Noyce Scholar Profile
Hailey Knettles
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Environmental Science
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology, grades 6-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Pacific University
Current academic or teaching status:
Teacher Candidate
School and school district:
Woodburn School District
Background:
I am passionate about learning as much as possible about our environment, being outdoors exploring said environment, and teaching others about what’s around them! I grew up with a deep and long-standing love of science, which led to my eventual study of Environmental Science with a focus in Biology. In addition to school, I have learned as much as I can about the natural world in my personal life. Outside of the classroom, I performed multiple marine biology research studies, volunteered in a crab research lab as a caretaker, and spent several months working with sharks, sting rays, and sea turtles on the island of Oahu. When I am not studying science, I spend my time reading, dabbling in photography, hiking, surfing, climbing, and surfing.
Why do you want to teach:
In addition to my passion for science, I have spent many years developing my love of teaching. While volunteering in Title 1 classrooms for 4 years, teaching swim lessons to swimmers of all ages for 6 years, and substitute teaching, I found that I love to share in other’s excitement about learning. I believe in everyone’s ability to learn and feel incredibly privileged when I am able to witness it. I also believe in the importance of knowing about the world around you. If we expect today’s students to take care of the world when they are tomorrow’s professionals, they must have at least a basic understanding of the environment they are living in.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
A student in one of my sixth-grade classrooms has had a really tough time writing. He doesn’t enjoy it at all and is not very quick at it. This has created a lot of frustration for him, which ultimately came to a head when he began refusing to write. All of his teachers struggled to get him to put pen to paper and even his aide was at a loss for what to do. This past week, he began writing in my class. The lessons I was delivering were fairly scaffolded and slow-paced, however there were many questions we wrote about that required some higher-level thinking. He did all of the work! What was the most memorable moment for me was when he told me the next day that he had showed all of his writing to his mom. He said she was really excited and very proud. I was completely over the moon that this student was finally beginning to find excitement within the challenge of writing, that he was proud of his accomplishments, and that his achievements were being noticed beyond the classroom. It was a very rewarding moment for both teacher and student alike!
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce Program has given me the opportunity to be a part of an amazing school district and learn from highly knowledgeable professors. The classes I am taking are unlike any of those in other teaching programs, and I am so grateful for how much I am learning. The scholarship also made this opportunity possible for me as I could not have afforded to do this otherwise. I am also looking forward to the continued support I am going to receive after graduation. The continued contact I will be able to have with other professionals will allow me to continue growing and developing as a teacher and person.
