Noyce Scholar Profile
Chloe Johnson
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Teaching Fellow
Name of Noyce institution:
Wake Forest University
Current academic or teaching status:
Completing master's degree
School and school district:
I am about to begin my student teaching experience at Mt. Tabor High School in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC
Background:
I went to high school in Frederick County, Maryland before going to Gettysburg College to earn my bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in physics. Not knowing what career I wanted, I continued my studies at Wake Forest University to earn a master’s degree in mathematics. During my studies there, I heard of the master’s in education program at Wake Forest, as well as the new Noyce scholarship offered for the coming year.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach because I was blessed to have great math teachers in middle and high school, and this fostered my interest to study the subject further. I want to be a great teacher for students so they appreciate and understand the content, and hopefully successfully use it in their future.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
Although I have not yet started teaching, during my observations I saw a young man in a geometry class who was nervous about taking a quiz that day. The class was a bit talkative and unfocused, but he remained quiet in the front row. I helped the teacher grade the quizzes, and she was pleased to see that this student got an A on the quiz, whereas most of the other students earned Bs or Cs. I was fortunate enough to be there the next day when he got his grade back, and the look of pride and happiness warmed my heart. I think of him when I hear of how oftentimes the students causing trouble get the teacher’s attention, and the quiet students can fall through the cracks. Here was a quiet student who was succeeding, and the teacher made a point of privately praising and encouraging him.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has given me the opportunity to study education while not worrying about my finances or taking out even more loans. I know a teacher’s salary can be rather meager, and it helps me relax knowing that I will not have more debt once I start working.
