
School and school district:
Tuscola High School, Waynesville, NC
Background:
I received my Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. Following graduation, I served just over three years in the United States Air Force as a Civil Engineer Officer, where I realized that I really wanted to teach high school math. I completed my Master of Arts in Teaching and license from North Carolina State University, and secured a job at Tuscola High School in Waynesville, NC for the 2010-2011 school year.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach high school math for a combination of reasons. First, I have a passion for helping people and believe that everyone has the ability to succeed in education. I see how critical math and problem-solving skills are for being successful in the real world.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
Just recently I had two students who are taking Algebra I for the second time, (first time from me). I realized that they had great potential, but they had a tendency to act out in class due to frustration from being in the class a second time. I took them both aside and expressed my knowledge of their abilities and my desire for them to participate in class for the benefit of others as well as a means to keep them engaged in the class. I let them know that I truly wanted them to pass the course this time around as I knew they are capable of it, and I need their help in the process. Since that moment, those two students have been two of my biggest advocates in the classroom and have helped to focus the other students on the task at hand.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has provided me with ample resources and networking opportunities to ease the transition into the first year of teaching. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities to seek advice from my peers and advisors in the Noyce program.
