Noyce Scholar Profile
Jennifer Rich
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: chemistry
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Chemistry, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Michigan Technological University
Current academic or teaching status:
5th year
School and school district:
Arthur Hill High School, Saginaw, MI
Background:
I studied chemistry and secondary education with a minor in mathematics at Michigan Technological University for 4 years. I will be student teaching in the fall at Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw, MI.
Why do you want to teach:
I love the feeling when the light bulb goes on in my students. I have worked in the chemistry learning center for 3 years and was a teaching assistant for a semester at Michigan Tech, and it was a great experience.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
When I was at Arthur Hill High School for a week, I had a chance to work with the students in the chemistry course. They were learning about stoichiometry, and I taught them a different approach which helped a lot of students. Many of the students preferred this new way because it clearly showed how the units canceled. I was happy to have made such progress in a short amount of time and feel like the students and I both learned a lot during that week.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The week I spent at Arthur Hill High School was a very emotional week for me. I saw how some of the students were not getting the extra push from the teachers that they really needed. I want to be able to show my students that I really do care that they succeed and help them along the way.
