Noyce Scholar Profile
Shannon Phillips
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Integrated Mathematics
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Algebra and Geometry, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Cleveland State University
Current academic or teaching status:
Second Year Teacher
School and school district:
Euclid High School
Background:
I am a father of 5 with over 20 years of professional experience including military service. I have worked for some large international organizations like J.P. Morgan Chase and Honda, I have owned and operated my own successful business. I attended 9 different grade schools in 6 states and 6 different colleges. I am well traveled having visited 48 States 7 different countries
Why do you want to teach:
I found myself in a unique position that allowed me to re-evaluate my career and think about what would be best for my family and me. Teaching was a clear choice, many of us choose careers at a young age, with little experience on which to base that choice, very few have the opportunity to change those choices once we really learn who and what we are. I think that as a country we have greatly undervalued education. There is always talk about the next knee jerk decision that is going to change our education system, but the truth is, it is not a high priority. If you disagree, just look at how since 2001 the military budget has doubled but school funding has shrunk and consider that we have still not developed a solid dependable means of funding schools. My career was centered on finance; I just cannot see where we as a society can get a better return on our investment than education.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
My first year of teaching I had a bright energetic freshman who wanted to do everything, to the point where once after answering two questions in a row, I would not let her answer the third. She completely lost it, forcing me to send her to the office. There were more incidents in our turbulent first months, but that student turned out to be one of my best and ended up calling me her favorite teacher that year, writing me a wonderful note at the end of the year talking about all the class had learned. This note did not just mention math, but talked about other personal traits like responsibility and self-respect and self-reflection. You just never know how the things you do will influence your students for the rest of their lives.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
Bottom line I would not have been able to make this career change without this type of financial support.
