Noyce Scholar Profile
Gina McDonald
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Masters of Arts in Teaching
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 6-8
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of North Carolina WIlmington/STAR Program
Current academic or teaching status:
Graduate Student
School and school district:
New Hanover County, NC
Background:
After I earned my undergraduate degree with a major in Psychology from Wells College, I continued my journey on deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up. I worked a variety of jobs and eventually ended up as a Teacher’s Assistant at a middle school. That’s when I decided that I wanted to teach, and so began my return to school to obtain my teaching certification.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach because it is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. The students are incredible, and the ability to teach them new things to help them in the future is something I cherish. I had amazing math teachers growing up and hope to pay forward the experience they gave me. Math is a subject that many kids find boring or difficult, and my goal is to enlighten future generations to the fun that math can hold!
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
One memorable teaching experience I have had was when I was subbing for a 6th grade Special Education group of math students. I was trying to teach them a concept that they were not grasping, so I decided to try something silly that would hopefully make them connect to the content and get it! They all laughed at me, but I saw at least a few light bulbs go off over the heads of the kids. That was my first true experience of witnessing students have an “ah ha” moment, and I loved it!
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
This program has meant so much to me. It is allowing me to pursue my education full time, which means I will be in my own classroom sooner than I had expected! It is allowing me to follow my dream, and I’m excited about that!
