Noyce Scholar Profile
Alexius Metten
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biomechanical Engineering and Broad Field Science
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Science, grades 6-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Marquette University
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, WI
Background:
I grew up in Greenville, WI and am the oldest of three daughters. My family owns and runs a daycare center, so I have always been around kids. We have also opened up our home for the past 4 years to foster children from our county. After graduating high school, I chose to pursue a degree in Biomechanical Engineering from Marquette University. Since moving to Milwaukee, I have added two more majors: Middle/Secondary Education and Broad Field Science with a minor in Biology. In addition to my avid involvement in the Noyce Program, I am also the Vice President of the MU Chapter of Alpha Eta Mu Beta, the Biomedical Engineering Honor Society.
Why do you want to teach:
I love math and science and have always been interested in new developments and technologies. Unfortunately, my small town high school did not have many teachers that really wanted to foster these interests with any of their students. I want to teach because I have a passion for science and its applications to the real world. I want to be able to help students see the interesting aspects of science and how it relates to their own lives and surrounding communities.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
My most memorable teaching experience is one from my most recent teaching rotation at Milwaukee Academy of Science, a local high school. I had the unique experience of writing, developing, and teaching my very own mini-unit on genetic engineering. I taught my own lessons everyday for a week and a half and gave my students a quiz at the end of the mini-unit to assess what they had learned. This experience was my favorite because it helped me to get a better idea of how to develop and adjust lesson plans so that the unit flows smoothly. My cooperating teacher also provided me with great feedback that will be useful when I have my own classroom.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
To me, the Noyce Program is everything. Not only has it helped fund my education at Marquette, but it has also provided me with experiences that go beyond what a traditional education major would go through. I have attended conferences, met with many pre-service teachers and educators from my community and across the country, and have had many opportunities to work with local schools on a variety of tasks beyond the traditional classroom observations/teaching. These Noyce experiences have helped to properly prepare me for future teaching jobs high needs schools.
