Noyce Scholar Profile
Crystal Shaw
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 Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
California State University, Northridge
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
Cleveland High School, Los Angeles Unified School District
Background:
I graduated from Faith Baptist Schools in Canoga Park, CA in 2007 and went on to study at Bob Jones University in South Carolina for a semester as a Math Education major. After deciding that I really wanted to stay in California to teach math and finding out that I would have had to start my entire program over again, I decided to come back and attend Cal State Northridge (CSUN) where I am currently a Math major in the FYI (Four Year Integrated) blended program.
Why do you want to teach:
When I was in tenth grade and taking Pre-Calculus, I discovered that I really loved math. During that year, I started tutoring students at my high school and figured out that I really liked teaching too. Putting those two ideas together and with my math teacher as my inspiration, I decided to go into teaching. I decided that I really wanted to change lives and impact the world in a big way. What better way of accomplishing that than by educating the leaders of tomorrow?
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
The most memorable teaching experience I’ve had doesn’t come from my standing in front of the classroom and being the teacher, but from working in the developmental math program at CSUN as a tutor during my junior year. That semester I probably grew the most as an educator because I was able to break through all of the stereotypes that I had in my mind about students from certain backgrounds, and see the students for who they were as individuals. I invested my time, effort, and energy to helping these students who were the complete opposite of students I was used to working with–none of them were honor students and none of them liked math! The only way I could get through to them was by caring about them. At the end of the semester, I had a handful of students actually come up to me and thank me for all the time that I put into helping them. They may have learned math from me, but I learned a whole lot more from them. I know that it was this experience that prepared me to be patient and understanding with the students that I have now at Cleveland High.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
Although the primary reason that I joined Noyce was for the monetary stipend, I’ve found through my experience that Noyce is so much more than that. Through this program, I’ve met some great people in my major, built a close relationship with them and our professors who put so much time and energy into us, and had other opportunities through networking with people involved in the program. This will truly be one of my most memorable undergraduate experiences.
