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Mollie

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Noyce Scholar Profile

Mollie Sacra

Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Masters of Arts in Teaching

Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Secondary Education Mathematics

Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Teaching Fellow

Name of Noyce institution:
Boston University School of Education

Current academic or teaching status:
First year of graduate school

School and school district:
Waltham High School, Watham, MA

Background:

I graduated from Columbia University with a degree in civil engineering, and went to work as a structural engineer. I worked for a consulting firm designing mid- and high-rise buildings in New York City. After 3½ years I decided to leave the field of structural engineering and pursue my interest in education, at which time I enrolled in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program at Boston University.

Why do you want to teach:

I have wanted to be a teacher since I was very young. Initially, I did not understand the reason why, but as I grew up and had more experiences teaching people, I discovered just how wonderful it feels to work with a student towards a moment of inspiration and awareness of new knowledge. These “Ah-ha” moments when a student finally grasps a new concept or when a question you ask finally prompts a connection between the material and the student’s own background are really what I am working for.

Describe a memorable teaching experience:

When I think of the many different experiences that made me want to become a teacher, one in particular stands out. I was volunteering as a tutor at a Harlem elementary school while an undergraduate, and I worked with a group of ten to twelve students after school. On my first day with them, I was simultaneously awed by how creative the students were and how actively they learned, and dismayed by how little they knew and the method in which they were being taught. I managed to make progress with them by teaching using concrete, real life examples, and expecting more of them than their teachers did. I have always remembered this event and strongly believe that these students deserve just as enriched a learning experience as their peers on the Upper West Side.

What does the Noyce program mean to you:

First, the Noyce program is providing the means for me to make a dramatic change in my life and to pursue a new and very fulfilling career. Moreover, the program provides the additional information and support to help me not only succeed, but thrive, in what would otherwise be a very difficult demographic of education.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant Numbers DUE-2041597 and DUE-1548986. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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