Noyce Scholar Profile
Karen Levin
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics, Masters of Arts in Teaching
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 6-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Teaching Fellow
Name of Noyce institution:
Boston University
Current academic or teaching status:
High School Math Teacher, year 2
School and school district:
City on a Hill Charter School
Background:
I grew up in Chicago and went to a large public high school there. I came out to the east coast for college where I was recruited to play ice hockey and golf for Middlebury College in Vermont. I spent four years enjoying Vermont while studying Math and Psychology and being a part of the hockey and golf teams. After Middlebury I learned about the Boston University (BU) Noyce Scholarship Program and attended BU receiving a Masters of Arts in Teaching. I now teach math at a charter school in Roxbury called City on a Hill.
Why do you want to teach:
I am constantly appalled at the inequities in education. I want to help students who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to help themselves achieve higher education and, hopefully, a better life.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
Many motivated students will take the initiative to stay late and finish up their math projects. My most memorable teaching experiences came late in the evening after working with students on projects. An example of a project is if you have three clocks, one that loses 3 minutes each hour, one that gains 7 minutes each hour, and one the loses 10 minutes each hour, how long will it take for them all to be correct again? The students began the project quite confused, and with small guidance and help organizing their information, they were able to have that moment of “I get it!” Not only did they get the answer, but they could explain their method of solving, and they could generalize their ideas to other situations. It was incredible to see that development in their thinking.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has meant a supportive group of peers and professors that will help me through any situation.
