Noyce Scholar Profile
Daniel Nieto
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: BS Mathematics
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, Grades 9 - 12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of Texas at Arlington
Current academic or teaching status:
4th year (senior)
School and school district:
Student Teaching: Arlington Heights High School (FWISD), Nichols Jr High (AISD)
Background:
I was born in Los Angeles, CA but have lived in Arlington, TX most of my life. I graduated from Sam Houston High School where I was a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, and Earth and Science Club. I currently go to the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and plan to graduate with a BS degree in math with a 7-12 year teacher certification. While at UTA, I have worked as a High School AVID tutor, assisting AVID students with course work in math and science by running tutorial groups. For two summers, I was a counselor at an engineering camp at UTA. I helped to manage classrooms and large groups of campers, and assisted the teacher in instruction. I have had several teaching experiences through my UTeach courses where I created and delivered my own lesson plans at Nichols Jr High and Arlington Heights High School.
Why do you want to teach:
I am interested in teaching because I want to change the world. I hope to leave a giant impact and legacy behind, and improve our society. I believe I can do this by teaching. Not only do I want to leave an impact, I hope that the students I teach can continue doing good things for our society and be the ones who can impact other people and so on. Through teaching, I would create a chain reaction for the good of society. I have a passion for helping people and teaching. For me, it feels good to help and teach someone. A student's expression when they discover something for themselves with my assistance always means a lot to me. It has always put a smile on my face. Students must also become life-long learners and continue discovering things. I hope to inspire that.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
A memorable moment was when I reached out to a student who did not want to learn or participate in the activity that I had prepared for the class. I told him about the importance of education and tried to implement an activity where all students could participate. During the next class, I saw him participate in the activity. Knowing that I was able to encourage this student to participate showed me how much potential I could have as a teacher.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program represents opportunity and growth. It encourages me to do my best in my courses, in volunteer activities, and in teaching. The Noyce program offers me many opportunities such as volunteering, seminars, and workshops that will help me grow as a teacher.
