Noyce Scholar Profile
ShaTyra Langston
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics with Teacher Certification
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 7-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of Texas at Arlington
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
Irving High School
Background:
I am originally from Arkansas but moved to Texas in second grade. I loved school growing up. I loved to play school always making sure to only play the teacher role. I had an awesome seventh grade algebra teacher who inspired me to study to be a secondary mathematics teacher. My Grandma was an elementary school teacher, and my mom teaches second grade. Due to this, I have been helping with lesson plans, classroom setups, and grading papers for years!
Why do you want to teach:
When asked why I want to be a teacher, I like to respond with, “It’s in my blood.” The teaching profession was introduced to me as a young child, and ever since then, I knew that when I grew up, I was going to be a teacher. Also I just love teaching. I love the rewards that it yields. I love that teachers can impact students’ lives and vice versa. I want to change the stereotypes of “Math is boring” and “Math is hard”. I want to show that math is challenging but in a nice, fun, and constructive way. I also would like to incorporate some type of reading program into my mathematics classroom to stress the importance of reading. All of these demonstrate why I want to become a teacher.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
The most memorable experience was when I was teaching a lesson about Henry T Ford to third graders. I had to teach the students about his significance. He is the founder of the Ford Motor Company and also sponsored the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. I found some cheap, basic cars at Dollar Tree and came up with a fun activity for the students. At some point in the lesson, the students were in groups. They assigned a job to each person (one person puts on wheels, one person puts on the body, etc.). The activity was to see which group could assemble a car the fastest, but each person could do only their designated job. In the discussion following the activity, they were able to make connections and understand the process of an assembly line. The students loved it! They had so much fun. They thought it was cool. I got positive feedback from other teachers as well.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
When I think of what the Noyce program means to me, one word comes to mind: opportunity. It is simply an opportunity for success. It presents you with internship and research opportunities, networking and traveling opportunities, and scholarship opportunities. The Noyce scholarship literally changed my life. Because of this scholarship, I am/have been able to focus and put my efforts so much more on school and less on working. It is a big relief being able to still pay bills, but work less. When awarded the Noyce scholarship, I vowed that I would make school my priority. One year later, I am still honoring this vow. My grades have improved tremendously, and I even got to travel to California (for the first time) for a Noyce conference. I thank God and the Noyce program for the abundance of opportunities.
