Noyce Scholar Profile
Phuong Kieu
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Science, Secondary Education
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology and Chemistry, grades 6-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Arizona State University - STARR Noyce Scholarship Program
Current academic or teaching status:
TEAMS Graduate Program, MEd
School and school district:
Collier Elementary School, Littleton School District; Bio Science High School, Phoenix Union High School District
Background:
I am a Vietnamese American and have lived in Arizona all my life with my family. Furthermore, I went to the University of Arizona for my undergrad degree in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Science Education in 2009. I joined the Masters program this year and started my education since June 2010.
Why do you want to teach:
I went to school in Arizona and know the school system. After going to college, I realized that I wanted to give back to the community by teaching science, where my passion lies. Science is a subject that was lacking in schools when I was growing up and I want to change this. Teaching and learning science is just as important as math, history, and language arts.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I was placed in a seventh grade general science class for my student teaching for the fall semester. This event actually just happened and made not only my day but my mentor’s day as well. So far, the students are learning about ecology, and recently we just finished food chains and food webs along with energy pyramids. One day, the students found some habitat on the school grounds after coming back from their elective class and spotted a jackrabbit coming out of the home it made along with some owls flying around with the neighbor’s dog chasing after the jackrabbit. All the students start yelling out that there was a food chain occurring. One of the students went to find my mentor to look outside, and they all explained what they saw and the organisms interactions. To see them think science when they are not in science class really made our jobs as teachers worthwhile when they can see the implication to real world experiences.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has really assisted me in furthering my education as a science teacher. Also, the program has many people to help me succeed in the TEAMS program that I am enrolled in.
