Noyce Scholar Profile
Jessica Reynolds
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Teaching Fellow
Name of Noyce institution:
American University Math for America
Current academic or teaching status:
Studying for Masters in Education
School and school district:
Paul Public Charter School, Washington, DC
Background:
I grew up just west of Philadelphia where I was involved in after-school sports, the thespian society, and technology club. I went on to complete my undergraduate degree at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY where I majored in math and minored in Studio Art.
Why do you want to teach:
Throughout my education, I constantly found myself tutoring and helping my peers who were struggling. I loved doing it. After graduation, I took a year to think about what path I wanted to take. Soon I realized that I really wanted to teach. Even more so, I wanted to teach somewhere where students may not have the same advantages that I had growing up. That lead me to apply for Math for America and what ultimately brought me to DC to teach.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
Last summer I had the opportunity to work with a 7th grader who was significantly behind his grade level. During the three weeks we had together, we made progress and had a lot of fun doing it together.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce scholarship has allowed me to get a degree in teaching. Without it, I would have been forced to start teaching with almost no experience which would have been unfair to my students. The scholarship allowed me to complete an intensive student teaching experience which has prepared me for teaching next year.
